Answers (cont.), Part XII

I think it's pretty clear that the big question marks are the OL & uncertain QB play, along with the uncertain & young secondary. However, over the last few weeks, can you describe any positives & strengths we have to look forward to seeing on Saturdays?
I think the running backs, if given room to run, will do well and the defensive front seven, especially through the middle, will be very good. I think the defense will be aggressive and get its share of turnovers, and the kicking games should excel. Plus, watching offensive coordinator Norm Chow call a game should be a treat.

do you see any player who you think will surprise people and exceed expectations based on what you've seen at practices/scrimmages (a la sleeper?)?
I'll go with receiver Taylor Embree, who has been under the radar much of training camp. The kid catches everything he touches (other than a drop he had Thursday). He isn't a kid that is eye-popping, but he knows how to play the game.

Why was Darius Savage not in the two deep at offensive guard at the end of camp? Is he performing poorly?
It depends on the day of the week. There is so much mixing and matching going on, that on that particular day it looked like he may not be on there. However, by next week he could be back on there, or even starting. That's how uncertain the offensive line is these days.

In last week's Q&A you said Darius Savage had NFL potential on the Oline. What has he done to not even be mentioned on the 2 deep, especially when there's a list of scrubs in front of him?
He is a first-year offensive lineman who needs to have a better understanding of his assignments. Physically, everyone raves about him, but there is much more to the game.

What happened to Moya? He was ahead of Logan Paulsen as a freshman, and now he's not even on the 2 deep? I know he needs to improve his blocking, but apparently so does Harkey. So what's going on over there?
Moya did not play last season because of injury/family matters, and has been banged up in training camp. I expect him to play, but he needs to get past his injuries and also shake the rust that he still has after missing last season.

Harkey is a bit of a surprise on the 2 deep as a freshman. Is his surprise performance part of the reason Chandler was moved to the Oline? Would Harkey have beaten out Chandler had Chandler stayed at TE?
That's a good question. I think Harkey may have beaten him out, but the real reason Chandler was moved was because he was getting too big to play tight end. He was fighting to stay at 270 pounds, so the move was inevitable.

you mentioned that Standback did not like how he was treated by Howland during his year at UCLA and was close to leaving UCLA mid-season. How close was he? What was it that he did not like? Howland's coaching style? Lack of attention during practice? What Howland expected out of him?
My understanding is Stanback was very close to leaving in December, but after talking it over with family decided to stick it out for the season. And from my understanding, Stanback did not like the way he was used, the way he was talked to, or the constant calling out of his abilities and style of play.

Don't you find yourself exhausted in trying to remember so many players on the UCLA football roster? I know you don't memorize all of them but I no longer try to remember many of the players simply because there is too many of them.
It is not hard at all. These are guys I see five or six days a week for four months. By the end, it is simple to remember all of them. And I only have to remember 20 to 25 new players a season, and that is usually done in training camp. Plus, I get to speak to them all, so it leaves a different impression on me.