Bruins Nation

Pregame Guesses: Arizona State

2009-11-20T20:00:25Z

We're 5-5.

But we don't feel 5-5, do we?

I can't speak for any of you, the five game losing streak really took a lot out of me.

What I mean is, if you had told me before the season that UCLA would be 5-5 going into the Arizona State game and riding a two game winning streak at that, I would have taken it. I guess I would have figured on at least one non-conference loss, probably Tennessee because it was a road game for us and revenge game for the Volunteers. And I also would have figured at least one win out of Cal, Oregon and Stanford. But it didn't play out that way.

Instead, we took care of business against a relatively weak non-conference schedule, then rolled off the table during an October from Hell in which we lost five straight games.

As a result of that what-could-go-wrong-went-wrong stretch, I'm not so trusting of the current two game winning streak. Like the child of an alcoholic mom whose been trying to stay sober, I keep waiting for the other cleat to drop, to come home from school looking for milk and cookies only to find mommy passed out on the coach clutching an empty bottle of Beefeaters, while dinner burns on the stove.

But I suppose there's another way to look at this up and down season -- one that doesn't involve gin or a grease fire.

It's really just perfectly possible that we've beaten the teams we're better than and we've lost to the teams that are better than us. Think about it:

On a neutral field, wouldn't we still beat San Diego State, Kansas State, Tennessee, Washington and Washington State? And on that same neutral field, wouldn't we at least be underdogs against Cal, Oregon, Stanford, Oregon State and Arizona? I'm not an oddsmaker, but that looks about right. From that point of view, maybe we can describe the season up to this point simply by saying that we've beaten the teams we should have beaten, but failed to upset any of the teams that are having a better year than we're having.

Stay with me on this.

If that's true, then the question I have at this point is "Why didn't we upset any of the teams on the schedule who are just better than we are at this point in the Neuheisel era?"

My answer goes back to the end of the Tennessee game. We've debated Rick Neuheisel's decision to roll Kevin Prince out and go for a first down that would have allowed us to run out the clock. Part of me wants to admire that call, because it sends the message that we're playing to win, that we're not just playing "not to lose." You'd like to call it a gutsy gamble -- and I'm someone who actually admires Bill Belichick for trying to pick up a sort of similar first down for the New England Patriots against the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday.

But if I had a time machine and could change one play this season, I think that would be it. If that's not it, it would be Alterraun Verner's just-missed pick six against Oregon State -- actually that's probably the play I'd alter, so let's change the premise to "if I could change one offensive play this season" and go from there.

Not only did that play not entirely make sense strategically (the smart money was to take a knee on third down, let the clock run down, then take the safety on fourth down before turning the ball over and letting the red hot defense slam the door shut), it cost us Prince at a key point in the season.

That's the point I was driving at, in an admittedly roundabout way. The reason we never elevated our game past the team's that we've lost to, the reason we scored no upsets in my opinion is that we lost the quarterback we went all in on at a turning point in the schedule and we're only just now seeing him approach his potential. I'm stating here that had Prince played the whole season without getting hurt, the guy we've been watching check down to his fourth option, the guy whose been not just a quarterback but a leader the past two weeks would have emerged much sooner and we would have beaten a couple of those teams we played in October.

But I don't have a time machine and we can't unbreak Prince's jaw. Instead, we face Arizona State in the last home game of the year with a quarterback whose just now peaking. And that's a good thing.

Look, it's an unwritten rule around here that we don't look past the next game. And the next game is a tough game, no sure thing. But, if you indulge me one quick peak at the rest of the year, I'll just say this:

I remember Pete Carroll/Norm Chow's first season at USC. With that in mind and that as a model, It would not shock me if Rick Neuheisel spends January and February bragging about a five game winning streak that closed out the season with an 8-5 record.

Here are your Pregame Guesses for Arizona State:

Within ten, how many yards will Kevin Prince throw for?
In what will likely be his last game in the Rose Bowl, how many tackles will the great Brian Price record?
True or False, Alterraun Verner will intercept a pass in his final home game as a Bruin.

Bonus True or False question

True or False, the Bruins will be 6-5 and on a three game winning streak when the face the Trojans next week at the Coliseum?

Arizona State is counting on the sophomore quarterback also being electric when he makes his first...

2009-11-20T21:20:32Z

Arizona State is counting on the sophomore quarterback also being electric when he makes his first start Saturday against UCLA at the Rose Bowl, less than a one-hour drive from where he grew up.

Coach Dennis Erickson confirmed the expected after practice Thursday - that Szakacsy would be ASU's second first-time starting quarterback in as many weeks and third overall in a 4-6 season.

"It's one of those years where we've gone through some things," Erickson said. "At the end of spring, Samson was competing for that No. 1 (job), and he never really got a chance to do anything until his arm was healthy enough. It's more an opportunity with him at full strength compared to half strength."

Szakacsy to start for ASU vs. UCLA per AZCentral.com

Spaulding Roundup: UCLA On The Brink

2009-11-20T13:42:49Z

More photos » by Francis Specker - AP

Chane Moline, Trevor Theriot, and Jeff Baca (60) find themselves on the brink (of becoming bowl eligible and possibly something more)

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About 32 hours to go till the biggest football game of the season. This has been one of those weeks when I was wishing for football game to be on Thursday night on ESPN. I was thinking when was the last time Bruins had this kind of opportunity to seize total control of momentum heading into that last regular game of the season. The game I keep thinking back to is the one against Washington Huskies in 1998?

Do you guys remember that Washington game from 98? IIRC Brock Huard was the QB for the Huskies at the time while number 18 was of course marshaling the offense on our side. Heading into that game everyone had that sense. Something special was going on with our program. Our offense was showing signs of clicking on all cylinders as Cade was in total control. Long's defense was flying around the field. I wasn't at the game but I remember when ABC's camera zoomed in with the aerial shot. There were about 80,000+ Bruins fans waving towls and going berserk making the Rose Bowl sound as loud as I have ever heard. That was the game when everything came together. Cade was flying around decking Husky LBers in his classic roll outs while Brian Willmer and co. were just demolishing Huard into the turf. Up until that game Bruins always found a way to choke whenever they had opportunities to seize momentum but they came through in a huge way, blowing out the Huskies by a score of 51-21.

Well there is no way I see the Bruins blowing out the Sun Devils. I think getting a W tomorrow is going to be a huge battle. However, I do think this year's Bruins have an opportunity to recapture some of that magic from 98 (while making a season ending run following 5 game losing streak ala 92). All season we haven't had a game in which both the offense and defense clicked together at the same time. I can't think of a better occassion than senior day at the Rose Bowl, so that kids like ATV, Carter, Austin, Bosworth brothers, and Paulsen finally getting rid of some of the pains from Dorrell years. Tomorrow's game is so huge. It will put us on the brink to make that charge we all have been hoping to see signs of. We are all thristy and desperate for it and I am praying our guys can come out and play with the ultimate urgency. Our guys - at least on paper - during this game week have sounded like having the right mindset heading into Saturday. More on that after the jump.

Brian Price and co. have been hearing a lot about the ASU defense (for good reasons). They sound anxious to playe their role in a possible defensive slugfest:

UCLA's game against Arizona State could be a defensive affair, and most are touting the Sun Devils in that department.

ASU has 24 takeaways, including 15 interceptions.

