Thought I never thought the LA Times TJ Simers would find a whipping boy as reliable as Lt. Dangle, it seems UCLA head football coach Jim Mora has achieved nearly as mythic a status. A week after driving Mora to distraction with public accusations of tanking against Stanford (above), Simers was at it again in the wake of UCLA’s loss in last night’s Pac-12 Championship rematch. From Saturday’s LA TImes :
I understand why UCLA is here, the Pac-12 using them like the Washington Generals for its initial two title games to scrimmage the conference’s Rose Bowl choice and build up Oregon’s and Stanford’s confidence.
But like everyone else, the Pac-12 misjudged UCLA.
The Pac-12 probably believed Mora when he said the Bruins played their gutty little hearts out last week. They lost by 18 and were now going to play on the road.
It shows you how easily folks can be duped by coaches who talk as if their team has just returned from war and taken casualties.
“OK, just between you and me,” I said to Mora at Friday night’s news conference after UCLA’s 27-24 loss, “did you hold back on Brett Hundley last week?”
“No,” Mora said, and we already know from experience he doesn’t always tell the truth.