Bruins hoping for staying power from Josh Rosen
UCLA offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch has made a similar remark almost every time quarterback Josh Rosen’s name has come up recently.
Fisch on Rosen last week: “He’s been really awesome to coach, someone that I’m hoping we have the opportunity to coach for another 19 games or so.”
Fisch on Rosen after the Bruins’ loss to Stanford: “Hopefully over the course of the next 20 games, he can be special.”
Only first-grade math is required to figure out where Fisch is going here. UCLA, 2-2 overall, 0-1 in Pac-12 Conference play, has at least eight games left on its schedule this season and will play at least 12 games in 2018.
Do Fisch’s comments constitute subtle lobbying for Rosen to stick around for his final college season? The junior is widely projected as a top pick in the 2018 NFL draft should he make himself available.
“No, in my mind we don’t really talk about him doing anything other than fulfilling his four years here, and I’ve never talked to a player about leaving at three years,” Fisch said, “so I certainly wouldn’t talk to a quarterback about it.”
Fisch noted that quarterbacks Tom Brady, Philip Rivers and Russell Wilson each spent four or five years in college before going on to star in the NFL.
Of course, there are also examples of quarterbacks who returned for their senior season only to founder in the NFL. Matt Barkley came back to USC in 2012 and played in only 11 games over NFL three seasons. He’s currently a free agent.
Fisch suggested that spending as much time in college as possible had its benefits.
“You look at the guys who have done it [had success in the NFL], they’ve stayed in, so I don’t even think twice about it,” Fisch said. “I imagine that I’ll be coaching Josh for the next two years.”
UCLA coach Jim Mora raised the hopes of Bruins fans last month when he told Yahoo! Sports that he believed Rosen would stay for his senior season — before adding a disclaimer that he reserved the right to change his mind.
At least for now, Rosen’s decision about his future is one he avoids like a blitzing linebacker.
“I really haven’t even thought about that,” Rosen said. “I mean, my biggest transition this offseason with my shoulder [injury] and stuff was to bring the focus back and think more day by day, so that question will be addressed a little bit later down the road.”
Rosen will leave UCLA as one of the most prolific quarterbacks in school history regardless of whether he stays. His 480-yard passing performance against Stanford was his seventh career 350-yard passing game, a UCLA record.
Rosen has also thrown for at least one touchdown in a school-record 13 consecutive games and is currently fourth on UCLA’s all-time passing list with 7,346 yards, trailing only Drew Olson (8,532 yards), Brett Hundley (9,966) and Cade McNown (10,708).
Rosen leads the nation in passing yards per game (440.8), passing touchdowns (16) and total yards per game (444.8) but is generating little Heisman Trophy buzz because the Bruins are .500 and dropped their Pac-12 opener.
The only record Rosen said he cared about was his team’s.
“I’d throw for negative yards,” Rosen said, “if it meant we could get a few more wins.”
Many happy returns?
UCLA cornerback Darnay Holmes is among the NCAA leaders in combined kickoff return yardage, which primarily means that the Bruins have given up lots of scores leading to lots of chances to return kickoffs.
They haven’t exactly made the most of them.
UCLA has averaged 19.3 yards per kickoff return, which ranks No. 87 in the nation. The Bruins have been even worse on punt returns, averaging only 2.2 yards to rank No. 113 in the nation.
Holmes, who returned one kickoff 54 yards but is averaging 22.4 yards per return, predicted that those numbers would improve.
“It’s not an overnight thing, just going to pop a 100-yard kickoff return,” Holmes said, “but we’re going to take it slowly and good things will happen very soon.”
Follow Ben Bolch on Twitter @latbbolch
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