"Everyone is entitled to their opinion," UCLA junior defensive tackle Brian Price said. "It's going to be a showdown, I guess. Their defense versus our defense. It matters. It's motivation, more fuel to the fire."

The ASU defense allows opponents to gain just over 300 yards and convert just 30.7 percent of their first downs, both of which lead the Pac-10. Neuheisel hopes UCLA would win a defensive battle.

"We'd love for it to be to our advantage," Neuheisel said. "I know this: In a defensive game, you can't turn the ball over. We have to do a great job not turning the ball over, knowing what we can and can't do and not let their pass rush be a huge factor in the deal. And see if we can find a way to get this win."

It looks like Price and co. will be facing either soph. Samson Szakacsy or senior Danny Sullivan tomorrow at the Rose Bowl:

Coach Dennis Erickson narrowed his choices (for starting quarterback) to two Wednesday, opting not to start true freshman Brock Osweiler for a second consecutive game.

Sullivan started the first nine games then sat out last week against Oregon with a right biceps injury.
"I don't think he's totally healthy," Erickson said. "That's part of the decision. He's throwing it OK, but not like he can. It's still bothering him."

If Szakacsy, who played in the second quarter and the entire second half last week, gets his first start then Erickson would prefer that Sullivan back him up because of his experience.

Osweiler left the Oregon game because of a left-shoulder injury but is healthy enough to play, Erickson said.

All signs point to Szakacsy getting the start particularly because his right elbow tendinitis is not flaring up even with his extra throwing.

"He's practiced very well," Erickson said. "He's smart and he understands what's going on. He gets the ball out quick. It (his elbow) is closer to where it was in the spring than it has been because really early in the season he couldn't have played. He couldn't throw it from here to the fence."

Whoever starts tomorrow our defense cannot let him get comfortable. They need to disrupt him by making him hurry by bringing pressure on him from all over the place. I really liked how Bullough used Akeem Ayers this past weekend. He finally figured out it seems that Ayers has a lot of potential to destroy opposing QBs in number of ways, if we get him lined up as DE. I would love to see more of that along with pressure coming from other angles. Tomorrow is the day our defense needs to come out and fly around all over the field, making the same statement they made on national television in Tennessee.

Elsewhere the LAT focuses on the competition at the RB spot in Westwood. Milton Knox is embracing it:

"You can't call it crowded. I call it competition," Knox said. "We're in a program that is trying to be the best right now. We've got two more guys coming in. They will compete just like everybody else. If you don't like competition, what are you doing here?"

JetSki has the right attitude as well but he has his RBs mixed up:

"It's the big leagues," Franklin said. "They're always trying to find that guy, that Reggie Bush, that O.J. Simpson, to come in and take the position. You just have to come out here and work hard."

Uh no. Johnathan we are not looking for (alleged) double murderer and (alleged) cheaters (turned into NFL busts) in Westwood. We are looking for you to do the same thing as Skip Hicks, Karim Abdul-Jabbar, Gaston Greene and of course MJD. That means better focus and concentration on the field:

"I don't care how big you are, how fast you are, whatever, you got to hold on to the ball," running backs coach Wayne Moses said. "Your team depends on that from you. He understands it. We've got to keep working toward that end."

Hopefully JetSki, Knox, Coleman and Moline can find a way to come through and help out Kevin Prince against the best defense in the conference tomorrow. If they can play a big role in getting us a W, forget the giddiness around being bowl eligible, it will put our program on the brink of something special.

GO BRUINS.

On the eve of UCLA's biggest regular game of the season the LAT has a feature on the MJD. Following...

2009-11-20T13:03:52Z

On the eve of UCLA's biggest regular game of the season the LAT has a feature on the MJD. Following excerpts give us a glimpse of classic MJD:

So when a cluster of New York Jets fans taunted him before Sunday's game at the Meadowlands with a singsong chant of "Over-rated! Over-rated!" this 5-foot-7 Elmo impostor was -- what else? -- tickled.

"It got pretty bad; they almost rattled me," the former UCLA standout said. "I just went over to them and I was like, 'You know what, man, I'm just happy you know my name. Thank you. You've helped me out so much today.' They just looked at me and started laughing.

"It's funny. Kill them with kindness. That's how you stop a trash talker."

And then he just bowls over the opponent on the football field. HT to What's Bruin Blog for directing us to that nice piece.

GO BRUINS.

ESPN's Ted Miller Debunks LA Times UCLA Beat Reporter's Latest Hitjob On Rick Neuheisel

2009-11-19T23:32:20Z

More photos » by Francis Specker - AP

"OMGZ! Rick Neuheisel (a former Rose Bowl Winning MVP QB) communicates passionately with his QB on the sidelines," reported LA Times "UCLA Beat Reporter" Chris Foster!

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I am sure many of you have already read the latest piece of trashy reporting from Chris Foster today in the LA Times. Chris Foster is the same beat reporter who has been pushing misinformation on Stan Hasiak in recent weeks.

Well today Mr. Foster wrote a huge story on - get this - a college football head coach (who was a former Rose Bowl champion/MVP quarterback) being tough on his QBs! It's an epic piece for the LA Times. They had their UCLA beat reporter (who hasn't provided anything of substance on UCLA's upcoming opponent on what is shaping up to be the biggest regular season game to date) write up 1,109 word novel on how UCLA head football coach communicates with his quarterbacks.

It's huge expose! Foster tried to get something negative out of both Kevins (Craft and Prince) on Neuheisel but neither Prince nor Craft bit on Foster's gotcha game (no link for trashy articles per BN rules so I am just going to bold the parts I would have linked if it were a legitimate news story):

"It took me a little bit of time to understand why Coach Neuheisel does that," says Kevin Craft, who was often the object of red-faced, drill-sergeant-like rants when he was the starter last season. "He's passionate about this and wants to coach us, and he's doing it in a manner that it's on you." [...]

"You just have to play like you know how and accept the criticism when things go wrong," Prince says. "That's the way Coach Neuheisel coaches. He gets riled up and wants to win badly."

So then Chris tried to get something juicy out of former UCLA QBs. Unfortunately for the so called beat reporter, the former Bruin QBs essentially validated what CRN has been doing by comparing him to legendary Homer Smith (the best OC UCLA had in last 20-30 years prior to arrvial of Norm Chow):

"Homer Smith demanded you soak up knowledge," says former Bruins quarterback Tom Ramsey, who entered UCLA with Neuheisel in 1979.

"You not only had to know what 11 guys were doing on the field, you had to know what all 22 guys were doing. If you didn't, you weren't going to be on the roster."

So nothing there either. So Foster then called up CRN's former QB at Colorado to find out whether he would dish out some dirt on CRN:

Hessler remembers that in 1995, after he threw for five touchdowns in his college debut, an upset over 10th-ranked Oklahoma, Neuheisel told him, "You deserve it, kid. You deserve all this."

But then, two years later against Michigan, a national television audience watched the coach rail at his quarterback before Hessler even got to the sideline.

"We had a love-hate relationship for a long time," Hessler says. "He chewed on me harder than any steak I have ever chewed on. It's because he expects a ton."

Well nothing unusual there either. So then Foster tried to dial up another former CRN coached QB and OMG looky here apparently he found some dirt!:

Another former Neuheisel quarterback doesn't seem as forgiving. Toronto Argonauts quarterback Cody Pickett, who played four seasons for Neuheisel at Washington, declined to be interviewed for this story, saying through a team official that he was uncomfortable talking about his former coach.

