November 2009 Archives

Running back Chane Moline, safety Rahim Moore and defensive tackle Brian Price were selected winners of UCLA's Henry R. "Red" Sanders Award for Most Valuable Player at the Annual UCLA Football Awards Banquet, held Monday evening at the Hyatt Century Plaza Hotel.

Moore led the nation with nine interceptions, tied for the No. 2 total in school history. He tied a school record with three against San Diego State and made two each versus Tennessee and Arizona.

Price led the Pac-10 with 22.5 tackles for loss, including 7.0 sacks. His TFL total ranks No. 2 in school history while his career total of 43.5 ranks No. 2 (tied) on that list.

Moline played both fullback and tailback for the Bruins. He scored three touchdowns at Washington State and helped control the football in the victory over Arizona State with 84 yards on 25 attempts. He also led the Bruins with six touchdowns.

The complete list of winners:

Charles Pike Memorial Award for Outstanding Scout Team Player: Offense: lineman Nik Abele, wide receiver Josh Smith, wide receiver Ricky Marvray; Defense: lineman Keenan Graham, linebacker Isaiah Bowens, linebacker David Allen; Special Teams: wide receiver Jerry Rice, Jr., wide receiver Jeff Dickmann

Jack. R. Robinson Award for Highest Scholarship of a Senior Player: tight end Logan Paulsen

N.N. Sugarman Award for Best Leadership: Offense: tight end Logan Paulsen; Defense: linebacker Reggie Carter

Captain Don Brown Memorial Award for Most Improved Player: Offense: wide receiver Nelson Rosario, tackle Mike Harris ; Defense: linebacker Akeem Ayers, tackle David Carter

John Boncheff, Jr. Memorial Award for Rookie of the Year: Offense: tackle Xavier Su'a-Filo, quarterback Kevin Prince; Defense: cornerback Sheldon Price, cornerback Andrew Abbott

Ed Kezirian "Coach K" Award for Academic and Athletic Excellence: defensive back Marlon Pollard

Tommy Prothro Award for Outstanding Special Teams Player: place kicker Kai Forbath, punter Jeff Locke, linebacker Sean Westgate

Kenneth S. Washington Award for Outstanding Senior: Offense: tight end Ryan Moya; defense: tackle Jerzy Siewierski

George W. Dickerson Award for Outstanding Offensive Player vs. USC: wide receiver/kick returner Terrence Austin

Donn Moomaw Award for Outstanding Defensive Player vs. USC: cornerback Alterraun Verner

Paul I. Wellman Memorial Award for All-Around Excellence: Offense: wide receiver Terrence Austin; Defense: cornerback Alterraun Verner

Jerry Long "Heart" Award: Offense: quarterback Kevin Craft; Defense: end Korey Bosworth, linebacker Kyle Bosworth

Henry R. "Red" Sanders Award for Most Valuable Player: Offense: running back Chane Moline; Defense: tackle Brian Price, safety Rahim Moore

As tempers have cooled and UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel has had some time to think about the end of Saturday's 28-7 loss, he still maintains he made the right call.
Down by 14 with 52 seconds left and three timeouts remaining, Neuheisel called a timeout. On the ensuing play, USC called a play-action pass, and freshman quarterback Matt Barkley found a streaking Damien Williams for a 48-yard touchdown.

"You don't keep trying until that final whistle," Neuheisel said in his Sunday night conference call with reporters. "Had there been 15 seconds left, I can understand. There were 50! There's a chance for a fumble. I just don't understand why people don't see why you keep trying. If (Carroll) took offense, then certainly I send apologies over."

The Trojans certainly appeared upset after the game.
Running into the locker room, USC senior tight end Anthony McCoy said that the team wasn't trying to send a message or show the Bruins up.
His expression said the opposite.

"We wanted to just kneel the ball down and they wanted to get cute and call a timeout, so we came at them with a play-action pass and caught them off-guard," USC senior tight end Anthony McCoy said. "If they want to get mad about it, they can. We don't really care what they do. It's about us."

Meanwhile, after a cooling-off period, the Bruins appeared more upset at themselves than the Trojans. UCLA committed four turnovers and had five penalties for 60 yards, while averaging just 4.4 yards per play.

"It wasn't anything they did," said senior running back Chane Moline, who had 15 yards on 12 rushes with a two-yard touchdown. "It was us shooting ourselves in the foot. We were driving on them all game long, but then we'd get a personal foul, a holding. We beat ourselves. They're a good team, but they didn't beat us. We beat ourselves."

Looking Back
In assessing the season, Neuheisel broke it down succinctly, for both sides of the ball.
"We improved in pass protection, we did not improve enough in the running offense," Neuheisel said. "I thought we were a pretty good pass defense, but we still need to go a ways in terms of tackling."

UCLA's prospects for a bowl game took a turn for the better today, as it appears Notre Dame players have chosen to deny a bowl game bid, multiple sources are reporting.

The Bruins still have to hope for a little luck, but its appearing that they could still have a decent chance. More info when I get it.

Thanks
JG

Stat Tracker
Sophomore safety Rahim Moore finished the regular season as the NCAA leader in interceptions with nine and finished fifth in the NCAA - and first in the Pac-10 - with 1.33 passes defended per game. ... Junior Kai Forbath finished No. 2 in the country in both field goals (2.17 per game) and field goal accuracy (89.7). ... Junior defensive tackle Brian Price finished third in the NCA with 1.88 tackles for loss per game. ... Freshman punter Jeff Locke finished 12th in the NCAA and second in the Pac-10 with 44 yards per punt.

