Tag: Chip Kelly

Ryan Day embraces Chip Kelly in must-see moment after Ohio State win

Ryan Day and Chip Kelly have been under scrutiny the last few weeks, and this massive win was clearly an impactful and emotional one.

While Ohio State has been a top-ten team for the entire season, it certainly hasn’t been an easy one for the coaching staff.

The off-field noise has been loud as their early-season schedule and loss to Oregon have both been the main topics of conversation, not the dominant play in almost every game other than versus the Ducks.

That could be why the Buckeyes 20-13 win against the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium Saturday seemed so important to the duo of head coach Ryan Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.

Here’s their embrace following the gritty, defensive-minded win.

Kelly’s offense put together a few magnificent drives, especially right the Buckeyes went down 10-0 in the first quarter, and his play-calling helped create some clear opportunities for Will Howard and the team’s talented offense.

This was also the biggest win the duo has had together with Kelly having joined the staff this past offseason.

They’ll look to have more of those marquee wins as Ohio State will inevitably sustain its spot as a top-five team and look toward high-profile battles with Indiana and Michigan later in the season.

Ohio State OC Chip Kelly still seeking first win against Oregon since leaving the program

Oregon has not been kind to Chip Kelly since he left in 2013.

Current Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly had a marvelous run as the head coach of the Oregon Ducks from 2009-2012, going 46-7 (33-3 Pac-12).

His teams earned wins in the Fiesta Bowl and Rose Bowl to go with a BCS National Championship Game loss in 2010.

Kelly’s Ducks were known for innovative offenses, absurdly talented running backs and, above all else, so many wins.

But that run came to an end as Kelly’s years-long flirtation with the NFL reached its inevitable conclusion as the Philadelphia Eagles made him their head coach ahead of the 2013 season. It was good timing, too, since the NCAA was just about to hit Kelly with an 18 month show-cause penalty for recruiting violations.

But just six years later, Kelly was back in college football on the West Coast as the head coach of UCLA. And whatever weirdness there was with Kelly taking over one of the Ducks’ biggest conference rivals was quickly replaced with a different kind of weirdness.

Try as he might, Kelly could not defeat Oregon.

From 2018-2022, Kelly’s Bruins teams faced the Ducks four times. Here’s how they went:

  • 2018: 42-21, Ducks
  • 2020: 38-25, Ducks
  • 2021: 34-31, Ducks
  • 2022: 45-30, Ducks

UCLA didn’t face Oregon in 2023 and by the end of the season Kelly was on his way out, leaving the Power Four program to become the offensive coordinator at Ohio State under his New Hampshire disciple Ryan Day.

Now the Buckeyes head to Eugene in Week 7 for a matchup of the No. 2 Buckeyes against the No. 3 Ducks. It’s one of the most anticipated matchups of the year as the newly minted Big Ten rivals face each other for the first time as members of the same conference.

We’ll see if Kelly’s team can finally do what was once taken for granted: Win at Autzen Stadium.

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What exactly is wrong with Eric Bieniemy’s offense?

What is going on with the offense?

The UCLA Bruins coaching staff went through a large overhaul following the departure of head coach Chip Kelly. In his wake, the Bruins elevated running backs coach DeShaun Foster to head coach and hired Eric Bieniemy to head the offense.

Thus far, both have struggled mightily in the Big Ten.

The Bruins offense ranks 126th in points per game and 125th in yards per game in the country. Which begs the question: What is wrong?

To start, Bieniemy did not inherit an overly talented offense group. From passable receiver play to below-average offensive line success, UCLA is hardly one of the Big Ten’s most talented offensive rosters.

Though not the fault of Bieniemy, even teams stripped of high-end talent can devise schemes to generate offense and points. For Bieniemy, he and the Bruins have lacked in both categories.

Moreover, rather than running a varied or unique offense, many of Bieniemy’s play calls look very “vanilla.” With simple schemes and little misdirection, UCLA’s already depleted roster is very predictable. The combination of low-end talent and poor schemes is likely the culprit for UCLA’s anemic offense.

If by the end of the year, UCLA’s offense continues to show little sign of improvement Bieniemy could be in the hot seat much like Foster.

Chip Kelly calls Autzen Stadium, home of Oregon Ducks, “truly special”

Chip Kelly, at one point in his career, coached at Oregon. Now, he’s with Ohio State football trying to take down the Ducks this weekend.

Ohio State football added former Oregon Ducks head coach Chip Kelly to its staff this offseason, bringing him on as the team’s offensive coordinator.

Kelly brings a slew of experience at both the collegiate and professional levels, and he’s undoubtedly been a huge plus for the Buckeyes’ dynamic offense, one that has benefited from Kelly’s immense desire to have a strong run game.