Oh man. There it is! Did you catch it?! Neuheisel's former QB is not "forgiving"!! The LA Trojan Times found the big scoop!.

[Serious news face via MainStreet Photo Galleries]

So Chris Found this huge scoop! Apparently one of Neuheisel's former QB is not so "forgiving" for the interaction he had with CRN during his time at Washington. Except uhm not so much per Ted Miller on ESPN, who covered Neuehisel for years when he was the beat reporter for Washington Huskies (HT to Centric.):

I covered the Huskies when Cody Pickett was the quarterback, and I don't recall Neuheisel being terribly hard on Pickett. What I do remember is Pickett hating interviews, which strikes me as a more likely reason he turned down an LA Times interview request.

So what's next?

Will the ~~Los Angeles~~ Trojan Times sports editor issue another update or correction to fix the latest ~~bit of shoddy reporting~~ hitjob on Rick Neuheisel's football program?

GO BRUINS.

Spaulding Roundup: Arizona State Corner Back: "[W]e Will Beat UCLA" (And Other Game Week Notes)

2009-11-19T14:00:33Z

We have talked a lot about how big this Saturday's game is for UCLA. On the other side ASU is treating the game with same sense of urgency. They are also getting a little fired up about rest of their season starting with UCLA:

"To take the fall that we have been taking for the last couple of weeks, we are doing pretty good," the redshirt freshman cornerback (Devon Carr) said Tuesday. "I still haven't seen anyone walking around the halls moping. … I still see positive energy within my team. I believe we will beat UCLA."

Carr is not the only one who thinks so. ASU players came off the practice field Tuesday giddy after coach Dennis Erickson's we-have-something-to-play-for speech.

"We got a two-game season," Erickson said, referring to Saturday's game in Pasadena, Calif., and the next week against Arizona. "Our kids have a lot of pride."

Good for the Sun Devils. I have no doubt those guys are going to be breathing fire when they come out on the field on Saturday. At the same time I also think our guys are going to remember what took place last time UCLA took on ASU:

UCLA held Arizona State to 122 yards last season but lost, 34-9, when the Sun Devils returned three interceptions and one fumble for touchdowns at Tempe. "It was a hard film to watch this week," Neuheisel said.

Painful indeed. It will be awesome if our defense can match the performance from last year's effort against ASU. This time the Sun Devils will have a different QB though and right now even though Erickson is being coy about it signs point to Sam Szakacsy as the starter for Saturday. Again, I said it yesterday and I will reinforce it again this am. This is a huge game for Chuck Bullough. We need his defense to come through and make a statement on Saturday with a strong performance from start to finish.

The numbers we put up against Washington State were nice. However, we also have to be realistic about putting up "good" numbers against a team like the Cougars. Doesn't really count for much except for gaiining some measure of confidence and sense of momentum. To hold on to that momentum, we need our defense to play with the same sense of aggression they did during the second half against Jake Locker and the Huskies when they were bringing pressure from different directions. More after the jump.

Aaron Hester is one of the defensive players who is looking to make a contribution on Sat. He has been woofing it up a bit during practice this week:

UCLA defensive back Aaron Hester locked down wide receiver Nelson Rosario in practice Wednesday, then let the world know.

"Oh no, no sir, I'm all over that," Hester screamed.

Standing on the sidelines, tailback Damien Thigpen chuckled and said, "He thinks he's Deion Sanders."

There may be no better way to judge whether Hester is ready to play than to hear him at practice. His season has been one of disappointment, first a fractured fibula in the season opener and the waiting for a chance upon his return.

But Hester appeared fit and ready in practice.

"I feel just like I felt in training camp, exactly the same" said Hester, a redshirt freshman. "No pain. My confidence is back. I'm just out here trying to make some plays."

Hester is once again getting antsy about mixing it up on the field:

"I've been showing them this week in practice," Hester said. "I've been flying around making plays, making big hits. It's up to the coaches now. All I can do is play football and all they can do is put me in or not. I was the original starter here; I haven't forgot how to play football."

I like the kid's passion and enthusiasm but I am also going to trust the coaches on this one. The coaches were clearly making the right decision when they held out Hester and taking extra precaution to make sure he was completely healthy. I am pretty sure Hester will make his mark before he is done in Westwood but I am willing to be patient to make sure when he gets in, he is not only confident but fully healed and healthy. Either way, whoever is in at CB on Saturday will need to be physical. Especially if we have a QB like Samson Szakacsy, who can gain yards through scrambling, we are going to need our defensive backs not only provide tight coverage but also provide also recover and provide solid run support.

Speaking of QBs, Kevin Prince and the Bruin offense are showing lot of (deserved) respect for ASU defense:

"They just play real sound football," Prince said of the Sun Devils. "They don't do anything too crazy, or anything. They have their share of blitzes and all that but they just play really sound and fundamental football."

Prince's backfield team-mate called them the "best defense" in the Pac:

"They're the best defense in the Pac-10 right now, and their run defense is outstanding," said Chane Moline, who ran for three touchdowns last week. "Being a running back and fullback, it's a big challenge for us to go out there and start running the ball so the passing game will open up. We've got to go out there and execute, not shoot ourselves in the foot. Hopefully the running backs can break a couple of tackles and the wide receivers can make some big plays for us."

The key here will be not killing ourselves with self inflicted mistakes (Hello Mr. Paulsen, it's your last home game!).

Our offense a lot of fun to watch last two weekends (since didn't really get to watch that fourth quarter against Oregon State LIVE). This Saturday we will find out what kind of progression this offense has made against a legt defense from this conference. I think they also know the opportunity they have to gain a measure of validation to finish the season and also set themselves up for a great future. That will have to start with not just making solid plays but also emhasizing execution of little details on all facets of our offense.

Right now I am anxious to see how our offense performs against ASU. I haven't had this kind of excited (can't wait to watch them again) feeling about our offense in years. Hopefully they will take another significant step forward by getting us a victory on Saturday.

GO BRUINS.

Wildcat and the UCLA Running Game

2009-11-19T04:09:57Z

Bumped. GO BRUINS. -N

I meant to do this last week but I haven't been able to get my hands on a copy of the UCLA-Washington game until now. So here's a look at some of the plays UCLA ran against UW and earlier from the Wildcat package. I did not get to see the WSU game, and don't have a copy, but from what I heard they used it there as well. For some background see this article on the Power, Zone, and the Wildcat - what Cal did against USC is pretty much what UCLA has been doing the past month or so.

What the Wildcat Is and Is Not

Against UW UCLA lined up unbalanced - with a tackle uncovered.

QB.................................TE...T...G...C...G...T...................

...........WR.......................................................................................RB

.........................................FB

.........................................................RB

The right tackle is eligible, the TE is not as he is covered by the QB. Some teams will swap the RT for the TE, to hide the TE on the right side and two tackles on the left for extra muscle. From what I saw UCLA did not, as this way you are not committing 100% to running to the left.

Fly motion is the speed sweeper coming across, timed so that he crosses the man receiving the snap just before the ball gets there. He is the key to the Wildcat, as without this, you just have a back lined up in shotgun. With this player there is an immediate threat to the outside the moment the ball is snapped, and the defense has to respect that.

