Answers, Part IX

Where was Ben Olson last Saturday? It was reported that he wasn't at the game.
It is a personal matter, and I will leave it at that.

You told us that us the chance was slim for a true freshman to play OL on his first year. Now that Jeff Baca actually starts for us what about the other 2 walk on OL, Brett Downey and Austin Hill. Are they in the mix or they'll still redshirt?
I did not think Baca would play, especially after he had a knee injury and missed a few weeks of practice, but it tells you what offensive line coach Bob Palcic thinks of the level of talent. That said, Baca is physically strong enough to play now. However, Downey and Hill are not even close to being strong enough, and there is a big, big difference between Baca's talent level and the talent level of Downey and Hill. In other words, the other two will not play this season.

What accounts for the horrible special teams play so far, and Perez's continued chronic inconsistency? It seems ST is the one area where talent gaps can be compensated for.
A lack of focus by the players and poor tackling. I know the prepare hard. I don't think Perez has been inconsistent, but there were a few times against Arizona when he kicked it to the wrong part of the field, and away from the coverage. I also know UCLA wants him to get more hang time on his punts.

will a d Coleman and C moline lineup be successful this weekend?
Well, I don't know, But Moline will line up at fullback more than tailback because of the injury to Trevor Theriot.

Do you spend any time watching the kickers at practice? If so why do we have a walk on who can only kick the ball between the 10-15 yard line on the fly when we have 2 top kicking recruits on the team?
I spent plenty of time watching them, and your question is the great mystery. That said, Jimmy Rotstein is, by far, the most consistent when it comes to kickoffs in practice.

who else can return punts? Do you think t austin should still be returning punts? Why do we only use one kick returner Austin with theroit as the 2nd man back?
Ryan Graves can do it, and so can Taylor Embree, but Austin is the best bet to make something good happen in the punt return game. And using one kick returner is what special teams coach Frank Gansz Jr. prefers.

Do you personally feel after seeing practice and watching Bruin Football for the years he has been a player that Terrance Austin is still our best option the return Punts/Kicks?
At this point, I think he is. That may change next season, but as for right now, I think Austin is the best option.

After watching all three games this year, Along with the OLine issues it is very obvious that Austin & Johnson simply do not run good routs and are covered like a blanket in the short passing game. Obviously this shows up on film.Do you see the younger guys getting more reps in practice?
I do not see the younger guys getting more reps in practice, but that could change if the season continues to be a struggle and the offense sputters along.

In your opinion, is it something with the equipment and the field, or do we simply have players that are injury prone and not as tough as the players at other schools?
Good question. It is a story I would like to do, but I'm not sure how to go about it because there are so many variables. I do wonder about the artificial surface practice field.