Chip Kelly explains why he doesn't think Cam Ward has 'taken off'

Chip Kelly has always been a fan of Washington State’s Cam Ward.

Kelly was asked about how Ward has taken off this season on Monday, but the UCLA head coach explained how good the quarterback has been since arriving in Pullman.

“I don’t think he’s taken off. He was a really good quarterback last year. I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for him. He should be in the conversation with the top quarterbacks in the country,” said Kelly. “He’s athletic, sharp, and throws an extremely accurate ball. I think he’s got great ball location, and it looks like he’s doing a great job of decision-making this year. He can obviously beat you with his legs. He’s right up there with the top quarterbacks in the country.”

Ward has accounted for 4,621 yards passing and 31 total touchdowns since transferring in from Incarnate Word. In his previous game against Oregon State, he had 404 yards passing and 5 total touchdowns.

Ward can create many problems matchup-wise with his skillset. It will be a tough task for the UCLA defense to slow him down.

These two teams will be meeting for the first time since 2019 on Saturday. UCLA won a 67-63 shootout in the last meeting.

Kickoff will be at noon PT on the Pac-12 Network.