Stat Tracker (continued)
As a team, UCLA finished at No. 88 in total offense (339.33 yards per game), No. 99 in scoring offense (21.33 points per game), No. 52 in passing offense (222.92 ypg) and No. 98 in rushing offense (116.42 ypg). The Bruins finished No. 37 in total defense (338.33 ypg), No. 31 in scoring defense (21.25 ppg), No. 30 in passing defense (193.92 ypg) and No. 62 in rushing defense (144.42 ypg).

As a team, UCLA led the Pac-10 in interceptions (18) and tackles for loss (7.83 TFL per game) and finished second in net punting yards (37.76 yards per punt).

Frank Burlison of the Long Beach Press-Telegram covered the UCLA-LB State game yesterday, and here's his write-up on the latest disappointing loss.

Burlison

RESULT: USC 28-7
RECORD: 6-6
WEEK 12 GPA: C-

QUARTERBACK
Kevin PrinceCraft put the team in an unwinnable situation, throwing three picks.
D

RUNNING BACKS
Chane Moline and Co. managed just 44 yards on 17 carries.
D

WIDE RECEIVERS
Drops, drops, drops. Just a sub-par effort.
D-

OFFENSIVE LINE
For the second straight week, the unit reverted to the uninspired group of old in the running game
D+

DEFENSIVE LINE
A great effort - eight tackles for loss - against a great offensive line.
A-

LINEBACKERS
Steady and effective; can't really blame this crew for the loss.
A-

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Alterraun Verner had another interception, and despite the late touchdown, a good effort.
B+

SPECIAL TEAMS
Another solid effort out of Jeff Locke, even though Kai Forbath wasn't put to work.
B-

COACHING
Norm Chow could not find the right combination in the running game yet again.
C-

Here are the remaining bowl-eligible teams without current tie-ins:
1. Middle Tennessee State (9-3), Second in Sun Belt
2. Northern Illinois (7-5), Second in the MAC West
3. Bowling Green (7-5), Third in the MAC West
4. Idaho (7-5), Fourth in WAC
5. SMU (7-5), second in Conference USA West
6. UConn (6-5, plays South Florida next week). Sixth in Big East
7. UCLA (6-6), Seventh in Pac-10
8. Notre Dame (6-6), at-large
9. Hawaii (6-6, plays Wisconsin next week). Fifth in WAC. If Hawaii beats Wisconsin, then Fresno moves into the at-large picture.
10. Marshall (6-6), fourth in Conference USA East
11. Louisiana-Monroe (6-6), Third in Sun Belt
12. Louisiana-Lafayette (6-6), Fifth in Sun Belt

And here are the likely five bowl slots:
1) EagleBank in Washington D.C. - 2 spots (ACC didn't qualify and Army needs to beat Navy, which is probably not going to happen)
2) GMAC in Mobile, Ala. (ACC didn't qualify).
3) Humanitarian (TCU likely in BCS and MWC didn't qualify a sixth team).
4) Little Caesars Pizza (Iowa likely in BCS and Big Ten didn't qualify another 6-6 team).

In other words, UCLA needs a lot of help...

Let me preface this by saying that I don't mean to imply that those who didn't play football can't judge how the end of the UCLA-USC played out, I just have a certain perspective as a former football player.
Both coaches were correct.

His team down 14 with 52 seconds left and three timeouts left, Rick Neuheisel reasoned that with two more plays came two more chances for USC to fumble the ball. Was there probably a twinge of gamesmanship in the decision, a half-hearted jab at Carroll? Probably.
But once Neuheisel made his call, Carroll followed with the correct call himself.

If a coach calls a timeout, it means game on.
Carroll certainly had a bit of bitterness toward the timeout, but he made the right call. He tried to score when he knew the game was still in doubt, at least in the Bruins' minds.

Now, the "skirmish" escalated not after the touchdown, but after USC's blatant taunting on the sidelines. Did things get out of hand? A bit. I love the passion and the pride that the players have in their teams.

Where does that leave us? I think this rivalry just stepped up a notch. That 28-7 score is deceiving: USC realized that UCLA has caught up a little bit. Really, the Trojans had one sustained drive and benefitted from mistakes by some of UCLA's youngest players.

All I know is both coaches were right and this is going to be fun.

Guys,

The chat turned into a free-for-all, and that's not cool. Sorry I wasn't there to monitor it better. I'm not in the business of banning people or anything like that, but seriously, keep it cleaner next time. This chat has been deleted.

Thanks
Jon

UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel caught a bit of deja vu after the Bruins' 28-7 loss to USC tonight.
Neuheisel saw tremendous similarities between the team's 23-13 win over Arizona State last week and the loss, from both sides.
Like last week, an early quick-pick-six changed the complexion of the game, as USC's offense was able to play a bit more conservatively against the reeling Bruins.
UCLA held strong, though, at least defensively.
The Bruin offense was pummeled often by the Trojans, who caught ground on UCLA at the line of scrimmage and used tremendous team speed to gang tackle.
UCLA managed just 322 yards for the game, and the running game was downright porous in the first half.
The bright side: The Bruins defense played valiantly, stopping drives short and dropping the Trojans for eight tackles for loss.

It would be easy to blame Kevin Prince and Kevin Craft for UCLA's offensive inadequacies as this game winds down, but the offensive line has been downright porous.
On the last play, a crucial 3rd-and-1 with 9:45 left, UCLA managed...a three-yard loss by Chane Moline in which the line just got crushed.

Hey guys,

I'm down here at the Coliseum with a cavalry of Daily News reporters. We'll be delivering all the goods throughout and after the game.

