Keedy Polamalu hands Josh Rosen keys to UCLA offense

The image of Kerry Collins in a Teessee Titans uniform has always stuck with Keedy Polamalu. He briefly brushed past Collins in a short-lived stint as Teessee’s ruing backs coach and hasn’t forgotten the way the quarterback controlled the offense.

“He used to get me to jump offsides, and I was a coach,” Polamalu said of Collins, a 16-year NFL veteran. “I always put that in the back of my mind. I want a QB who can take that kind of command.”

For his first year as UCLA’s offensive coordinator, Polamalu pieced together his vision for the UCLA offense by taking bits from every step of his 23-year coaching career. The former fullback imagines a balanced offense that controls the line of scrimmage with fundamentals and discipline. He sees tight ends on the field more than 90 percent of the time and fullbacks flattening defenders top open ruing lanes.

He’s done the plaing, now it’s on Rosen to do the playing.

“Our quarterback has the final say,” Polamalu said of how much control Rosen has on the field. “That’s part of our training all week as coaches to make sure that his final say is the right say.”

The last time Polamalu worked with a quarterback with this much freedom to orchestrate the offense was Collins, he said. When it comes to another college quarterback with this kind of understanding of the game, Polamalu puts Rosen is in a class of his own.

This week, the offense showed significant improvement, head coach Jim Mora said. The offensive line is starting to develop chemistry, which has helped the passing game excel this past week.

Polamalu was most recently the ruing backs coach for the Bruins and continues to work with the group now. He hand-selected his crop of full backs, choosing Cameron Griffin and Ainuu Taua because they’re “the guys who go all-out all the time.”

UCLA must replace ruing back Paul Perkins, who skipped his final year of eligibility after back-to-back 1,000-rushing yard seasons. The Bruins have Nate Starks, Soso Jamabo and Bolu Olorunfinmi battling in the backfield.

“We’re establishing something here that’s special with this ruing backs group,” Polamalu said. “They’re challenging each other. They’re leaing to compete but still have that chemistry, so it’s kind of cool.”

Polamalu’s promotion to the head of the offense has energized the unit, as the coach brings intense passion to meetings and practices.

“He’s brought so much energy,” offensive lineman Kolton Miller said. “It’s been really fun. His enthusiasm, listening to him talk each time ewe meet as a team, I think it really fires people up.”

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Rosen rests

Rosen was not dressed in pads during Saturday’s practice due to a hip soreness. Mora said it was a precautionary measure and that Rosen is expected to retu fully Monday.

Rosen’s absence elevated Matt Fafaul into the first unit while freshman Matt Lynch got his first significant time under center during team periods.

“I think he did some good things and there are some things that he’ll improve on once he looks at the film,” Mora said of Lynch’s practice. “But that’s probably the most pressure he’s been under this spring and I think you grow from that.”