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Neither rain nor rivalry can keep UCLA football off its game

Redshirt freshman wide receiver Kyle Philips leads UCLA football in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns this season. Philips broke the 80-yard threshold for the second time this season against No. 7 Utah on Saturday. (Liz Ketcham/Photo editor)

By Sam Connon

Nov. 20, 2019 5:08 p.m.

There may have been rain clouds lingering over Wasserman Football Center on Wednesday, but that didn’t stop the Bruins from putting together a full practice.

UCLA football (4-6, 4-3 Pac-12) held its first rain-soaked practice of the season Wednesday morning, just three days before its matchup with crosstown rival USC (7-4, 6-2). Coach Chip Kelly said the training staff was keeping an eye on the thunderstorm, and that if it had gotten close enough to the practice field, they would have moved practice into Pauley Pavilion.

The weather was more reminiscent of the climate in Eugene – where Kelly was the coach for Oregon – and he said the rain plan was a bit different there.

“We had an indoor facility, so we didn’t have to go into the basketball court there,” Kelly said. “You don’t need an indoor (facility) in Southern California – there’s a song about that.”

Redshirt freshman wide receiver Kyle Philips, a native of Southern California, said the practice in the cold rain was a good change of pace that added a new layer to practice.

“It was pretty fun because we don’t get a whole lot of rain here – it was coming down, felt nice,” Philips said. “It was a little different catching the ball, (I) had to focus a little more, but it was a nice little switch up.”

The rain, overcast skies and mid-50s temperatures the Bruins practiced in Wednesday are far from the 74-degree midday sun they’ll likely be playing under Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

But before UCLA makes the short trip southeast, the team will make a stop at Wilson Plaza.

The Bruins will be the guests of honor at the annual Beat ‘SC Rally on Thursday night, featuring student performances, food trucks and a Ferris wheel. For the second year in a row, there will not be an actual bonfire at the rally in light of recent fires in the area.

Philips said the 2018 rally was fun, despite the lack of the traditional bonfire.

“That was awesome because I didn’t know about that whole tradition of it,” Philips said. “And then to see that, have (redshirt senior running back Joshua Kelley) give a speech to everyone, all the students there, and then coach Kelly, it was just awesome.”

Kelley and Kelly may have given speeches that night, but one of the fanbase’s most talked-about moments was the nature video of a baby bear narrated by Kelly. The video – which played after Kelly’s speech at the rally – featured a baby bear trying to climb a snowy mountain to reach its father, along with Kelly’s interpretation of the nursery rhyme, “The Bear Went Over the Mountain.”

The coach said the video was nothing special and had nothing to do with the USC game.

“We do videos for every game, so that was just the one we used for that week,” Kelly said. “We have videos that we show our team every Friday night before the game, or something particular to the team that we play.”

Kelly also said a big part of the rivalry week was about individual Bruins fighting for bragging rights against Trojans they grew up playing with or against. Philips – who matched up with USC cornerbacks Olaijah Griffin, Isaac Taylor-Stuart and Greg Johnson growing up – seconded that notion.

“This is rivalry week, there’s a little more to this one,” Philips said. “That’s just crosstown rivals – you go at it.”

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Sam Connon | Alumnus
Connon joined the Bruin as a freshman in 2017 and contributed until he graduated in 2021. He was the Sports editor for the 2019-2020 academic year, an assistant Sports editor for the 2018-2019 academic year and spent time on the football, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, men's soccer, cross country, men's golf and women's golf beats, while also contributing movie reviews for Arts & Entertainment.
Connon joined the Bruin as a freshman in 2017 and contributed until he graduated in 2021. He was the Sports editor for the 2019-2020 academic year, an assistant Sports editor for the 2018-2019 academic year and spent time on the football, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, men's soccer, cross country, men's golf and women's golf beats, while also contributing movie reviews for Arts & Entertainment.
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