I'll be heading down to the seats to talk with fans during the game and I'll set up an in-game chat a little later.

Stay tuned for updates throughout the game,
Thanks
Jon

Not according to Jerime Anderson, who tied the game against Butler with a 3-pointer with eight seconds left.
``We don't' take moral victories out of losses,'' Anderson said. ``We lost tonight. The better team won. We played hard, a lot harder than we did last night.''

Here's what Michael Roll said on his foul on Gordon Hayward with .6 seconds left. The game was tied at 67, but Hayward made both free throws to win the game for Butler.
``The ref said I held his arm,'' Roll said. ``I haven't seen the film, so I'm not sure.''

Well, UCLA was better but the result was still another loss. The Bruins tied their second-round game against Butler with 8 seconds left when Jerime Anderson made a 3-pointer, but Michael Roll was whistled for a foul with .6 seconds left and Gordon Hayward made both free throws for a 69-67 win. UCLA's last-second inbounds pass was stolen by Hayward. UCLA (2-3) plays Long Beach State at 11:30 a.m. Sunday.

The Bruins have made this one a bit more respectable, trailing No. 12 Butler by just seven at the half, although they were down by as many as 14 in the first half. If UCLA loses, it faces Long Beach State at 11:30 a.m. Sunday.

Reggie Carter believes it's about time for Westwood to blaze again.
In 2006, after UCLA defeated USC, 13-9, the Bruins' first win over their cross-town rival since 1998, fires sparked throughout the town, rowdy fans celebrating an unexpected victory.

Chairs were set aflame; couches, too. Even a car.
Carter remembers it vividly.
The next 364 days meant a whole lot more, though.

"The burning was just that night," said UCLA's senior linebacker, a freshman the last time the Bruins defeated the Trojans. "The celebrating, the talk about it didn't end til next year. We held onto it for a year. You win that game, you keep that for the next year."

That's what this game means to players on both sides.
Forget the win, which would put UCLA at 7-5 and almost assuredly guarantee the Bruins a bowl bid or jump USC to 8-3, creeping them closer to a lost season's salvation.
Forget the recruiting implications, which would boost the cases for each program, particularly UCLA, a team that is soaring up the recruiting-class ranks.
Forget even the game itself.

This is a year-long win, 52 weeks worth of trash talk and bravado.
But it won't come easy.
The Trojans, who rank in the top-10 nationally in only two statistical major categories - punt return average and sacks. USC, which is in the midst of its worst season since 2001 - when the team stumbled to a 6-6 record in Pete Carroll's first season as head coach - has sputtered all over the field, ranking sixth in the Pac-10 in both total offense and total defense.

The Bruins, meanwhile, are riding a three-game winning streak after a five-game skid, hungry, angry and ready for trouble.
But they are keeping things in perspective.
After all, in that last bad USC season, back in 2001, when the Trojans finished 6-6?
Final score: USC 27, UCLA 0.

"In their minds, they're still way better, they're still more talented," senior cornerback Alterraun Verner said. "Our mentality is that we're still going to put up a fight. There's no change in mentality. They're still the Trojans and they beat us the last couple years."

UCLA can take solace in the fact that this is a totally different USC lineup.
The Trojans had 11 players selected in March's NFL Draft, including five in the first two rounds, with quarterback Mark Sanchez going fifth to the New York Jets. This, after 10 Trojans went in 2008, with four first-rounders.
Still, despite losing so much talent, despite UCLA's rise, USC enters the game as 13-point favorites.

"They're just younger this year," senior tight end Logan Paulsen said. "They play the same stuff, do the same thing, still have the same mentality. You can see the transfer. You just have to keep in mind you're not playing Rey Maualuga or Brian Cushing."

This is a huge post, so I don't want to clutter the first page.
Check after the jump for a one-by-one look at the UCLA/USC matchup.

Alterraun Verner on UCLA keeping its eyes on USC throughout the year:
"Being in the Pac-10, we're keeping track of every team. We know how things have to fall in to place week in and week out. You definitely notice that a USC is struggling a little bit."

Reggie Carter on the 2006 win:
"Winning every game means a lot to me. Just because of that one, I love to prove people wrong. To see the look on Pete Carroll's face after the game. That offense scores a lot of points and to hold them to one touchdown and a safety was amazing."

Reggie Carter on his dislike of USC:
"I joined the UCLA family. If your family doesn't like somebody, you're going to jump in and not like them too. As soon as they threw me in the game I was ready to throw punches and fight. I don't hate anyone. I was raised better than that. But I told them early this week, I want to beat them up."

Rick Neuheisel on what the win would mean for UCLA:
"It would be a huge momentum boost, but I think momentum's in the right direction anyway. We're a program that's moving in the right direction. Were improved from a year ago, we hope to improve next year. This certainly would be a signal that it's going faster than expected. I'm not going to let the outcome of this game to derail recruiting one way or another."

Here's your chance, guys, to lay it all out there.
A win over USC would be great for the morale of the fans, for those who put much stock in the rivalry.
A bowl win - caveat: UCLA needs to reach a bowl first - means more for the recruiting game and for the overall momentum of the program.
So it's on you now.
Do you want a short-term fix, a fix that will last the year in terms of trash talk, but might not sway many recruits.
Or a long-term victory, a win that could pay huge dividends in 2013 and beyond...

Hey all,

How about posting your favorite personal UCLA/USC memory over the years.
Was it McNeal's interception that cost the Trojans a bid in the national championship game?
Was it the fake kneel-down in 1986?
Was it the eight-game winning streak from '91-'98?

How bout it guys...give me your best stories.