The most obvious trait is the running back behind center and the QB split wide. The reason why teams leave the QB on the field is that it doesn't tip off their hand until they line up. However I think that this is the least important aspect of the series. If you have an athletic QB, you can leave your QB behind center and run the Wildcat, or you can take him off the field completely and run the Wildcat - doesn't matter, he does not make the series go. You just need someone who can not only run but take a hit back there to receive the snap. On TV they will call Wildcat every time a back is lined up to receive the snap, but that doesn't automatically make it a Wildcat - for example, some teams just snap it to a back and let him run, that's just called getting the ball to an athlete and letting him work.

The least obvious trait, but the most important, in my opinion, is the series-based approach. You have plays that complement each other. The Wildcat is not a formation, play, or substitution package; it's a series. Much like you have the series of inside zone, outside zone, bootleg off a zone look, playaction rollout off a zone look - you have plays that begin with the same action (fly sweep across the formation) and several different options afterwards. The Wildcat works because you can run your base play of power up the middle a few times until the defense cheats in, give on a speed sweep to force them to respect the outside, run counter to force them to respect the backside, and then pound it up the middle on your base power play again. If you have a PA pass installed you can use that as well, but for a series like this I don't even think you need to go that far unless you plan to use it heavily.

The Wildcat is not a trick play or a gimmick - it is structurally sound, possibly moreso than a inside zone run play where you are bootlegging your QB out and counting on him being able to draw attention from the backside DE. It uses all the same basic schemes that teams use, like power and zone. I think that people who don't really understand what is going on are against it because they don't really understand it - but if you take a look it isn't really a giant shift from what teams have been doing the past decade. If you watch the Dolphins at all, they have almost brought the Wildcat series full-circle, and brought that 4th trait to what almost looks like a conventional NFL offense minus the personnel substitutions, and if/when Pat White takes over it basically will be a conventional NFL offense based on the speed sweep with an athlete at QB.

Power

UCLA's "base" Wildcat play seems to be their power. Again, take a look at this article for some background on power, which is one of the most basic running plays that is run by most teams around the country. Here is UCLA's first play from the Wildcat series, as Milton Knox has a big hole up the middle off power.

I think that the reason there is such a big hole is that UW was in a slant to the weak side and for some reason did not check out of it - the DL slants away from the run. They are in a 7-man front (the SS is lined up on the slot WR), and UCLA blocks down vs. the slant with 5 linemen for 5 defenders. The backside G pulls, the FB kicks out, taking care of the 2 frontside LBs, and there is a big hole.

S and B slide outside to respect the speed sweep and the rest of the defense conveniently slants the other way and are easily down blocked. Everyone is accounted for and the FS (the RB's counterpart) makes the tackle.

Notice that this isn't different from this except that there is only one unaccounted-for defender rather than both safeties - direct snap to the back gives the offense one more blocker. If you took the QB and put him under center, the strong safety would be hanging around somewhere.

One of UCLA's main running plays so far has been a power play where they use the FB to pull across and the guard to follow and lead through on a backer - here are two examples that show the play well. Notice in the first clip against Stanford, they even use an unbalanced line with twins to one side and run power that way - except for the speed sweeper and outside threat you have the QB under center handing off.

Here's another clip from the Wildcat where UCLA throws in a wrinkle, running the ball to the weakside - UW has in the box, 4 linebackers slanted towards the unbalanced side, and UCLA runs it the other way. Would've been a nice gain had Brehaut at the bottom lined up on the LOS, covering the TE.

Here are a few more clips of UCLA running power. Notice that in the second clip, the defense has 8 in the box again and is shifted towards the strong side, causing Milton Knox to cut back. In the third clip you can see the defense begin to play some games, it looks like the backside corner is not respecting the backside at all, and the LBs are playing some games and exchanging responsibilities to the strong side. Same kind of thing that you would see if you were running power from under center - you need to adjust as they do - although in this case you can just move onto the next play in the series.

Zone

Here's a breakdown of Oregon's inside and outside zone. Zone's a pretty big part of the UCLA run game, but from the games I have seen they haven't really incorporated it much into the Wildcat. I saw them run outside zone twice off of the Wildcat series, once against Oregon, and once vs. UW towards the end (resulted in a fumble). Here are both clips.

The call against UW looked like it would have worked well if not for that fumble - everyone was accounted for and there was an extra lead blocker to pick up the safety.

There are 9 defenders in the frame, one is being "blocked" by the threat of Milton Knox to the backside, and the other 8 are accounted for by 9 blockers. There are two defenders off-camera, backside corner is probably too far to make the play and the safety should get picked up by the extra blocker.

The Next Steps

I didn't see the WSU game, but from what I've seen I would like to see more zone off the Wildcat series, It became pretty apparent late in the UW game that the defense was playing power every time Knox was behind center. Power is the base play that makes it run but once they begin to squeeze the kickout block and play games up front I think you need to move on to keep them honest before you can return to the bread and butter.

The next steps in the series are probably a counter play, something with guards pulling backside with the same backfield action as in the freeze-frame above - Knox pulling the ball and taking off weakside. You can also run read off of the zone look although that is practice-intensive.

Everyone wants to see Knox throw but I like what we have right now as it is built on top of our base run plays - the only thing you need to practice is the snap and exchange (which we still need to work on). From what I have seen our Wildcat series (much like what Cal ran earlier this season) isn't a whole lot different than what we've been doing and probably hasn't taken up a lot of practice time. I think that there are a lot more important things than repping a playaction play and giving our backs reps in practice throwing the ball, and there are still other plays in the series to flesh out. I did notice UCLA using the speed sweep motion a few times against UW, with the QB under center. Once was off of a PA rollout look and the other was an inside zone play, where they used the speed sweep to force the backside DE to stay at home, allowing the RB to cut back and pick up a few yards.

NFL teams like the Miami Dolphins have a lot more practice time than NCAA teams due to NCAA regs (even HS teams, where the Wildcat originated, probably have more practice hours than NCAA teams) are able to install almost whatever they want and spend a lot of time on a change-up series such as this one. I don't think that it is worth it for an NCAA team to really go that deep into the series unless they plan to use it frequently, as there is not a lot of payoff unless you fully commit to it (ie, practice-intensive schemes such as the flexbone and the Airraid, or even teams that base out of the zone read).

That being said, though, I wouldn't mind seeing Knox pull it once, step back, and launch one deep in one of our last few games this year.

Bruins Find Bats As Blue-Gold World Series Game 2 Goes To The Blues

2009-11-19T02:36:14Z

After the Blue and Gold teams combined for just six hits and one run in the first game of the Blue-Gold World Series, game two's 15 hit, nine run output seemed like an explosion. A tightly contested game turned in the sixth inning of the seven inning contest with a little small ball and a big hit as the Blues were victorious over the White team (who wore Gold Monday), 6-3.

The Blues were first to strike, picking up a pair in the bottom of the first. A pair of walks to lead off the inning, issued by Scott Griggs put Beau Amaral and Tyler Rahmatulla on to behind the inning. Following a pair of pop ups, Cody Keefer singled through the left side to plate Amaral and put the Blues up, 1-0. Griggs then threw two balls to Matt Mosher and was pulled in the middle of the at-bat, having reached his pitch limit. This brought Chase Brewer, younger brother of former UCLA pitcher Charles, into the game and he balked in another run, giving the Blues ahead 2-0 after one.

