you have totally neglected to even mention the brightest spot in the UCLA receiving corps ANDREW BAUMGARTNER !!!!
WHAT IS WITH YOU AND MOST OF THE OTHER SPORTS WRITERS
HERE IS THE STORY OF THE DECADE AND YOU ARE MISSING IT

Right now he is not in UCLA's top six receivers. He had two catches in the scrimmage. How am I missing the story of the decade?

Apparently he's some kind of Rudy figure.

My big question is what is up with Matt Willis? I've been hearing about this guy non-stop since camp began and it seems like he's been amazing, but the latest depth chart places him at third for SE. Is there a chance he could become a starter? He seems to be outperforming everyone at camp...

Not sure if the other guy is being sarcastic or what. Anyway, I think the offense did admirably considering the talent that was sitting on the sidelines at the WR position. Assuming 50% of those WRs are healthy for the Utah game I think our offense will be ok.

Brian, that last post must have been from either Andrew's mom or Bill Plashke.

Brian, The D gives up 6 yards per run to anyone not named Markey, and 12 yards per reception to the second and third string receivers and tight ends. I wasn't at the scrimmage but those numbers don't seem impressive to me.

Some answers:

1) Matt Willis
He will be hard-pressed to break into the rotation if all are healthy. Not sure where you've been reading about him blowing up in training camp. The coaches want him to run better routes, and he drops too many passes. He can be a solid role player, but I don't see him progressing beyond that.

2) The question I have offensively is whether the quarterback will get enough time to throw the ball. Certainly, UCLA missed having some key receivers in the scrimmage, but the offense hasn't exactly been dominating in practice during two weeks of training camp.

3) Markey's run came against the first defense, and Bell also struggled against the first-team defense. The average is skewed by the fact Jeremy McGee ran 38 yards for a score against a freshmen defensive line. Since I don't expect those guys to play significant roles (or any) this season, I don't put it into the equation when evaluating how the defense performed when looking ahead to this season.

You have the best UCLA blog around. The only story (lesson) with Baum is that it was good business to not renew his scholarship, and understandable, but collegiate football should not just be about business. It should be about team building which means consistent reward for hard work and just for tenure. New guys may be five star recruits, but they are still new guys. You have got to give respect to those who have been there. The coaching staff is excellent and it is a short step to greatness if there is less business and more team.... my humble opinion. I support what was done, and do not like the article about it by the way.

Baumgartner knew the scholarship was only for one year. It is a common practice across the country, but his story, in my opinion, was misrepresented last week.
Whenever Dorrell had extra scholarships (the NCAA allows 85) at the end of training camp, he awarded one-year scholarships to walk-ons. I went and looked up what I wrote when Baumgartner was given his scholarship last training camp, and it was said Dorrell awarded one-year scholarships to ... When I wrote about Baumgartner after his performance against Oklahoma, again Baumgartner said it was a one-year scholarship. Even in the latest story, Baumgartner is quoted as saying, "I knew it was just a one-year deal, I always knew there was a chance I wouldn't get it again.''
It was a reward for one year. Everyone within and around the program knew that.

You are 1000% correct. Baum knew what it was about and that is what is wrong with the article. Was the decision good business? Yes, of course. Was the decision best for the team spirit? Probably not. Is business more important than team spirit? Sometimes, but not always.... The difference between a good team and a great team is its spirit....

Sounds like the offense could struggle a bit, but the defense is in good shape. Do you think the roles will be a bit reversed this year in that the defense will save the offense in some (early) games this year?

On a separate note, now that you have had some time to assess this year's team, what is a realistic level of success for the season? If UCLA wins 8 or fewer games and loses to SC again this year, can we all agree that it is time for Dorrell to go (one 10-2 season notwithstanding)?

No we cannot all agree that it would be time for him to go! The season has not even started and folks are setting the ground rules for pulling the trigger. That kind of negative energy does nothing for the Bruins or for the morale of the organization or team... Trojan horse????

Brian, it seems like this year the team has been plagued by hamstring injuries in camp. Any thoughts on why this particular type of injury. Thanks for all of your hard work in keeping us fans up to date.

Brian,

I have heard KD talk about drop passes being no big deal all camp long. In your humble opinion when does a drop pass become a big deal? Don't you find it funny that an ex-receivers coach for an NFL team is not concerned about the dropped passes? That would drive me crazy even if they aren't my top four receivers.

Brian,

Can you shed any further light on the ASU situation. They sound like they are ready to self destruct.

So the difference between a good team and a not so good team is team spirit. So USC has been really good recently because it has good team spirit?

I thought USC was very good because it had a bunch of guys like Leinart, Bush, Williams, etc....

T.J. Simers wrote this about Pat Cowen in yesterday's LA Times:

Ouch! Did he really look that bad?