On the 13-9 win over USC in 2006:
"We were pretty much down in the slums that year, too, the same way we are now. We were underdogs, and I took from that game that everything is possible. We have things we can work with. 'We can with this game.' I think if we put everything all in now, we can do it. I want to tell all the guys about what I did that week."

On what it will take for a win:
"We definitely have to be on point on all sides of the ball. USC has athletes all over the place. You can't go in and think they're going to roll over. It's going to take a tremendous amount of concentration and we're going to have to go out there and attack. We have to be almost perfect."

On winning three straight games in three different ways:
"We have to look at these last three games and those first three games and try to gather all of that and put into one. At times we were executing, at times we weren't. At times we were slacking, at times we weren't. We have to pay attention to come together as a team to limit the mistakes that we make."

Ladies, gentlemen, the UCLA-USC matchup starts in approximately 28.5 hours.
Over the next six hours, I'll provide some quotes, stats, facts and polls all about the big game.
Buckle your seatbelt...it's going to be a bumpy ride.

JG

Is the monopoly really over? Here's a column I wrote on Rick Neuheisel and this monopoly business.

Follow me on twitter at twitter.com/jillpainter

Hey everybody, this is Steven Rosenberg from the L.A. Daily News. I'm working on the "back end" of the Inside UCLA Podcast with Jon and Ben, and right now I'm waiting on word that the podcast will be OFFICIALLY available through iTunes.

Right now you can access the Feedburner feed through iTunes, but I recommend that you all wait until we have "actual" iTunes availability because iTunes won't rank the podcast until it is actually in the Podcast section of the iTunes Store.

Just as an FYI, you can use the iTunes software to access any podcast that has an RSS feed (and we do have that at http://feeds.feedburner.com/uclapodcast, which you can use for the dozens/hundreds of other podcast-catching/listening applications out there).

But for those who do use iTunes on their Mac or Windows computers, we will have that official presence in iTunes very, very soon (I hope today, but it is a holiday weekend, so I'm not exactly holding my breath). And once we get the word from iTunes, I will add that link to the post announcing the first podcast as well as to the left-hand column of the podcast's blog (http://insidesocal.com/uclapodcast).

That entry -- and all subsequent entries announcing the latest podcast -- will always appear in the main UCLA blog (http://insidesocal.com/ucla) as well. All I'm really trying to say is that you can use iTunes with the Feedburner feed, but it's better all around to use it with the soon-to-be-available iTunes feed.

I'll have a link that you can click that will automatically open up the podcast in iTunes, at which point you can subscribe to it.

Thank you everybody for your patience. If you have any technical problems with the podcast blog, feeds or audio files, please contact me at steven.rosenberg@dailynews.com.

This was UCLA's worst loss since Oregon won by 31 points in Steve Lavin's final year as coach in 2003.

in that the 27-point loss to Portland is the worst loss of Ben Howland's career.

Here's Ben Howland on the 27-point loss to Portland....
``We really have some soul searching to do before we step on the floor in 22 hours,'' Howland said. ``We haven't had a game like that since my first year here, and it feels horrible. It starts right here. We're obviously a long way from being a good team and the team we want to be.''

Wow. UCLA just lost to Portland 74-47 in the first round of the 76 Classic. Its ugly loss earned it a date with No. 12 Butler tomorrow at approximately 9 p.m. in the second round.
Your thoughts? Midway through the second half, UCLA fans turned their attention to Saturday's football game and chanted ``Beat SC!"

UCLA is down 61-31 to Portland with 11:19 left.....Bruins fans have a long season ahead. Imagine how bad it could get tomorrow when UCLA is expected to play 10th-ranked Butler (barring a ridiculous comeback, of course).

You won't like what you're seeing...UCLA trails Portland 36-19 at halftime in the 76 Classic. UCLA is doing nothing offensively and making a plehtora of mistakes from shot clock violations to backcourt violations to turnovers, etc. Unless the Bruins have a nice comeback in store, they appear headed for a matchup with No. 10 Butler tomorrow at 9 p.m.

UCLA will play either Butler or Minnesota in the second round of the 76 Classic. No. 16 Minnesota upended No. 10 Butler, 82-73. If UCLA beats Portland, it plays Minnesota at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow. If UCLA loses, it plays Butler at 9 p.m. UCLA's game against Portland is running late...looks like we'll tip off about 8:30 p.m. for those of you that aren't already sleeping following your turkey dinner. Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey all,

Are you a UCLA husband with a USC wife or vice versa?
How about a Bruin dad with a Trojan son or daughter?
Any split siblings?

I'm doing a big story on Saturday about the crowd energy at the game, and I'd love to chat with any split families for the story.

If you're going to be at the game and want to talk, please let me know at jon.gold@dailynews.com.

Thanks
JG

Hey guys,

First off, Happy Thanksgiving to all, and I hope everyone has a wonderful day full of family, friends and football.

Here's my Thursday feature on Rick Neuheisel participating in Coaches Tour 2009.

Neuheisel story

Again, hope everyone has a wonderful day.
Thanks
JG

Hey guys,

First of all, to those who listen: Thanks. Ben and I are very excited about starting this up, and I hope we delivered with the first one.
There are a few kinks. More than a few. But during the next few weeks, we'll get them ironed out and move forward. I'm just as new to this as Ben is, and the Daily News has only done podcasts for a short time, so we're going to only get better with time.
I only ask for patience, and when we start streaming live and have call-ins, some lively debates.

Thanks again for listening,
Jon

Click the play button above to hear this week's podcast, or download it here.

Welcome to the first Inside UCLA Podcast with my cohost, former Bruin quarterback Ben Olson.