Blue starter Garett Claypool who threw a perfect first inning, went the distance with one-out in the second to Justin Uribe, when Uribe hit a fly ball to right that just cleared the fence, cutting the Blue lead to 2-1. Ryan Deeter relieved Claypool after the home run and got the next two outs of the inning.

The bottom of the second saw a one-out double by Cody Regis, but he never made it to third. In the top of the third, Aaron Weimer hit a double to begin the inning, but he too never made it to third.

The bottom of the third saw the Blues put another run across as Amaral walked to begin the inning and scored two batters later on an error by the third baseman, Dean Espy.

The White team answered with a two-out rally in the fourth inning. After a strikeout and groundout got the inning off to an ominous start, Espy singled and Uribe doubled off of Deeter to score Espy and make the score 3-2. Dennis Holt followed that up with a single of his own off of Deeter, scoring Uribe and evening the game at threes.

Brandon Lodge came on for the Blue team to throw 1.2 scoreless innings and Allen Aguilar got an out to give the Blue bats a chance in the bottom of the sixth against White pitcher Derek Klena, who had thrown 2.2 scoreless innings to that point.

Marc Navarro reached on an error by shortstop Niko Gallego and Brett Krill singled to lead off the bottom half of the sixth. After a fly out, Mosher singled as well. With the bases loaded and only one man down, Steve Rodriguez executed a perfect squeeze bunt, scoring Navarro from third and moving the runners to second and third as well. Regis then belted one the other way, dropping it onto the warning track in left field to score two more on a double that made it a 6-3 ball game.

Mitchell Beacom, who picked up the save in game one, entered for the Blues in the top of the sixth, looking for his second save of the fall. After a strikeout to open the inning, Trevor Brown singled to give the White team some life, but the next two batters were retired with ease and the Blues picked up their second win in as many games of the Blue-Gold World Series. Aguilar was the winning pitcher and Beacom got the save, while Rodriguez's squeeze bunt produced the game-winning RBI. Klena picked up the loss for the White team, while the freshman Regis was the best on either side, going 3-3 with two doubles and two RBI for the Blues.

The third and final game of the Blue- Gold World Series will take place at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Friday. First pitch is at 3:30 pm PST and I will be there to recap it and provide instant information and analysis on my UCLA baseball twitter.

Rebounding From 0-1, Basketball Podcast Open Thread

2009-11-19T01:00:14Z

That was a rough one. The Bruins fell at the hands of, gulp...Fullerton. It's only game one though. There are still plenty left to go, but UCLA will have to get better. What went wrong versus the Titans and what do the Bruins need to do to turn things around? We'll take a look at that, while also getting to the recruiting update that we hoped to get to last week, but ran out of time on. It's early, but there's plenty to talk about and we'll get to it all.

We'll also take any calls you have. You just need to follow these four steps:

1) Call (724) 444-7444

2) Enter the Call ID 68618 and press # afterward

3) When asked for your PIN, press 1#

4) Talk to us!

Call on in and share your thoughts and questions. If you can't call in, use this thread to share any thoughts or questions and we'll work them in as well. You can listen to the show live beginning at 7 pm PST by clicking play in the box above and can listen to it anytime after the show by clicking that same play button or by heading over to iTunes.

Greatness Bruin'? ESPN Profiles One Of The "Hottest" Recruiting Programs In Nation

2009-11-18T18:28:32Z

WWL: "UCLA is one of the hottest recruiting teams in the country"

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Well this was a matter of time. Look who is featured on ESPN's college football recruiting section today. WWL takes note of one of the hottest recruiting programs in the world of college football:

UCLA is one of the highest-profile collegiate athletic programs in the country. It's as well-known of an institution as there is when it comes to collegiate sports and is located in one of the largest cities in America, which happens to be the greatest talent-producing metropolitan area in California that produces more football prospects than any other.

There is a beautiful campus, home games played in one of the most historic stadiums in America (the Rose Bowl) and some winning tradition. When you blend those built-in factors with one of the top recruiting coaches in America in Rick Neuheisel, chances are the talent is going to start flowing in for the Bruins -- and it has. That makes for a bright future in Westwood.

With a five-star athlete, two elite running back prospects and the recent commitment of an ESPNU 150 linebacker prospect, there is no question that UCLA is one of the hottest recruiting teams in the country for this recruiting cycle. This comes on the heels of the Bruins signing the nation's No. 14 and No. 17 classes during Neuheisel's first two cycles.

Those classes currently are the backbone of the Bruins' program. "We've signed 47 players since we've been here," UCLA director of on-campus recruiting Angus McClure said. "Of those, 13 are currently freshman that are redshirting. That leaves 34 players. Of those, 33 are seeing playing time either on offense, defense or special teams. We had 18 freshman and sophomores start the last two games. That makes us one of the youngest teams in the country." While there is certainly talent on campus, a look at this year's class is even more reason for optimism. Earlier this week, the Bruins reached across the country to snag four-star ESPNU 150 linebacker prospect Aramide Olaniyan (Woodberry Forest, Va./Woodberry Forest). Olaniyan joined five-star athlete Tony Jefferson (Chula Vista, Calif./East Lake), and four-star ESPNU 150 running backs Jordan James (Corona, Calif./Corona) and Malcolm Jones (Westlake Village, Calif./Oaks Christian).

Again for a quick flashback let's recall the hint of concern trolling (OMG what's wrong here?!! Neuheisel has no commitments!!!!) from this past with blog posts going up with title such as "waiting for commitments." We LOL at the time thinking how premature that post was going to look in the coming weeks. Now it looks even sillier.

Anyway, as mentioned number of times already CRN and his staff are not done. The most important objective for them is to take care of business this Saturday. If they can get a win against an ASU team that will give an all out effort to fight for their bowl bid, the "Plus 2" factor will make UCLA's ongoing recruiting efforts even hotter.

GO BRUINS.

Spaulding Roundup: UCLA's Biggest Game Of The Season

2009-11-18T13:58:36Z

Honestly if we experienced a night like Monday 2-3 years ago I would have had a very difficult time getting putting that aside and getting out of a funk. I am not naive and I am well aware that our basketball team right now has a lot of issues to work on for them to develop as a team that will put together a winning season. Yet I am not really thinking or worrying about them all that much. I am going to watch the game on Friday night to find out exactly what is going on with our young guys. However, right now the basketball team is not really at the top of of my mind. That is because right now, at this time I am just thinking about Saturday.

I haven't been this excited about UCLA football in years. ucla13_usc9 has it exactly right. I can't think of a bigger football game for this program than the one we are going to play this Saturday. Let's think about it for a second. If UCLA can manage to pull out a win this weekend, it will be sitting with a record of 6-5 and find itself at the perfect pivot point to take the next step. Of course there is the angle of getting into a bowl game and getting our young team two extra weeks of practices (that will be valuable for development of a team with so many underclassmen sprinkled all over our lineup).

To me though the most important part of getting a win this weekend will be that incredible sense of momentum. With 6 wins CRN will be able to sell the notion of "Plus 2." Think about what he accomplished on the recruiting trail with a 4-8 record last season. Now think what he might be able to do if he can show recruits not just by words but by his W-L record showing a clear sign of progress with at least 2 more wins. A victory this Saturday will get us that palpable sense of momentum we haven't experience as a program since the late 90s when number 18 was driving the Bruin offense up and down the field. Although watching Kevin Prince driving our offense up and down the field in recent weeks, I can almost ... almost ... get a little sense of that magical feeling (of wanting the Bruin defense to take care of business fast so I can watch the offense again) I used to experience almost a decade.

