Rejuvenated UCLA prepares for Karl Dorrell-led Colorado

Fresh from its bye week, the UCLA shot squad tin go bowl-eligible this weekend, but a acquainted look stands successful the way.

Colorado manager Karl Dorrell returns to the Rose Bowl connected Saturday night, the archetypal clip helium volition manager determination against UCLA, his alma mater and the programme helium coached for 5 seasons.

Dorrell was a palmy receiver for the Bruins (1983-1986) and played successful 3 Rose Bowl games nether Coach Terry Donahue. Dorrell returned to UCLA arsenic the caput manager from 2003-2007 and finished with a 35-27 record.

“It’s been a while,” Dorrell said astir his instrumentality to the Rose Bowl. “It’ll beryllium absorbing to beryllium connected the different sideline, since I’ve ne'er been connected the different sideline.

“I’m looking guardant to it. It’s a precise important crippled for america … but there’s nary sentimental contented different than we person a tremendous situation successful beforehand of us.”

After leaving UCLA, Dorrell continued his coaching vocation arsenic a presumption manager for respective NFL teams and spent 1 twelvemonth (2014) arsenic Vanderbilt’s violative coordinator, earlier becoming a assemblage caput manager again with Colorado successful 2020.

In his Colorado debut, Dorrell led the Buffaloes to a 48-42 triumph implicit the Bruins to unfastened the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

The Bruins (5-4 overall, 3-3 Pac-12) and Buffaloes (3-6, 2-4) person exchanged wins implicit the past six seasons, with the location squad winning each game.

UCLA manager Chip Kelly has yet to pb the Bruins to a vessel crippled during his four-year tenure (something Dorrell did 4 times successful 5 seasons), but they tin officially cheque the container that would suffice them with their sixth triumph connected Saturday. To bash so, they’ll person to bash thing they haven’t done since earlier Labor Day: triumph connected their location turf.

The Bruins person mislaid their past 3 games astatine the Rose Bowl, starting with the last-minute nonaccomplishment to Fresno State connected Sept. 18. Dating to past season, they person mislaid 4 consecutive Pac-12 location games.

WHEN UCLA HAS THE BALL

Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson is expected to commencement against the Buffaloes, aft utilizing the bye week to retrieve from the manus wounded that kept him retired of the nonaccomplishment astatine Utah.

Thompson-Robinson brings much acquisition and a higher level of athleticism to a UCLA discourtesy that was missing those things with redshirt freshman Ethan Garbers successful his archetypal vocation start.

“(Thompson-Robinson has) really played rather good this year,” Dorrell said. “He’s played good successful truly captious moments successful games erstwhile they needed archetypal downs and fourth-down conversions. He’s been beauteous dynamic.”

Dorrell respects what the backmost brings to the Bruins, but helium volition trial him aboriginal with a walk unreserved that helped the Buffaloes unafraid a double-overtime triumph against Oregon State past week.

Linebacker Nate Landman is expected to instrumentality for the Buffaloes this week, aft missing the past 2 games.

“(UCLA is) coming disconnected a bye,” Dorrell said. “So they volition beryllium a batch fresher than we are. We recognize the elements of what we’re walking into.”

WHEN COLORADO HAS THE BALL

UCLA has allowed moving backs to people 4 touchdowns successful each of the past 2 games (Oregon’s Travis Dye and Utah’s Tavion Thomas.)

Running backmost Jarek Broussard is the featured runner for Colorado nether violative coordinator Darrin Chiaverini (Corona High alumnus).

Broussard kickstarted his 2020 connection play with a 187-yard, three-touchdown show against the Bruins. He’s surely connected their radar this clip aft being named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year past season.

While helium rushed for 151 yards against the Beavers past week, Broussard has been held nether 68 yards 7 times this season.

“They person a truly talented moving backmost successful Broussard and they’ve got a backmost who’s really precise diversion … the zone-read crippled and him being capable to support the shot is portion of what they do,” Kelly said.

Freshman backmost Brendon Lewis is different subordinate the UCLA defence indispensable effort to incorporate Saturday.

Dorrell has been pleased with his young quarterback, who helium said has improved with each crippled this season.

“I’ve been impressed with his level of maturity, what helium has had to endure implicit the people of the season,” Dorrell said. “There were challenges astatine the start.”

Kelly has besides noticed the progression of Lewis and the Colorado offense.

“They threw the shot a small spot amended successful the past mates of weeks,” Kelly said. “They’re varying what they’re doing successful their attack.”

Kelly expects to spot aggregate unit groups and knows it volition beryllium important for the Bruins to set and lucifer what the Buffaloes present.