Ben and I discuss UCLA's chances in their yearly football matchup with crosstown-rival USC, and toss in a little Bruin basketball. Also, check out some great interviews with UCLA senior cornerback Alterraun Verner and coach Rick Neuheisel.

Subscribe to this podcast's feed at http://feeds.feedburner.com/uclapodcast, and watch for it soon in the iTunes Store.

Also, read the Inside UCLA blog at http://insidesocal.com/ucla

The Inside UCLA Podcast is produced by Jon Gold.

Recording and engineering by Jon Gold, Steven Rosenberg and Ryan Garfat.

1) Is this Brian Price's last year? I heard he's going to enter the draft. - Anonymous
I've heard from both sides, and my gut feeling is that he stays. I think he wants to be a first-rounder, and right now, I don't think he is. There are a ton of huge DTs in the draft this year. If he waits a year and improves, he'll shoot up the board.

2) Did you know Forbath was a finalist for the Groza award? We found this out somewhere else, Have you lost all all of my contacts already? - The Ghost of Dohn
I thought I only heard from Dohn's ghost in my nightmares. Of course I found out, and I wanted to talk to Kai before posting anything. I'll get that chance tonight.

3) Who do you think should win the Heisman? - Anonymous
I think Toby Gerhardt should win. I think Tim Tebow will win.

4) What are you hearing about possible at-large bowl berths? Does the school/team have a preference? - mvlsd
It's looking pretty clearly like either the Humanitarian or the New Mexico bowl. The team has no preference, or at least hasn't stated so.

5) Hows Kia shaping up, will he be back in time for spring? - Anonymous
He told me yesterday that he's ahead of schedule and will be back for spring ball.

Westwood Bruin Touchdown Club
Beat u$c breakfast
Friday Nov 27th -- 7 am
Coach Reggie Moore, receivers
Coach Carnell Lake, secondary
UCLA Football Players:
#27 Aaron Ware, FS
#90 Jerzy Siewierski, DT
#18 Jeff Locke, P/KO
#31 Trevor Theriot, FB
#75 Nick Ekbatani, OG
UCLA Spirit Squad
Olympic Collection
11301 W Olympic Blvd (at Sawtelle Blvd)
Free Parking
Cost: $25 includes buffet breakfast and program
For more information call Claudia Hart @ 310-348-UCLA or email at claudia4ucla@yahoo.com

On Portland, who UCLA will face on Thursday:
"They return everybody from last year's team and they've gotten off to a really good start. They're shooting 52 percent on the season from 3-point line. There's a lot of experience here. They're a team that legitimately has a shot for competing with Gonzaga. Returned four guys in double figures. This is a very experienced team, a very big team. It's going to be a tough game."

On changing up the rotation to keep legs fresh:
"We're trying to win this game (tonight). Especially as we move into the second and third gamee, we'll probably need a little more rest for sure."

On Jerime Anderson's cramps:
"Yesterday his legs weren't as sore as our trainer thought they would be. I talked to Jerime last night, and he'd gone to yoga at 6 o'clock. Part of the reason he may have had cramps is we practiced two hours on Sunday. We're so desperate to get that practice time. We need practice time, and there's just not time for us."

Warning: This post might spark some anger...

The Bruin Bear has been defaced. Caught in the middle of a battle that stretches part of eight decades, UCLA's erstwhile symbol was drenched in cardinal and gold paint sometime yesterday.

Pranks in the UCLA/USC rivalrly have a long and storied history: At one point UCLA students even threatened to kidnap USC's student-body president.

Read more about it here:
The Horror

UCLA senior forward Nikola Dragovic, suspended for the previous two games as felony assault charges are pending, has been reinstated to the team.

Dragovic hasn't practiced since Thursday, though he's attended practice since Monday. He's been doing some running, conditioning and shooting to stay in shape, but James Keefe will continue to start.

"Based on the information we have right now, what we know about the situation, I sat down with Dan, and we just felt like we thought it was the right decision to allow him to play," UCLA head coach Ben Howland said. "I sit down with my bosses and discuss; it's not just my decision."

1) So I asked Dohn this and now I ask you...Are you a Star Wars man or a Star Trek man??? - mbruck
Hope not to burst your bubble, but...neither. Saw half of one Star Wars and never Star Trek.

2) What specific skill issues are keeping Jamison Morgan from earning playing time? Is it attitude, effort, lack of defensive skills, or what? What specifically does he need to improve? - anonymous
From what I've hear, because I haven't seen a ton of him this year for obvious reasons, he might just lack that killer instinct to survive at this level. I don't think it's necessarily a lack of effort, perhaps just a lack of that fire that burns in all great players. That said, athletically I've heard he's highly skilled, and if he can figure out the other aspect of it, he could contribute.

3) Is Crissman good enough that Brehaut can red-shirt 1 of the next 3 years? - UCLAVES
I'm not so sure that's the plan. I think Neuheisel and Chow want that open competition for a few years, and if Brehaut can handle it, he'll stay.

4) Please settle a bet. My friend thinks posters who complain that you don't post 24/7 are needy little bedwetters. I disagree. I just think they're ungrateful jerks who feel entitled to constant free info from you, though they pay nothing for the service. Who's right? - Sleepy LaBeef
I think they're neither. I think Brian Dohn set the standard very high, and I appreciate the care and passion. I think given a few years to build sources and get to know the team and program better, I can match that standard.

5) Totally unrelated to UCLA sports, but what do you think of people who ask you questions about Star Wars vs. Star Trek? - spedjones
Hey man, whatever you like, you like. I care more about Jeopardy than most people care about their own family. Guess that's just my thing. That and oldies music.

