WATCH: Logan Loya, Ale Kaho Preview Oregon Game, Hype Around UCLA

Loya saw some extra time with Kyle Philips out vs. Washington while Kaho continues to get more snaps on defense.

UCLA football receiver Logan Loya and linebacker Ale Kaho were the final players to talk to the media before Oregon and ESPN's College GameDay come to town for the weekend.

Loya talked about his relationship with receiver Kyle Philips and how staying close with him this season prepared him for filling in for the Bruins' top target against Washington on Saturday. Kaho talked about his experience with preparing for big games with lots of media attention and how he thinks his decision to transfer to UCLA from Alabama has paid off so far on the field.

LOGAN LOYA

Pregame routine at Rose Bowl. What is the routine?

Depends on the time of the game. We wake up, have a little shake out, a little pregame meal. And then we get ready for the game and head over.

What is a shakeout?

Just to make sure we're woken up – stretch out a little bit, all locked in and ready for the game.

You guys ever go over to Wasserman?

Hotel is right next to Wasserman, so you say we're basically on Wasserman. So we're right there.

With GameDay coming in, you sneak in a couple minutes on TV?

Honestly, I have no idea about it. It's cool to have them here, but we're focused on the game.

Talk to Kyle at all about getting higher snap count?

Definitely talked to him. But it's kind of like a regular week. I'm always asking questions, like 'What do you do on this?' and everything like that. Nothing more than a regular week.

How much do you think he helps you on a day-to-day basis?

Honestly, he probably helps me more than I realize. I'm just learning, watching film in practice. I'm probably learning way more than I'm even realizing.

Guest predictor?

That is a great question. Let's go Troy Aikman.

What are you seeing from Oregon's pass defense?

You know, they got a bunch of really good dudes. Some SoCal dudes that I've seen before growing up, but they just have really good dudes all around. We gotta play a great game.

Know some of those guys from 7v7s?

Know about, yes. I don't want to say, necessarily, close friends or anything like that, but definitely know about, yes.

Chip on your shoulder knowing those guys were bigger/faster/more highly recruited than you?

I'd say I always carry a chip on my shoulder every week, no matter who it is, just to show how good I can be.

How big is this game for the program, the team and this season?

Right now, this week, it's the most important thing. Just another game, another in-conference game. Whoever the opponent is on Saturdays, it's the most important thing.

Ever a feeling that one game is more significant than the next?

I would say we just – no, we look at whoever the opponent is for the week and all the outside noise doesn't really matter to us, we're just focused on the game.

ALE KAHO

Used to playing in big games? This game feel similar the ones you played at Alabama?

Yeah, most definitely. I am used to College GameDay and big games like this, so it’s another good opportunity for me and some of these guys here on our team and all of us, basically. But GameDay is a huge part of being here at UCLA – it hasn’t been here, I think, since 1998 or somewhere around there. So it’s good for us, our team, the university, the fans, the whole community of LA, so as far as that, I’d say it’s a great opportunity but as you said, we’re more focused on staying focused on our game plan and what we’ve got to execute for this week. It’s a big game because it’s the next game, never try to make it bigger than it is, ever, but yeah, I’m excited for this opportunity as well as my teammates and it’s just a way to show who we are as a team and what we’ve been working on in practice.

Keys to keeping an even mindset and not getting caught up in the hype?

Uh, yes sir, that’s a good question. It’s easy, though. It’s block out the noise, block out the distractions. Like you said, GameDay is obviously fun and a good time here, especially in a place like L.A., it’s great for people, like I said, the fans, but at the same time it’s us staying focused on our assignments, our jobs, what we’ve got to do to dominate the opponent across from us. I think keeping it that simple, doing our job, knowing our assignments and playing fast and playing football, that’s all we’ve got to do is worry about playing football at the end of the day and block out everything else and we’ll be ok.

Stopping Anthony Brown?

Very challenging and that’s something we love here as far as our defense. He’s a great quarterback, can run on his feet, use his legs, there’s a lot of eye candy everywhere trying to mix us up on the defense, try to make our eyes go where they’re not supposed to, so we have to stay disciplined, do our job, do our assignment. He’s a great quarterback, he can make plays, he can throw and he can run on his feet as well, so as long as we stay on our assignment and do our job and run to the ball and tackle, we’re going to see what the game looks like after.

What do you take away from your film against mobile QBs like Chevan Cordeiro, Jayden Daniels and Jordan McCloud?

Yeah, it’s a good question, I’m glad you asked that. Learning from mistakes, learning from our past mistakes in previous games, like you said, going against quarterbacks from Arizona State, Arizona, Hawaii, so I think the biggest takeaway from that is – at least for me and our defense – is just more of a breaking down and making those tackles on mobile quarterbacks because you know they’re shifty and they’re shifty and can move around the pocket. At the end of the day, it just comes down to doing our assignment and tackling the ballcarrier, running to the ball. That’s what we thrive on here and our defense, that’s what coach Azz taught us, to our defenders here, we’ve got to run to the ball and tackle, so as long as we do that, we’ll be successful.

Help to go against a mobile QB like Dorian in practice? Talk to him about handling mobile QBs?

Um, I don’t really talk to him about that much but he definitely does help us as far as our defense, him moving around and being able to run on his feet as well prepares us for teams like ASU, Arizona, Hawaii and now Oregon and as you guys all know, he’s a very athletic quarterback and he can make moves and stuff like that, so him doing that here at practice only prepares us to what we’re going to see on Saturday.

Up to speed with the defense? Playing more instinctually now than before? Pleased with the transfer?

Um, thank you for that question, it’s a good question. I believe that I’m getting way more comfortable as time goes on, especially in the season, just having more reps in practice and moving around, I think I’m coming to a good comfortability with the playbook, not only that, I think that I’m playing a lot more comfortable as far as knowing what I’m doing and flying around to the ball and I think it was a great move for me as far as moving here to UCLA as a transfer, I think it’s a great opportunity, I’m so thankful for the University of California, Los Angeles and coach Kelly for giving me that opportunity. I just come here every day and work hard, I don’t really say much and I try not to unless I have to, but I just try to work hard, do what I’m supposed to do and listen to my coaches and just take care of business because I’m there for a reason and that’s to play football and to show everyone what I’m worth.

Will linebacker position better fit for what you played at Alabama?

Yeah, so I play the Will backer here, I also played the Will back at Alabama, so a lot of things are very similar to me here. Here at UCLA, for the Will backer role it’s to the boundary, so if anything it’s a lot more simpler for me and I can see-ball, get-ball more and also know my assignments, so I think as far as the transition it’s not really a big difference as far as position-wise because I play the same position, the Will backer position, but I’m feeling comfortable with it and I feel like I’m only getting better and I’m just trying to improve and do my job every week and be a coachable player and make plays.

Will linebacker spot at Alabama was field-side?

So the Will backer would mostly go to the tight end, so I wasn’t really to the boundary all the time, but I would be unless the tight end was to the boundary and I would go to the boundary, so the Will backer at Alabama was to the tight end most of the time.

Makes a difference playing boundary because you have the sideline?

Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

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