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It’s no secret that UCLA struggled at the end of last season.
The loss of starting quarterback, Josh Rosen, was a clear sign that the Bruins season was over. A 4-8 record is unacceptable in Westwood and Jim Mora is going to start feeling the heat if things do not improve.
Overall, Mora owns a 41-24 record as the UCLA head coach with a 2-2 bowl record. This gives us the sense that he has been a fairly successful coach in his time with the Bruins but, football is a “What have you done for me lately” kind of business. Last year is not going to sit well in the mind of all Bruins fans and if UCLA gets off to a bad start, don’t be surprised if the boo birds start emerging from the crowds.
Mora is on his third offensive coordinator and the offense has to improve this year. If the offense continues to be a disappointment then it is time to start pointing fingers at the headman. New offensive coordinator, Jedd Fisch, has said that their new offense will be more run orientated which will help the Bruins.
Their running game last year was atrocious. The Bruins averaged 84 yards per game on the ground, which ranked 127th in the nation. That’s second to last out of all NCAA schools if you're keeping score at home. The major key to the offense has to be the offensive line.
If the offensive line is as awful as it was in the previous season then Mora can kiss his job good bye. An improved offensive line leads to an improved run game, which leads to a healthy and effective Rosen.
A minimum record for Mora to keep his job would have to be 7-5. There are difficult out of conference games like Texas A&M but every game on the schedule is winnable for the Bruins this year. There is basically one-way Mora keeps his job and doesn’t make a bowl game, beating USC.
USC is going to be a juggernaut this year with Sam Darnold at the helm. The Trojans could be competing for a national championship. A large group of angry alumni due to a dominant USC team and a disappointing Bruins team could lead to even more pressure on Mora.
I do believe that Mora can bring this team to 10 wins but; if this season takes a turn for the worst then the Bruins may well be looking for a new head coach in the coming offseason.