UCLA knew facing the No. 15-ranked defense in the country would present a daunting physical task.

Offensive line coach Bob Palcic put the onus on his young unit, a group that has gained experience throughout the season but still was susceptible to freshman mistakes.
The Bruins responded.

Despite no offensive touchdowns and a conservative approach brought delivered by two defensive touchdowns, UCLA consistently gained yardage, caught behind the line just five times.

"Going into Arizona State, coach kind of put the challenge on us to see if we could out-physical them, out-compete them," Bruins sophomore center Kai Maiava said. "Our guys took the challenge. We knew they were a good defense, real strong, real sound, and we knew we'd have to try to overpower them."

Early on, UCLA sputtered, unable to pave much ground for senior running back Chane Moline, who got his first start of the season at tailback. Moline finished with 84 yards, but had 65 in the second half against the nation's No. 21 rush defense.
More importantly, he was tackled for loss just twice.

"Our defense allowed us to play more conservatively, and then our O-line did a great job protecting," Moline said. "At first there weren't too many holes, but the offensive line wore them down a little bit. As (senior fullback) Trevor Theriot said, it was old-style, power football."

If Tuesday's practice was any indication, it will continue to be.
Moline appears to be the Bruins man of the moment this week, as well, after his first start following a three-carry, three-touchdown performance against Washington State in Week 10.

"Chane's been the man these past couple weeks," Maiava said. "His ability to read the holes and read the blocks is probably the best on our team. He's a senior, and this means the most to him. Coach talks about keeping drives alive, and if we can keep just getting first downs all the way to a touchdown, I'm OK with that."

While Moline doesn't offer the breakaway ability of his backfield competition - sophomore Derrick Coleman and redshirt freshman Johnathan Franklin and Milton Knox - he is a consistent bruiser, able to pound for important extra yardage.

It really helps us just getting yards," Maiava said. "We don't need a 90-yard touchdown run right now. Chane's consistency has been really good for us. He's a real tough back. I love blocking for the guy."

Bumps and Bruises
Junior offensive guard Ryan Taylor was back in limited action at practice as he recovers from a foot sprain. ... UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel said that freshman wide receiver Morrell Presley was out for his third straight game with a shoulder sprain.

After a few week break, I, Kia returns.

Micah Kia is out for the season with a torn right ACL.
But his mind still works and his mouth is still firing.
Hopefully, we can run this I, Kia feature every week, if things work out.
Here's what he has to say before Week 12 with USC:

"As a team, preparing for the Trojans is by far the easiest week of practice and the most fun. The anticipation for the weekend to come is what really drives you through the week. You feel the energy from the rest of the team. It's what really being a Bruin is all about.

I've seen some very interesting things from the fans, and I do believe those who have been Bruins for a while do understand that hatred. When I first came here, I didn't really understand the rivalry. As the years go on, that dislike grows on you fast. The town ain't big enough for the two of us. It's hard having these two big programs so close to each other. Quite frankly, they don't care about us and we don't care about them.

Last time I felt this excited about a game was my freshman year when we beat them. That was unbelievable. When I saw it, I said, 'This is why I want to play football.' This game will cap off a great comeback to the end of the season, hopefully get us in bowl game and shut them up for a year.

They could be 1-9, and I would say let's run up the score. It doesn't make a difference that they're down. To be quite honest, they'd do the exact same thing. They've been doing it for about 10 years. As far as the Bruins go, it's been a drought, and it's not a lot of fun. But we're on the rise, and to Bruin fans, I just want to remind everybody that before there was the Trojans, there was the Bruins. We're going to return to that glory.

In the month of November alone I've seen a lot of growth. The young kids are finally starting to feel comfortable where they're at. The offense is definitely improving at a rapid pace. Yeah, we didn't score as many touchdowns as we'd like to, but we were moving the ball really great. We still have to limit the mistakes, the penalties. I'm really happy with the way the offense is coming along.

The Washington game, despite the score, I thought we were winning the game the whole time. In terms of confidence, we knew we'd pull through. We're going to need that juggernaut mentality we had against Washington State. And we're going to need that dogfight that we had against ASU. It was gritty. They were grinding, especially down in the trenches. There was some grimy stuff going on down there, and it was fun to watch them grind it out. The biggest thing against SC is we can't make small mistakes. This is a team that will take the smallest window and use it against you. The mentality that we have is no matter what happens, we're going to keep fighting. We are going to prevail."

1) Are Pressley and Randal Carroll injured or have they just been passed over by Rosario and Embree? - Sunset Bruin
Carroll has admittedly said he's behind on the playbook, and Pressley has been hampered by a shoulder injury. That said, yes, Rosario and Embree have clearly separated themselves.

2) Which UCLA football players, if any, do you expect to transfer next year? I don't see how we can give out so many scholarships for 2010 without a sizable number of transfers. - Sunset Bruin
I could see one running back transferring and a couple of defensive backs. Pretty much every other position is up for grabs, at least on the three-deep.

3) What's your gut feeling on Barr, Pullard and Shirley and what schools they chose? - Anonymous
My gut feeling - and it's a big gut - is that Pullard and Barr end up Bruins, and Shirley elsewhere. I think Notre Dame's struggles and UCLA's relative rise wins over Barr. Regarding Pullard, I just see him in the locker room and interacting with Reggie Carter so well, I'd be surprised if he went elsewhere.