Having coached at Oregon and having been in big games with the Ducks, he’s undoubtedly going to feel some type of special way when he walks back into Autzen Stadium on Saturday for a matchup between a couple of powerhouse programs.

Kelly was asked about his return, and he certainly didn’t say anything too crazy. He did speak about some of the coaches he still knows in the area and his family that’s around there.

Here’s the entire clip of the question from Dillon Davis.

The Buckeyes are going to have their hands full on the road against the No. 3 team in the country. Ohio State has looked virtually unstoppable on both sides of the ball over the last few weeks, beating Iowa at home 35-7 Saturday.

Let’s hope that continues into the Buckeyes’ first real challenge of the season.

Chip Kelly gives hilarious response to change from HC to OC

The Ohio State football added a key personality in Chip Kelly, and he gave a hilarious comment about the change from HC to OC.

The Ohio State Buckeyes added Chip Kelly to their coaching staff this offseason.

With experience as a head coach at both the collegiate level and professional level, Kelly comes braced with a chance to rewrite his legacy and win a national championship for one of the most high-profile programs in the country.

With the move, he went from being a head coach to an offensive coordinator, having spent from 2018 to 2023 with the UCLA Bruins prior to joining Ohio State.

When asked about the biggest difference between being a head coach and now working more behind the scenes, his response was legendary and should give most a good chuckle.

Kelly enjoys a good bathroom break, and I’m sure Ryan Day may say something similar in that position.

That said, Kelly has been a key addition for the Buckeyes as he has fostered an offensive built on the team’s dynamic backs, one which will get a first real test this week against the Iowa Hawkeyes.

One huge question looming over Ohio State football in Week 6

Ohio State football is going to be tested in Week 6 against Iowa, its first real matchup of the season. Can it answer this massive looming question though?

Ohio State football has dominated early in the season. But, considering who it has played, that’s not too shocking. Even against a Big Ten foe like Michigan State, the Buckeyes were still more than three-score favorites.

While they will undoubtedly be expected to win by double figures against the Iowa Hawkeyes in their Week 6 battle, there are going to be a few areas to keep an eye on.

The main question to watch for is how dedicated will Chip Kelly be to the run game.

The Hawkeyes beat the Minnesota Golden Gophers last week 31-14, and they were able to be taken advantage of through the air; however, Minnesota ended the game with 21 carries for just 79 yards.

Iowa has the size in the trenches to stop the run, something Ohio State has tried to do early and often this season. Let’s just say Kelly is focusing on his humor going into the matchup as well as the Hawkeyes.

Nonetheless, Iowa ranks 10th in the country in opponents yards per rush attempt, a category the Buckeyes rank 4th in. Ohio State sits 11th in rushing yards per game. There’s going to be a clash Saturday in Columbus.

Something has to give as Ohio State faces its first real test Surday.

UCLA is feeling the loss of D’Anton Lynn more than Chip Kelly leaving

According to Matt Wadleigh of UCLAWire.com, losing Chip Kelly hurts, but loss defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn hurts more.

The UCLA athletic department was in quite a quandary when Chip Kelly up and left the Bruins. Now having a head coach leave isn’t out of the norm, but Kelly left for Ohio State for the offensive coordinator position.

The ones in charge were left in a lurch, but they also had to replace another key coaching spot within the football program and that was defensive coordinator.

D’Anton Lynn transformed the Bruins defense into one of the best of the country. If Kelly could have replicated Oregon’s offensive success, UCLA would have competed for a conference title or perhaps more.

Not only did Lynn leave, but he left for the cross-town rival USC Trojans, which made it sting even worse. UCLA replaced Kelly and Lynn with DeShaun Foster, a first-time head coach, and Ikaika Malloe, respectively. So far. the returns have been very little.

According to Matt Wadleigh of UCLAWire.com, losing Lynn was a much bigger blow than losing Kelly.

“The writing was on the wall for Chip Kelly to leave, and there were rumblings that he wanted to go back to being a playcaller, so it wasn’t too surprising,” Wadleigh said. “But Lynn leaving for a division rival in the same city with the sale role was a shocker in all aspects.

“At the end of the day, money talks and Lynn must have sensed changes were coming and instead moved to a Top 25 program not entering a rebuild. Smart move all around.”

UCLA is going to find it difficult to find two or even three wins on the remaining schedule and it doesn’t let up, beginning with Oregon on Saturday night.

UCLA fans and writers not yet sold on DeShaun Foster to lead the way

UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster is off to a rough start and going 1-2, including being pounded by Indiana, hasn’t helped things.