This game is just so huge. It sounds like our guys know it and kind of feel it. Jon Gold posted last night that the Bruins had a "rowdy practice" as they "know full well what a win over Arizona State means to the season." CRN had this to say about the mindset of his football team:

"We're a young team, and young teams are impressionable. To come off a couple of victories and still have a chance to get in the postseason - those are exciting things for our guys. It's going to take a great effort, but we're capable of it."

It's going to take a great effort for our offensive line. They have gotten better at the expense of some of the worst defenses in the conference. They know that they will have to step it up to whole another level this Saturday. Here is what Jeff Baca, the sophomore left guard had to say about the challenge he and his linemates are going to face against ASU:

"Coaches tell us we're getting better each week, and that's what we're trying to do."

The Bruins will have a much tougher task this week in the form of Arizona State, which ranks 15th nationally in total defense and 29th in scoring defense.

They are particularly tough against the run and have averaged 6.8 tackles for a loss per game.

With a defense that has such ability to get upfield, the offensive linemen are taking it as personal.

"You've got to win one-on-one battles," Baca said. "Both in pass rush and run blocking. You've got to win those. Coach has told us this is a huge game. This is our bowl-eligible game. This is fantastic for a young offensive line like we are.

"We're growing up fast, but this is a challenge."

While Baca and his team-mates are gearing up for the challenge against ASU's defensive front, Jet Ski is working hard to set aside his personal nightmares from recent games. More on him and othe notes after the jump.

We have discussed how it is imperative for JetSki to get it back together and shake any kind of focus or concentration issue he might be having that could be causing his fumble issues. Well, it sounds like the coaches haven't given up on him and he is doing everything he can to have the right attitutude about it:

"It's rough, especially when ... it's just rough," Franklin said. "It's the worst feeling ever. It's one of those feelings that is indescribable, especially as a running back.

"You've got the team counting on you, you've got the coaches, you've got the family in the stadium watching, family at home watching. It's disappointing. A lot of people are counting on you and by fumbling, you let a lot of people down."

Franklin didn't include himself on that list but he could have. His recent turnovers have left him feeling frustrated but he insists that he has to continue to look forward.

"It's something I have to learn from," he said. "It's something I have to learn from to better my career or to basically stay on the field."

Staying on the field doesn't seem to be a problem. Franklin was one of a handful of running backs getting his share of reps with the Bruins' No. 1 offense Tuesday.

Franklin is quick to push his successes and failures into the past. One of the worst things he can do is try to make up for the missed opportunities because that is when more mistakes are made.

"Regardless of what happens in a game, you have to let it go," he said. "It definitely takes time to get it out but to progress and better yourself, you have to let it go and move on. You have to. You always have to keep your head up and keep a good attitude to become a better player."

Here is to Jet Ski getting back into rhythm this weekend. The fun thing about our offense is that we still haven't seen it totally click yet. Early in the season Jet Ski was having success but at that time neither Prince nor Craft was giving him any kind aerial support by being in rhythm. Now in recent weeks we have had Prince spraying passes all over the field but not with a very productive rushing attack. If we can get Jet Ski and Prince to have their most efficient performances in the same game, our offense is going to be fun to watch. I am crossing my fingers that we get to experience it finally this weekend against ASU.

Meanwhile, over at ASU, Dennis Erickson is still being coy about who will be his QB. It looks like Szakacsy has been getting most of the reps with first time at least to start the week. From Ted Miller on WWL:

Szakacsy came off the bench and completed 13 of 22 passes for 113 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions in the 44-21 defeat. He also ran for a touchdown and used to his speed to elude heavy pressure from the Ducks.

"He'll get the most reps with the ones this week," Erickson said.

True freshman Brock Osweiler made his first career start against the Ducks, but was knocked out off the game with a shoulder injury. He had replaced senior senior Danny Sullivan, who was nursing a biceps injury. Both are expected to be available Saturday, but it appears that Erickson wants a closer look at Szakacsy, an athletic sophomore who's battled a nagging elbow problem since he arrived in Tempe.

"We've just never have seen him because he's been hurt all the time," Erickson said. "So we're going to let him take that first group quite a bit in the next few days and see where he's at."

CRN and his coaches took note of what Szakacsy did against Oregon last weekend:

"We certainly take notice of him and think he played well in the second half. He does provide different challenges, but I'm not sure that means a wholesale change in their offense. He's certainly capable of making some moves with his legs."

Samson is going to be an interesting challenge for our defense. Our guys have been vulnerable this season to QBs with mobility. Still have visions of Andrew Luck picking up key yards against us up in Palo Alto. Even Lopina when he entered the game in Pullman had success scrambling against us up in Pullman. So I hope Bullough and his coaches are doing their necessary homework.

The defense will really need to step up to the challenge on Saturday. We expected a lot out of our defense this season and frankly except for the Tennessee game they haven't really come through with a marquee performance in which they won the game for us. Well this is a huge opportunity for them to win us a game. I do think our offense will face a stiff challenge from the ASU defense. So, it will be up to our defense to unleash an all out attack against ASU's young QBs and distrupt and throttle them at the Rose Bowl.

This is going to be one of those games in which defensive turnovers, special teams play and penalties are going to be huge. I hope our guys are prepared in all facets of the game this weekend to make a statement and grab a chokehold on that sense of momentum of progress we haven't experienced as a program in almost a decade. Again, I will end with the same plea I made yesterday. If you are out in Southern California get to the Rose Bowl in Bruin Blue. Don't forget it's also Senior Day, which is only going to add to the emotion in what IMHO is the biggest game of this football season and again perhaps the most important game of this program (to date) in years.

If you are a UCLA student you have no excuse for not being at the Rose Bowl this Saturday.

GO BRUINS.

Remembering Gary Beban

2009-11-13T12:28:57Z

This post got a little buried late last week. Bumping it up because want to make sure no one missed it. GO BRUINS. - N

Seeing Gary Beban at the game last Saturday really brought back memories from my student years at UCLA. I was an undergrad from 1966-1971 which was really a great time to be at UCLA. We won the national championship in basketball all five years I was there, while in football we had Gary Beban my first two years and also had very good teams my last two years led by quarterback Dennis Dummit. (My last year at UCLA a freshman named Jimmy Connors won the NCAA tennis tournament).

At the game a few weeks ago there was on the seats a free Sports Illustrated magazine special on all the Heisman trophy winners which featured Gary Beban. It focused on the 1967 game against Tennessee when down 16-13 with four minutes to play in the fourth quarter and with 4th and 2 at the Tennessee 27 and the game on the line Beban moved right then cut into the line and then cut left towards the sideline for a touchdown run to win the game. I was at that game and vividly remember that play. I frankly can't remember much else about the game but will never forget Beban's great clutch run into the west end zone of the Coliseum. Beban was truly an all time great college quarterback. He was an extremely accurate passer, a really good running quarterback who ran for a lot of yardage, a great team leader, and maybe the best clutch player in UCLA football history. Of course in 1965 when I was still in high school and watching on TV he made those two great touchdown passes in the last four minutes including the game winning 50 yarder to Kurt Altenberg after trailing USC 16-6 with four minutes left in the game. That great comeback kept Mike Garrett from ever playing in the Rose Bowl. Beban of course then led UCLA to the historic upset of #1 Michigan St. in the Rose Bowl.