4) We have a tough very road schedule next year...what would you predict for our W-L record next year if we stay healthy? - Anonymous
If healthy and if the team progresses from beginning to end, I think 8-4 is attainable. Maybe 7-5 on the safe side, but a 3-1 start with wins over K-State and Houston, Wazzu and a loss to Texas, then a 3-2 middle, then a 2-1 finish. That 3-2 could become 2-3, depending on how Stanford rebounds after losing Gerhardt.

5) What are your thoughts about Sil Ajawara? I have seen him play twice. Definitely a big body, but slow and not very aggressive. Do you see this as a big loss if he commits to one of the zonas? - AV Hill
UCLA can use any linemen it could get. I wouldn't call him the key to the class, but another big body is always a good thing.

6) With Fauria possibly starting at TE, and Josh Smith possibly starting next year + Nelson, Pressely moving to Flanker and Embree, + Carroll and Marvay...what would your projected WR and TE depth chart be? Who probably transfers? Johnson, Moutra, Harkey,Chandler,etc.? Not enough plays to go around!!! - Anonymous
WR: Rosario, Smith, Embree, Carroll, Presley. TE: Harkey/Fauria, Chandler. Johnson, Moutra might follow Dominique Johnson's lead and leave.

7) On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate Ben Howland as a recruiter, and why? - Bruinfan
I'd rate him an 8.5. He gets great players in, but if they only stay a year, that doesn't help in the long run. I need to see him land a top recruit and convince him to stay a few years.

8) If we beat USC...will you promise to dance with the team after the game in theor locker room victory dance/celebration? I heard you got moves. Do you think recruits like that post game dancing and celebrating that we do in the locker room that we see on facebook? - Anonymous
I will not be dancing, but yes, I do have moves. I think recruits love ANY kind of excitement and positive energy, and there's a lot around UCLA right now.

9) I've bet against UCLA B-ball against the spread and am 2-1. Is it just me our is our offensive shooting that poor? Do you think we make the dance? - Anonymous
Shooting is poor, but will get better as the screens and passing improve. That takes time. Yes, UCLA makes the dance as an eight-through-12 seed.

10) I'll preface this question with my unwavering support of Ben Howland, but every year it seems his teams struggle against the zone and struggle to consistently create shots. Do you think Howland is aware of this Achille's heel, cares, misdiagnoses it, or tries to incrementally improve upon it each season? I know he is defense oriented, but couldn't he have someone like Tex Winters work the offensive side of the ball? (and as a side note, I like how you have made this blog your own...never knew what it was missing until you took it over...I like the positive approach you take, before it seemed sarcastic and sometimes condescending towards its readers). - BruinInSeattle
Thanks for the kind words. Howland runs his offense and that's the way it is, and there's no telling him otherwise. The offense works wonders when there's a good defense to support it. I think there needs to be a little improvisation, though, or it's going to stifle players and scare away recruits. However, when the team hits its shots, the offense is adequate.

You've got questions...
I've got answers...

Fire away, and if there are enough questions by tomorrow, you'll get the dish sooner than later. There are a few left over from last week that I'll get to, also.

Thanks guys
JG

Malcolm Lee took care of the penetration
Michael Roll handled the outside game.
Drew Gordon did the rest.

Lee had 13 points, including nine in the first half, Roll had 17 points and five 3-pointers, and Gordon had 18 points, nine rebounds and three blocks as the Bruins defeated Pepperdine 71-52.

Lee hit 4-of-8 shots and had three steals, including a swipe-and-layup on the first play of the game.

With sophomore point guard Jerime Anderson sidelined early in the second half with a right leg cramp, Lee took over the role of primary penetrator. Lee got into the lane and slashed through Pepperdine's young backcourt trio of sophomores Keion Bell - who led all scorers with 22 points - and Lorne Jackson and freshman Joshua Lowery.

When Gordon wasn't clogging the lane, that is.

Gordon had seven points in the first half on 3-of-4 shooting, including a monster dunk on a putback, and was a force in the paint, hauling in six rebounds as the Bruins built an eight-point halftime lead.

Opening statement:
"We intend to enter a not-guilty plea at the arraignment. My client, just like everybody else, is presumed innocent. He is entitled to have a fair trial. They characterized the person who went into the glass as the victim. He was the aggressor, and there was heavy drinking."

On the situation:
"Dragovic left the floor, left the concert, and (the man) threatened my client by saying he had a knife and was going to kill him. (Nikola) thought he was defending the life of his friend. We intend to let the evidence speak. I've instructed my client to not talk to anybody, including the press."

On the status of the case:
"Let's wait until we see what the evidence is before they judge him. I would ask everybody to hold off in forming the judgment."

On UCLA suspending Dragovic:
"It's not my position to tell any other entity, including UCLA, my alma mater, how to conduct its business. Don't penalize this young man more than any other student. I think Dragovic was protecting his friend. He tried to retreat. He tried to leave the third floor. Let the evidence play out. He should be allowed to play. There's a presumption of innocence in our country."

On Dragovic's surprise arrest:
"After he went to (the UCPD), and I don't know the facts of how, he was under the impression that, 'OK, this was basically a bar fight,' and there were going to be no charges. Nikola was unpleasantly surprised when the LAPD went and got a warrant. Everyone originally thought this wasn't going to be a case.
"I spoke to Nikola a week or two weeks after the incident. He told me he'd gone to the UCLA PD and I said great, and didn't think anything about it."

On Dragovic's prior incidents coming up again:
"They haven't contacted me, but I think that incident is a dead letter. I can't speak for UCLA or city attorney, but I'm pretty sure it is. I don't think that old misunderstanding is going to read its head again."

