UCLA played eight first-year freshmen Saturday in its season opener. None faced the pressure of the team’s most scrutinized rookie.
Offensive coordinator Kennedy Polamalu called plays for the first time in his lengthy coaching career and it didn’t go well until well into the fourth quarter of the Bruins’ 31-24 overtime loss to Texas A&M at Kyle Field.
It’s probably a good thing Polamalu didn’t have time to scan fan message boards, where he was derided for a lack of creativity and variety through the first 3 1/2 quarters.
Some fans pointed out that he couldn’t be blamed for the dropped passes, yielding offensive line or bad decisions of quarterback Josh Rosen, who was culpable for two of his three interceptions.