And of course I'll never forget the 1967 game against USC. While it was horrible to lose, it was still an amazing experience to be at that game which is considered one of the greatest in college football history. UCLA was #1 and USC #2 and the atmosphere was just unbelievably electric. In those days both sides got pretty much the same number of seats, and the south side of the coliseum was all UCLA fans and the north side was all USC fans. After many plays there would be a huge roar from either one side or the other. The student seats were all first come first serve, and I'll never forget what it was like a couple of hours before the gates opened with people crowded up to the gates hoping to get in first so as to get good seats. The crowd of UCLA students was so crammed together that people were fainting from the heat, and they were passing people who had fainted back over the crowd. We were so tightly packed in that I remember lifting up both my feet just to see that I could actually stand up without having either foot on the ground. Beban of course played great passing for over 300 yards while suffering from badly bruised ribs and sometimes having to be helped off the field. We really lost the game because of blocked and missed field goals and extra points.

(As an aside I was at the 1980 game when Freeman McNeil's deflected touchdown reception won the game. I was given free tickets by a doctor whom I worked with who had played for Howard Jones at USC. The seats were in about the 20th row on the 40 yard line. Unfortunately they were of course in the middle of the USC section. Boy was that weird! Thank God we won.)

Rebounding From 0-1, Basketball Podcast (Wed. 7 pm PST)

2009-11-18T07:21:16Z

We'll also take any calls you have. You just need to follow these four steps:

1) Call (724) 444-7444

2) Enter the Call ID 68618 and press # afterward

3) When asked for your PIN, press 1#

4) Talk to us!

Call on in and share your thoughts and questions. If you can't call in, there will be an open thread to share any thoughts or questions and we'll work them in as well. You can listen to the show live beginning at 7 pm PST by clicking play in the box above and can listen to it anytime after the show by clicking that same play button or by heading over to iTunes. All of that tomorrow, 7 pm PST.

Here is an absolutely heart warming video on "Operation Mend ," which took the field at the...

2009-11-18T02:47:15Z

Here is an absolutely heart warming video on "Operation Mend ," which took the field at the Washington football two weekends ago at the Rose Bowl. In recognition of Veterans Day, eight American heroes representing our men and women in uniform who have been injured in combat and received treatment from UCLA Health Systems Operation Mend were honored in a special on-field ceremony. More details over here.

Just another example of why I love bleeding Bruin blue and gold.

GO BRUINS.

Spaulding Roundup: "Arizona State. Nothing Else Matters"

2009-11-17T13:57:14Z

by Paul Connors - AP

Erickson and his ASU are in the same boat as Neuehisel's UCLA program

View full size photo »

Well I knew one of these days football was going to put Ben Ball in the backburner here on Bruin Nation but I didn't think it was going to get here so fast. lol As much of a downer the unthinkable loss (and we will probably have few more of those this season) against Cal State Fullerton was last night, right now my mind is completely locked into the huge football game on Saturday. I really hope everyone around Southern California - students, alums and fans - make an effort to pack the Rose Bowl this weekend because to me this might be the biggest game of the season.

While given our "Bruin instincts" it is natural for all us to think about that last game of the season, right now nothing else except ASU matters. CRN set that message yesterday in Westwood (emphasis added):

Just don't ask the Bruins to talk about any bowl games or crosstown showdowns that might exist beyond their home finale Saturday.

"Arizona State. Nothing else matters," coach Rick Neuheisel said Monday. "There's conversations all around about things that can't help us. Our conversations will center around the Sun Devils and what we have to do against a fine football team, and we'll give ourselves a chance for all of those other conversations to matter."

He knows full well how big this game is for both teams:

"I know they, like us, are trying to finish the season with a flurry," Neuheisel said. "And I know this game looms large for both programs, so looking forward to the game ahead, (we) keep grinding and keep pushing. (We're) very excited about the challenge. I think we're improving. I see signs."

Bruins will look for more signs this weekend taking on an Arizona State defense which plays at a whole different level than our previous two opponents. Jon Gold from the Daily News writes:

The Sun Devils rank 15 th in the country in total defense while surrendering just 301 yards per game and are 29 th in scoring defense at just 21 points per game.

Arizona State has 68 total tackles for loss and 22 sacks, with nine players registering more than five tackles for loss. Leading the way is defensive tackle Saia Falahola with 72.

"This is a very, very good defense, no question about it," Neuheisel said.

"Solid across the board. They've got a great pass rush, great run-stopping. We're going to have to make some plays and be a balanced team this week. It's going to require a great offensive plan."

A great offensive plan this weekend will entail providing some balance to Kevin Prince's recent breakout performances in last few weeks. More on that after the jump.

Arizona State is not going to throw a lot of surprises at our offense. They are going to bring the heat with their defensive front and try to disrupt Kevin Prince from getting into any kind of rhythm. Saturday is going to be a challenge for Prince. I think he will have opportunities to go deep here and there during the game. However, more importantly for him he will have to keep moving the chains by spraying short and medium range passes to make that defense a little more elastic.

Hopefully Prince through some early completions will able to get the Sun Devils front-7 a little off balance and set up the running game for JetSki, Coleman and Knox. Speaking of our running game, the LA Times has the following from CRN:

"We believe we have the makings of a good running game," Neuheisel said. "We just have to keep banging away to find the right combinations."

Franklin leads the team with 532 yards rushing, but his fumbles have been a concern for two weeks.

"He just needs to get his confidence back," Neuheisel said. "Sometimes talking about something so much it becomes like, 'Don't think about the blue elephant over there.' "

Another option is fullback Chane Moline, who the Bruins have been turning to in the red zone the last two weeks.

While Chane is finishing off his senior season in style, we need Jet Ski to get back into it. We need him badly. If we can somehow manage to get him back in the same groove he found himself in before he tweaked his ankle against Cal, it would be a huge boost to our offense.

Meanwhile, on the other end ASU's QB situation remains unclear:

Coach Dennis Erickson said he won't decide on a starter for Saturday's game at UCLA until seeing how healthy senior Danny Sullivan (right biceps) and true freshman Brock Osweiler (left shoulder) are during practice. Also, sophomore Szakacsy's right elbow, an issue since the preseason, could be a factor coming off his most-extensive playing time.

"We've got to see how his elbow is," Erickson said of Szakacsy. "When he throws for a long period of time, it bothers him. His arm is not as strong as it was last spring, but it's getting there. He's got a pretty good chance to get back to full strength by spring (2010). He's very accurate and made some good throws (against Oregon)."

Erickson, like CRN has also been dealing with injury issues:

Players out for the season are offensive linemen Matt Hustad (knee), Zach Schlink (knee) and Mike Marcisz (shoulder); tight ends Dan Knapp (knee), Stanley Malamala (jaw) and Chris Coyle (foot); wide receivers T.J. Simpson (ankle) and Brandon Smith (knee); defensive linemen Corey Adams (back), Otis Jones (knee) and Jonathan English (knee); linebacker Gerald Munns (elbow); and cornerbacks Omar Bolden (knee) and Osahon Irabor (wrist).

Irabor and Coyle are true freshmen who would have played this season but instead are redshirting.

