Published Aug 29, 2022
Chip Kelly talks weather forecast, UCLA roster health entering game week
Tracy McDannald
Staff writer

The temperature for UCLA’s season opener Saturday against Bowling Green is projected to reach 102 degrees.

UCLA head coach Chip Kelly already expected to go down the depth chart and said now he just has to do so while being particularly mindful of keeping his players hydrated and cool on the sidelines.

“We’ll try to get a dome built,” Kelly joked before Monday’s practice. “You have to deal with it. We’ve always planned on, especially early, you’ve got to play a lot of depth and play a lot of guys. I think that’s beneficial for us because we do have a lot of guys that we can play.

“It’s obviously a little cooler here than it is up there (in Pasadena). But you can’t manufacture that. … The key to it is depth and our team does a really good job from a hydration standpoint.”

It will be 12 degrees cooler in Los Angeles.

The Bruins are expected to release their first depth chart of the season later in the day Monday.

Bruins healthy going into the week

Any nagging, lingering injuries that kept key players such as linebacker Kain Medrano and reserve running back Deshun Murrell on and off the practice field in recent weeks have now subsided.

The Bruins have had fewer and fewer bodies lingering around the weight room and the exercise bikes in the last few practices. Medrano was back hitting the sled with his fellow linebackers as the groups split off to various parts of the field.

“It has been a relatively healthy training camp,” Kelly said. “Knock on wood, we still have [a few] more days to go before we play the game. I’d like to get through at least Wednesday, which is the hitting portions of our week. But right now we’re on track to be pretty healthy.”

Among the few still making their way back from injury is redshirt freshman receiver Ezavier Staples, Kelly confirmed.

Meanwhile, two players who continue to be left off the roster but remain with the program are linebacker Damian Sellers and offensive lineman Patrick Selna. Kelly said there are “no updates on those guys” as they remain away from the team for undisclosed reasons.

First thoughts on Bowling Green personnel

Kelly likened Falcons senior quarterback Matt McDonald to Denver Broncos star Russell Wilson for his ability to improvise while on the run and added “he’s obviously the guy we’ve got to focus on and stop.”

Kelly said that Bowling Green tends to run empty backfield sets “a lot.”

“He also makes a lot of plays off script,” Kelly said. “Some guys when they look to scramble, they look to run. He’s looking to make the big play in the pass game, so we have to be conscious of that.”

Last season, McDonald threw for 2,555 yards while completing 60 percent of his passes. He threw 12 touchdowns to go with 7 interceptions.

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