Weary UCLA football team looks forward to starting game-week prep

LOS ANGELES >> When defensive coordinator Tom Bradley saw his players walk off the practice field Friday afternoon, he knew they were tired. Three weeks of practice in the dead of summer will do that.

There’s a second wind coming for the Bruins though, because it’s almost time to get up for game week.

The Bruins officially start their first game week of the 2016 season Monday. They barely started looking at Texas A&M this week as they transitioned out of training camp mode.

They’ve just been “focusing on us,” offensive coordinator Keedy Polamalu said.

When they do turn on the tape next week, they’ll see a familiar offense and the potential No. 1 draft pick in the 2017 NFL Draft in Myles Garrett. An All-American as a junior last season, Garrett was the SEC leader in sacks (12.5), tackles for loss (19.5) and forced fumbles (5).

“Every NFL persoel that’s come around, they’ve basically said he’s a very talented young man,” Polamalu said of Garrett. “He’s earned all the accolades.”

The Aggies had a chaotic offseason that included two quarterbacks transferring out of the program. Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray both left, but Texas A&M recovered by scooping up graduate transfer Trevor Knight. Knight started 15 games for Oklahoma before losing his starting job to Baker Mayfield and beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl following the 2013 season.

“He’s an excellent quarterback,” Bradley said. “He’s a fifth-year guy, he’s been in big bowl games, he’s won big bowl games. He’s not a guy who gets his first start out there. He’s a heck of a football player.”

Knight will be ruing former UCLA offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone’s system. Bradley said the Bruins will look at footage of their own offense to prepare for the game. There will be new wrinkles, but the key is to be as “organized as we can,” Bradley said, when preparing for the season opener.

In teaching the new offensive system this summer, Polamalu drew raves from head coach Jim Mora for his organization and attention to detail. Polamalu’s promotion to offensive coordinator was one of several changes on the offensive coaching staff this offseason as UCLA also hired quarterbacks coach Marques Tuiasosopo and tight ends coach Rip Scherer. As Polamalu takes over play-calling duties for the first time in his coaching career, the 52 year old said he is as comfortable with the system as he can possibly allow himself to be before the season opener.

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“Coaches are always kind of wired differently because you’re not physically doing the work like the players are,” Polamalu said. “But you have to let the players play. I think we have a staff here that understands that and trying to get the players’ mindsets to relax and play to the best of their abilities and if there’s a mistake, just take that and move on to the next play.”