The most-recent losses are Hustad, Knapp and Munns.

Tom Njunge will replace Hustad at right tackle. Jovon Williams, if healthy, or Trevor Kohl will play at tight end, with Steven Figueroa also an option. Travis Goethel, the starting strong-side linebacker, also becomes the backup at middle behind Vontaze Burfict.

Burfict is a handful. I hope Kevin Prince takes some sliding lessons this week because if he gets an opportunity Burfict is going to do to Prince what Maluauga did to Cowan few years ago. This is a game in which Prince will have to play it safe when he finds himself in a collision course.

On our end it looks like Pressley will be out for another weekend. We could also get Jerzy Siewierski and Ryan Taylor back in action this weekend. Their replacements - Jess Ward and Darius Savage (respectively) - did a solid job last weekend. Hopefully the rest of the team can come out this weekend with the same tunnel vision they displayed up in Pullman.

GO BRUINS.

Waking Up To A New Reality In Howlandwood

2009-11-17T12:59:54Z

More photos » by Danny Moloshok - AP

3 days ago: UCLA head coach Ben Howland yells directions at his team against Cal State Fullerton during the first half of their NCAA basketball game in Los Angeles on Monday, Nov. 16, 2009. (AP Photo/Danny Moloshok)

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There is not much I can offer in terms of game observations on last night's season opener since I didn't get to watch a minute of that travesty. The box score gives us a decent glimpse of how agonizing and ugly it must have been for those who were at the game or were watching it on WWL. Going into this year I was hoping for a 20 win season and making into the tournament. However, after a box score like last night, it seems like we all would be well advised to recalibrate our expectations and wake up to a new reality in the world of Ben Ball.

The report from the LAT predictably is not pretty:

When asked what happened, a dazed Malcolm Lee said: "To tell you the truth, I don't know."

The final statistics told much of the story. The Bruins suffered a terrible shooting night that only got worse when Fullerton shifted mainly to zone in the second half, packing the paint.

The result? UCLA rushed its way through 84 shots, making only 31%, including five of 29 from three-point range.

"I can't remember one of our teams taking 84 shots, even though it was a double-overtime game," Howland said.

Looking at the box score I see ND playing 40 minutes and making 2 out of his 14 shots. He did get 14 rebounds I guess but when you miss that many shots that number seems to be somewhat irrelevant. The question I have is why does this guy continue to get so many mins, especially since RN sounded like was doing ok off the bench.

It also sounds like the Bruins couldn't handle the zone:

UCLA's poor shooting did not start at the end - the Bruins shot 5 for 29 from 3-point line and 26 of 83 overall - but the problem was certainly exacerbated.

Against a Cal State Fullerton 1-2-2 zone that caved in the post, UCLA did not so much settle for the 3s as much as they were forced into them. And when the ball went up, it crashed back down, thudding off the rim and into the arms of the Titans (2-0).

"Our 1-2-2 zone is designed for shooters to think they have a wide-open shot, but they really don't," Cal State Fullerton point guard Jacques Streeter said. "We did a good job of talking in it and getting out on the shooters."

Again it's hard for me to make any observations without having watched the game. So I will leave it up to others who watched this mess. It sounds to me like ML, ND and JA must have been forcing their shots. I see ML going 1 for 8 from behind the arc while ND went 1 for 9 and JA didn't connect on his 3 attempts. Those are ugly numbers and I think we will probably see teams zone us all season until ML and ND can make those shots. The other option could be for coach to give more mins to JK, RN, and MM more mins in the front court if ND keeps throwing blanks from the long range.

Anyway I am not going to lose sleep over this right now. It is going to be a long season no doubt and as mentioned above we are now living in a new reality this season in which Coach Howland is essentially starting from scratch in trying to build a tournament caliber basketball team. Forget placing 3rd in the Pac-10. Given the data points we now have from three contests, it sounds like it will be a huge struggle to post a winning record in this conference (even during its down year). So let's hope the kids who are in this team right now work their rear ends off and fight like their predecessors such as AA, JF and JS did when they arrived in Westwood. If they give it everything they have, the journey is going to be fun to watch. In the mean time we just have to buckle up and get ready for a painful roller coaster ride through the entire season. Like I said, it's a new reality in the world of Ben Ball.

GO BRUINS.

Center Court: Ben Ball (CSUF) Second Half Thread

2009-11-17T05:54:49Z

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

Concordia's Justin Johnson, left, goes up for a shot as UCLA's Drew Gordon defends during the first half of an NCAA exhibition basketball game, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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Cal State Fullerton Titans at UCLA Bruins, Nov. 16, 2009, 8:59 p.m. PST

Since we're in the wee hours here on the Best, err, I mean West Coast, I'm filling in for Nestor. Well, folks, it has not been a pretty half. Our Ben Ball Warriors have come out and played sloppy basketball and go into the half-time break down to the Cal State Fullerton Titans by a score of 27-33. Turnovers, poor shot selection, and stone cold shooting from the charity stripe are the stories of the first half.

Fortunately, Malcolm Lee and Michael Roll have kept the Bruins in the game with smart cuts and smart possession. If you're cut off from WWL, you can track the second half against the Titans at the official site. Nikola Dragovic continues to frustrate with ill-advised chucks, but Reeves Nelson has been an absolute beast.

Let's hope the Bruins can get it together. Fire away in our second half (change up the mojo) thread.

GO BRUINS!

Center Court: Ben Ball (Cal State Fullerton) Open Thread

2009-11-17T04:00:13Z

Photo Credit: E.Corpuz

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Well here we go. The opening night is officiall here.

In about an hour, JA, ML, RN and rest of the Ben Ball warriors officially lift off tonight to tip off the 2009-10 Ben Ball season. Bruins are taking on Cal State Fullerton on WWL. Hopefully we will also see JA breaking down the Titan defense by attacking the rim. For some quick notes on today's game here is our morning game day roundup.

The tipp off is scheduled for 9:00 pm PST. You can track the game online via the official site. For those who are watching the game tonight (or staying up LATE) make sure to let us know how our defense looks after another week of practice.

As always if you are watching the game share your instant thoughts/commentary here in our game thread. Fire away.

GO BRUINS.

Going Bowling? Football Open Thread (7 pm PST)

2009-11-17T02:00:09Z

Needing only one more win to become bowl eligible, all eyes are on Saturday this week as the Bruins will take on Arizona St. in hopes of securing win number six. In tonight's podcast, we'll preview that game and bring in ASU Boyd from House of Sparky to help us get a grasp of the Sun Devils. Where's Dennis Erickson's program headed, who will be under center, what happened to the vaunted ASU run defense last week and what's up with all the penalties? We'll cover all that and more. We'll also review the Bruins' win in Pullman as we saw a Bruin team take care of business in a fashion all to rare in recent years. Saturday being Senior Day, we'll also take a look at the seniors who will play their final game at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.

The show goes live at 7 pm PST and you can listen live by clicking play above or you can listen afterward by clicking play or by checking out iTunes. This is your football podcast open thread so you can get your comments and questions in, which we'll look at work into the show.

[O]ur football team crushes the Cougars over the weekend and USC loses at home on Homecoming! A...

2009-11-16T21:31:03Z

[O]ur football team crushes the Cougars over the weekend and USC loses at home on Homecoming! A heck of a time to be a UCLA fan!

Coach Ben Howland