LOS ANGELES — A video surfaced of Coach Bob Chesney addressing the UCLA football team before its game against Oregon, revealing his intense motivational tactics.
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“Burn the (expletive) boats,” Chesney was seen yelling.
His players repeated the message back to him in echo.
But Chesney didn’t conjure that line, which has since gone viral, at a moment’s notice in Autzen Stadium’s tunnel. Rather, it was a minuscule nugget of a larger story he researched about Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés, one he talked to his players about throughout the week.
When it comes to motivating, Chesney doesn’t act on a whim. In preparing the Bruins for each opponent, he tells a carefully planned-out tale broken up over the week of practice and team meetings, tailoring each individual anecdote to the situation at hand.
The narrative ahead of UCLA’s game against Wisconsin last week?
“The bull’s-eye is getting bigger,” Chesney said. “How you react to that bull’s-eye is the mentality. Are you the hunted or the hunter?”
The target on their back has only expanded after the Bruins (6-0 overall, 4-0 Big Ten) defeated the Badgers (4-2, 2-1) on Saturday. UCLA isn’t sneaking up on anybody after ascending to No. 9 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll – the only remaining undefeated team in the Big Ten or SEC.
Two weeks ago, when UCLA first entered the AP Top 25, Chesney said, “If you pay attention to what you did to get this number, and only focus on that, and improve that, maybe the number even gets better.” So, seemingly the Bruins have successfully ignored the increased national recognition because they’ve risen in the polls. Those on the outside are the ones surprised.
“I’ve been on (teams) where getting bowl-eligible would be exciting, getting to .500 would be exciting. That is not our intention here, whatsoever,” Chesney said during his Monday press conference.
Still, seeing a program, on the surface, improve from 8-16 over the previous two seasons to 6-0, ranked inside the top 10, has elicited nation-wide excitement and hype.
That, Chesney explained, can impact teams to go one of two directions, react in one of two ways. Either they “feel they’ve now arrived,” or “they’re still trying to prove something.” So far, the Bruins have erred on the latter side, remaining humble, viewing their start as “validation.”
“(Our record) could validate some of the things we’re doing, which gives you the ability to go even harder in those moments and to become even better because you know you went from average to good, and you went from good to teetering on great,” Chesney said. “There’s one more elevation that we got to take here in this program.”
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Rather than defining that elevation plainly by if they qualify for the 12-team College Football Playoff, or another results-oriented goal, the Bruins must carry themselves the way they have been to reach 6-0. Over their remaining schedule, which on paper, looks surmountable to reach the CFP, compete periods in practice must sustain energy. Rotations along the offensive line must remain smooth. Reliance on depth at the wide receiver position, and in the cornerback room – both of which feature injuries to key players – must continue.
Focus must be on day-to-day growth, not external expectations.
Wide receiver Semaj Morgan understands this process as much as anyone. He contributed, as a true freshman, to Michigan’s national championship-winning team. He confirmed that UCLA functions in a similar way.
“We used to compete a lot in practice, every day was like a game. Same thing that we do (at UCLA),” he said Monday. “We had great leaders. Same thing that we have here. We all just play as hard as we can from one another.”
UCLA’s success on the field, the reshaping of its image will continue if its standards don’t change. In Los Angeles, the fans do show up, but typically only after you establish a history of winning. Just look at the Lakers and Dodgers.
Linebacker Samuel Omosigho experienced that when a student asked if he was on the football team on his walk to practice Monday at 6 a.m. When he replied, “yes,” the student said, “Man, you’re doing a good job!”
“Six months ago, that wasn’t the same feeling we were having at this school,” Omosigho said.
Those interactions will grow more frequent around Westwood, the Rose Bowl’s attendance will increase if UCLA establishes a history of winning. That’s how it works here. Based on what the Bruins have proved in six games under Chesney, that’s the direction they’re headed.
“We didn’t come this far to only come this far,” Chesney said. “There’s a whole lot more that we’re wishing to do.”
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