Unbeaten UCLA facing unique 3-headed attack as CFP bid inches closer

Bob Chesney is part coach, part revitalizer, part historian.In the midst of reviving UCLA’s inanimate football program in just a handful of games, he also put the transformation in its proper context.“You raised the standard,” Chesney told his players last week, “of what it means to play football here – the physical nature, the disciplined nature, the tough and nasty f—ing nature that will play all the way to the whistle on every single play.”That means no more of the soft, just-happy-to-be-here rubbish that has plagued this place for most of the last quarter century.Fall behind early? No problem.We’ll roll off the next 28 points.Two first-half fumbles? No biggie.

We’ll force three turnovers ourselves.Chesney’s message was captured on one of the team’s epic weekly videos that’s released a few days after each game.The good times continue to roll for the seventh-ranked and unbeaten Bruins (7-0), with no end in sight, heading into a rare midseason nonconference game against Nevada (3-4) on Saturday at the Rose Bowl.Here are five things to watch in a game that kicks off at 1:15 p.m.PDT on the Big Ten Network as the Bruins seek to enhance their chances of making the College Football Playoff:Slow starts have plagued the Bruins in multiple games now.They fell behind against California, couldn’t score in the first half against San Diego State and gave up a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage against Purdue.But nothing could match the list of problems that plagued them last weekend in the first half against Michigan State.There were two lost fumbles, two dropped passes and two holding penalties.While the Bruins rallied to beat the overmatched Spartans, that kind of start could doom them against a better opponent.“You can’t do it, you just can’t do it if you want to win really close games,” Chesney said.

“We’re taking three, four touchdowns off the board by doing that.Never going to let this happen again.”The stats tell only a...