The DeShaun Foster Era of UCLA Bruin football got off to an inauspicious start at Big Ten media days when Foster got up to the podium and spoke for 90 seconds, which was complete gibberish.

It wasn’t a good look for the first-year head coach that is stepping into a head job for the very first time. He obviously won over the administration with the interviews and eventual hiring, but Foster hasn’t quite endured himself in the early going with a lackluster offense and losses in two of his first three games.

UCLA got stomped at home to Indiana in the Bruins’ first ever Big Ten game and the Hoosiers are by far not the best conference team they’ll face. A 2-10 or 3-9 season is definitely on the table.

Ahead of Saturday’s game with the Bruins, we went to UCLA Wire and their own Matt Wadleigh to find out if Foster is truly the right man to lead the way through this time of rebuilding.

“When he was first hired, I thought so. He had energy, had support of alumni and boosters, and is a former UCLA player,” Wadleigh said. “After three weeks, I am now concerned. UCLA might not win another game until maybe Oct. 12 against Minnesota, but that’s even a question mark. Furthermore, the most wins I see them getting the rest of the year is two, max (Rutgers and Minnesota). If UCLA finishes with a 3-9 record, it will be difficult to recruit. Does Foster bring that name value to the recruit’s house?”

Recruiting is the name of the game and although Chip Kelly didn’t have that much success on the field, he could gain entry to almost any recruit’s house just on name recognition. Wadleigh is concerned Foster doesn’t possess that.

“Does he have the appeal as, let’s say, Tony White or Barry Odom? Foster has to win games in order to land top-end recruits, and it isn’t happening,” he said. “(UCLA athletic director) Martin Jarmond has some thinking to do if things continue at this rate.”

Oregon’s goal is to keep the misery in Westwood continuing.
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The storied history of the UCLA Bruins and the Oregon Ducks’ football series

Check out the history of the Oregon Ducks series with the UCLA Bruins in college football.

This weekend, the Oregon Ducks are venturing into their first-ever Big Ten matchup, but unlike many of the games ahead of Oregon this season, they’ll meet a familiar foe on the field this Saturday. The Ducks and the UCLA Bruins have been conference opponents in the Pac-12 for almost six decades, and this weekend, the Bruins will be the Ducks’ first conference matchup as a member of the Big Ten.

UCLA and Oregon first played one another in 1928 as members of the Pacific Coast Conference, and since then, they’ve played 71 games. The Ducks have won 39 of those meetings β€” including the first in 1928 and the most recent in 2022. UCLA has won the other 32, with no games between these teams ending in ties.

Recent history hasn’t been kind to the Bruins, as they’ve won just three of the 16 games played between these two schools in the 21st century. Oregon’s win in 2022 was the fourth consecutive win for the Ducks over UCLA.

The 2022 game was one of the most exciting in the history of this series. Coming in, Oregon was ranked 10th in the AP Poll and UCLA was 9th, with UCLA favored by many to take down the Ducks in Autzen Stadium.

Both teams had high-powered offenses, neither of which wavered through the start of the game. But when Dan Lanning chose to attempt a surprise onside kick in the second quarter, all the momentum swung in favor of the Ducks, who won the game 45-30.

Since the 2022 season, Oregon’s program has only gotten better, and UCLA’s has seen a significant decline. After last season, Bruins head coach Chip Kelly left for the offensive coordinator position at Ohio State, a sign of the turmoil in the Bruins football program. UCLA hired an exciting, young, and homegrown coach in DeShaun Foster, but the start of his tenure hasn’t been fantastic.

Ohio State football’s Quinshon Judkins has career-best game against Marshall

Ohio State football added a dangerous back in Quinshon Judkins this offseason, and he showed them exactly what he’s capable of Saturday.

Quinshon Judkins had more rushing yards than Marshall had passing yards in Ohio State football’s dominant 49-14 victory Saturday.

The Buckeyes didn’t start out hot, being down 7-0 early in the first quarterback, but they picked it up pretty quickly. Ohio State took a 28-14 lead into the break and put on 14 unanswered points in the third quarter as well.

The Buckeyes got a career-best game from Ole Miss transfer Judkins, who ended with just 14 carries. However, those 14 carries included an 86-yard touchdown. He ended with 173 rushing yards on those carries and 2 scores.

Believe it or not, the yardage wasn’t a career-high number for Judkins. He eclipsed 200 yards twice at Ole Miss, rushing for the highest number in his career on November, 19, 2022. He ended that battle against Arkansas with 214 yards.

However, in each of the three times he topped 173 yards, he scored just one rushing touchdown. He also had 24 or more carries in each of those. Saturday, he was efficiency and got the ball in the end zone twice.

Expect more big-time performances as Judkins continues to show his value to Chip Kelly and the coaching staff.