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UCLA's Chip Kelly on criticism from QB's dad: 'We all have to play better'

College Football, UCLA Bruins

UCLA coach Chip Kelly isn't going to let criticism from the father of his freshman starting quarterback bother him.

Michael Robinson, the father of Bruins starter Dorian Thompson-Robinson, criticized Kelly in a series of tweets Sunday night, writing that the Bruins football coach is a "million dollar coach who bares [sic] no responsibility" for the team's 0-3 start.

"I have no response," Kelly told reporters on the Pac-12 teleconference on Tuesday. "I mean, everybody's entitled to their opinion. That's what's the great thing about sports: When you win, people say good things, and when you don't, people don't say good things.

"That's life, you know?"

Michael Robinson on Sunday responded to two tweets from Bruin Report Online about his son's performance in a loss to Fresno State, putting the blame on the "lousy coaching and play calling" and that Kelly's success at Oregon "was simply a fluke."

UCLA is 0-3 for the first time since 1971 following a 38-14 loss to Fresno State on Saturday at the Rose Bowl.

"We all have to play better here," Kelly told reporters Tuesday. "On the offensive side of the ball, we didn't do a very good job on Saturday. So we have to call better plays, we have to execute better and we're all in this together."

Dorian Thompson-Robinson, ESPN's No. 2 dual-threat quarterback and No. 34 overall player in the 2018 recruiting class, has started the past two games after Wilton Speight suffered an injury early in the opener against Cincinnati.

Thompson-Robinson has passed for 522 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in the first three games.

Asked if Michael Thompson has put his son in a difficult spot with the criticism, Kelly deferred to his quarterback.

"That's a question you should ask Dorian," Kelly said. "I don't speak for other people. I love Dorian. Dorian's awesome to coach. If he makes a mistake, it's a one-time mistake. I've said that about 100 times about him so far."

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg contributed to this report.

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