SUCCESS LEADS TO CHOPPY WATERS UCLA'S IMPROVED RUNNING GAME ELICITS ACCUSATIONS OF ILLEGAL BLOCKS.Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer With the same offensive lineman and nearly the same backfield as a year ago, UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX has gone from the Pacific-10 Conference's worst rushing offense to one of the best in the country. The unexpected upgrade has been at the center of three consecutive Bruins victories, but it also is bringing scrutiny from opposing teams. Washington defensive end Manase Hopoi accused UCLA of illegal chop blocks when the Bruins rushed for 424 yards during a victory Sept. 18 in Seattle. San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. State coach Tom Craft said the Bruins used ``blatant posts and cuts'' and called it an ``irresponsible practice,'' during last Saturday's UCLA victory at the Rose Bowl. ``I take offense to it,'' UCLA coach Karl Dorrell Karl Dorrell (born December 18, 1963 in Alameda, California) is the first black head coach in the history of the UCLA Bruins college football team, a position he took on December 18, 2002. said. ``I don't think we coach our players to do chop blocks, which is what has been eluded to. ... We stay away from those types of situations as much as we can, and we coach against them.'' On a chop block, one offensive player blocks an opposing player high, and another dives at the defender's legs. It is different than a cut block - a legal move in which an offensive player dives at the legs of a defender who is not engaged - and is dangerous because it can result in a serious knee, ankle or leg injury. UCLA was penalized pe·nal·ize tr.v. pe·nal·ized, pe·nal·iz·ing, pe·nal·iz·es 1. To subject to a penalty, especially for infringement of a law or official regulation. See Synonyms at punish. 2. for one chop block against San Diego State, but the Bruins said it was not intentional. Fullback Michael Pitre misread mis·read tr.v. mis·read , mis·read·ing, mis·reads 1. To read inaccurately. 2. To misinterpret or misunderstand: misread our friendly concern as prying. a play and blocked an Aztecs defender low, while tackle Ed Blanton blocked the defender high. Pitre said UCLA running backs coach Eric Bieniemy Eric Bieniemy, Jr. (born August 15, 1969 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is a former professional American football running back in the NFL from 1991 to 1999. He was an All-American out of the University of Colorado and was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the 2nd round of the immediately pulled him aside and ``was yelling at me because it can injure To interfere with the legally protected interest of another or to inflict harm on someone, for which an action may be brought. To damage or impair. The term injure is comprehensive and can apply to an injury to a person or property. Cross-references Tort Law. a player. I was upset about it.'' First-year offensive line coach Tom Cable, who also serves as offensive coordinator An offensive coordinator typically refers to the coach on a football team in the National Football League or College football who is in charge of the offense. This position aids the head coach by designing and scripting plays, delegating work to offensive position coaches during , is at the center of the controversy. Cable said he spoke with Pitre and Blanton about the dangers of such a block. The game was officiated by a Pac-10 crew, and Craft sent a game report to the league office detailing UCLA's blocking practices. ``There were at least three plays that were blatant posts and cuts, where the tackle is totally engaged with the defensive end and the running back comes in and cuts them,'' Craft told the North County Times this week. ``That is just a blatant, irresponsible practice, and there's not a place for it in football.'' Craft said UCLA did not utilize chop blocks last season, and intimated Cable introduced the technique to the Bruins. Through a San Diego State spokesman, Craft declined to comment for this story. The penalty against Pitre was the only chop block called against UCLA this season. Pac-10 coordinator of officiating Verle Sorgen said the Aztecs were the first team to complain about UCLA (3-1) using the tactic. He attended Bruins games against Oklahoma State and Washington, reviewed tape, and said he saw no evidence of chop blocks. Sorgen said he is awaiting tape from the San Diego State game and a report from the Pac-10 official who attended the game. Despite Hopoi's comments, Washington coach Keith Gilbertson Keith Gilbertson (born May 15, 1948 in Snohomish, Washington) is a football coach, currently an assistant with the Seattle Seahawks. He was the head coach at the University of Washington from 2003-04, where his record was 7-16 (.304). said he didn't believe UCLA was doing anything illegal. First-year Arizona coach Mike Stoops Michael J. Stoops (born December 31, 1961) is the head football coach at the University of Arizona, his first head coaching position. He previously served as the assistant coach at the University of Iowa, Kansas State University and the University of Oklahoma. , whose Wildcats visit UCLA on Saturday, said he watched game film and did not believe UCLA was teaching chop blocks. ``I don't think they're trying to do anything intentionally,'' Stoops said. ``But rolling up on kids' legs? That's a tough position for those defensive linemen to be in.'' UCLA believes the uproar is in response to a much-improved offense. Last season, the Bruins averaged 91.9 rushing yards, 295 yards of total offense and 19.1 points in 13 games. Now, they are seventh in the nation in rushing (273.2 yards per game), and averaging 470 yards of offense and 31.2 points in four games. After rushing for 65 yards in a victory against San Diego State in 2003, UCLA started the same five offensive linemen last Saturday and totaled 205 yards on the ground. Cable instituted several changes to the offensive line. Center Mike McCloskey is the only player who hasn't moved since spring practice. Cable, considered one of the top offensive line coaches in the nation, also changed UCLA from a predominantly man-to-man blocking team to a zone blocking Zone blocking is a technique in American football that is a simple and effective scheme for giving the quarterback time and protection while simultaneously creating lanes for running plays. team, in which ``you basically take a step to the side and just block anything in your path,'' Bruins tackle Paul Mociler said. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. officials at several schools where Cable used to work, including Idaho, there were no allegations of Cable teaching chop blocks. ``First of all, I would never teach anything illegal,'' Cable said. ``That's why this, it's a shame. Empirical data shows that we're doing it right. It disappointments me because I think our kids are doing a good job, so people are looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. excuses. That bothers me.'' Cable said he does teach the legal cut block. He views it as an effective way of opening up a hole on the back side of a play. It allows a runner to cut back on a run, which tailback tail·back n. Football The back on an offensive team who lines up farthest from the line of scrimmage. tailback Noun Brit a queue of traffic stretching back from an obstruction Maurice Drew did to near-perfection in running for a school-record 322 yards at Washington. ``Defensive linemen don't like that,'' Mociler said. ``Safeties don't like that. No one likes that. Our receivers go in there (and cut safeties). I heard an Illinois safety start talking about how they thought we were trying to break his leg, and things like that. It's nothing out of spite, nothing to be mean or vicious or anything like that. It's the way we need to run our offense.'' Drew, UCLA's tailback who leads the Pac-10 with 669 yards rushing, said he was ``offended'' by what he believed were false accusations. ``Nobody's holding them up and cutting them,'' Drew said. ``I know how we play. We play hard. We're not cheaters. There's no reason to be cheaters. We're all trying to have fun. Our O-line is just flying around trying to get blocks. If you get cut down, you get cut down. That's part of the game.'' Brian Dohn, (818) 713-3607 brian.dohn(at)dailynews.com UCLA vs. ARIZONA Kickoff: 3:30 p.m., Rose Bowl. TV/Radio: FSN (Full-Service Network) A communications network that provides shopping, movies on demand and access to databases and a variety of interactive services. West; 690-AM, 1150-AM. CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: (color) UCLA's Manuel White Manuel White (born July 2, 1982) is an American football running back. gets free against San Diego State, the type of play some believe has been possible this year because of illegal chop blocks. Edna T. Simpson/Daily News Box: UCLA vs. ARIZONA (see text) |
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