Chip Kelly on first half absence of Choe Bryant-Strother: 'It is what it is'

Chip Kelly’s UCLA is coming off a great home victory over Washington State, but there’s no rest for the Bruins, as they’ll travel to take on Oregon State this weekend.

The Beavers are already a tough task, but UCLA will be licking a wound from last weekend when the time comes. Due to a targeting call against the Cougars, linebacker Choe Bryant-Strother will miss the first half this weekend.

Bryant-Strother is in his third season with the Bruins, and has amassed five total tackles, one sack and a forced fumble on the season thus far. Speaking with the media, Kelly addressed his absence on Monday.

“It is what it is,” Kelly said. “There’s nothing we can really do about it. It’s just, I feel for him, but it was a targeting call. He’s out. We’ll just deal with it, and get him ready to play in the second half.”

Alas, UCLA won’t use anyone missing from the field as an excuse. The Bruins are out to defeated Oregon State, and they’ll have a good shot to do so.

They’re an underdog at the moment, but we’re willing to bet Chip Kelly’s squad will be a popular pick. When the Bruins and Beavers take the field, it’s going to be a battle.

Chip Kelly: It’s a ‘travesty’ Washington State, Oregon State left out of expansion

Chip Kelly called Washington State and Oregon State being left out of expansion a “travesty,” following UCLA’s win over the aforementioned Cougars.

The two schools are the remaining ones in the Pac-12 going into 2024 while the rest of the conference heads to the Big Ten, such as UCLA, or the Big 12. The future of the Pac-12 is currently unknown as far as disbandment or a retooling.

Kelly was still adamant that Wazzu and the Beavers getting left out is a hard pill to swallow.

“I talked to (Washington State AD) Pat Chun a little bit,” Kelly said postgame. “I think it’s a travesty that Washington State’s not in a conference. That to me is a joke. That’s a really, really good football team and a school that’s had a bunch of tradition. And it’s the same thing with Oregon State. The fact those two schools aren’t in a Power Five conference or won’t be in a Power Five conference next year is… people should figure it out.

“There’s a lot of really smart people in college athletics. But if we let those two schools not end up in a Power Five, then shame on us. That’s just not right.”

On3’s Nick Kosko contributed to this article.