When defense-minded UCLA coach Jim Mora is asked about his schematic bonding with his first-year defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, who spent his first 46 years in college football at Penn State, he speaks of fun and flexibility.
It's fun for Mora to debate and discuss the intricacies of scheme, but players come first. You adapt your ideas to the strengths and weaknesses of your personnel.
"It's important that you don't get so inflexible that you don't adjust your scheme to your players," Mora said.
Mora and Bradley surely had some great schematic ideas in August. They had the best defensive line tandem in the Pac-12 in Eddie Vanderdoes and Kenny Clark.