On Dragovic's 2008 suspension on misdemeanor battery charges that were quickly dropped.
"I would ask anybody who's ever had a girlfriend or been married, have you ever had an argument? There was no physical touching, there was no case filed. To this extent that, 'Oh, these athletes are spoiled,' I would suggest to them that no criminal case was filed."

On the other party in the case:
"My understanding is he's about 6-5 and about 210 pound and approx 40. I look forward to finding his full name, to find out what he's willing to say."

Scout.com's No. 10 kicker Kip Smith, out of Colorado's Broomfield Legacy High committed to UCLA after his official visit this weekend.
Smith was committed to Minnesota, but his profile has risen greatly throughout the season, after he booted a 67-yard field goal earlier this year.

For coming closest to correctly predicting the UCLA v. Washington State final score, Maltbaa won a chance to ask any 10 questions of a selected UCLA football player.
His choice: Alterraun Verner.

1) Before choosing UCLA, which schools were you seriously considering?
UCLA was definitely the top, but before they gave me the offer, it was Oregon, Washington and Boise State.

2) Who did you stay with on your official visit to UCLA and what were the activities you participated in while on your visit?
My host was Aaron Ware, and he showed me the basic college life. Took me out, let me meet the players, and I felt a good bond off the top with Aaron. We continue that friendship to this day.

3) Besides the NFL, what would you like to do after you graduate? Is grad school in the equation?
Grad school can definitely be in the equation. Especially in today's society, a bachelor's doesn't do that much. It's almost like a high school diploma. Eventually I'm trying to get my teaching credential or maybe do statistical analysis.

4) What was the feeling around the team in the locker room after Washington game?
It was a feeling of relief. All that weight on us the past couple weeks let off of us. We were able to mesh and built on that momentum all the way up to today.

5) What parts of your game do you feel need improvement?
Being more physical on my press coverage, my eyes - sometimes I let the quarterback draw me away from my coverage - those are the main things

6) What does the rivalry with USC mean to you?
It means everything. I grew up a UCLA fan, and this was always the one big game you worked on. Now it has so many implications this year.

Readers: Post your final score prediction. Closest to actual score with correct winning team gets to give me 10 questions to ask a player of their choosing, within reason.
NEW RULES: The 10 questions will go to the reader who gets the winner correct with the closest total score; tie-breaker will go to whoever has the closest winner's score.
Matt A. came closest this week, so please shoot me those questions, too, at jon.gold@dailynews.com.
I'll be asking Maltbaa's 10 questions for Alterraun Verner this week, and I'll try to get Matt A.'s in, also.

Thanks
JG

The winner, either Dallas Bruin or Reed Webb, will get to choose between either a group of UCLA football and basketball cards - including the Jrue Holiday card pictured below - or a pair of UCLA hoops tickets to a game this season.

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By Jon Gold
Staff Writer

As USC is mired in its worst season in recent memory, the UCLA Bruins could be forgiven for paying more than a little attention to their cross-town rivals.
UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel, though, won't allow any wandering eyes, ears or hearts.
"We really have been just focused on us," Neuheisel said. "There are certainly those in the UCLA world who do focus a lot on what our cross town rivals are doing. That can't be our job."
It will soon be, though.

The Bruins will soon dive into USC game footage, hoping to find ways to exploit the Trojans' sometimes-sketchy defense.
Up first, Stanford's 55-21 win over USC in Week 10, the Trojans' last game before Saturday's bye.

"I'm going to watch Stanford and see what Stanford did," Neuheisel said. "This is a game where you just want to take care of the football, play the field-position game, and have some chances to have some big plays. You can't win this game in the first quarter."

It did take a little longer against Arizona State, but not much.
After Sun Devils quarterback Samson Szakacsy tied the game at seven with a 35-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Williams - UCLA got on the board first on an Alterraun Verner 68-yard interception touchdown return on Arizona State's first drive - the Bruins took control early in the second quarter, scoring 16 straight points to take control.

Mindful of last year's debacle, when the Sun Devils scored four defensive touchdowns in a 34-9 win, UCLA decided to play it safe.

"I was sweating bullets all the way through it," Neuheisel said. "The game plan was to make sure we didn't beat ourselves. That's what exactly happened in the desert. We were not going to do that. The opening touchdown before we'd even touched the ball gave us a little cushion."

Hunting Barkley
USC freshman quarterback Matt Barkley's recent struggles - he had threw three interceptions in the Trojans' 55-21 loss to Stanford in Week 10 - will not change UCLA's game plan, Neuheisel said.

The Bruins will not become blitz-happy, but attempt to maintain a balanced attack.
"I don't think you can be ever just one thing," Neuheisel said. "You have to be diversified and give different looks. Barkley is obviously a huge talent, but they can't manufacture more experience for them. We can't give them one look that allows them to be comfortable."

Brehaut Biding Time
After stating that he would play freshman quarterback Richard Brehaut in quality minutes during the last several weeks of the season, Neuheisel seemingly has backed off his claim recently.
The emergence of redshirt freshman quarterback Kevin Prince as a downfield threat and an efficient game-manager combined with Brehaut's lack of pocket presence has limited his playing time.

"I feel badly that he didn't get in this last one, because I still have it in my mind to get him in," Neuheisel said. "Does Kevin Prince want to be the quarterback? Yes. Does Richard Brehaut want to be the quarterback? Yes. That will be a huge thing once we get to the offseason."

Hester Watch
The status of redshirt freshman cornerback Aaron Hester has been of constant debate for weeks now.
One week, Hester is recovered from his leg fracture, the next he is hobbled.
Then he's healthy but unconfident.
Now he's confident but inconsistent.

"I think he's OK, he just has to get more consistent," Neuheisel said. "He's starting to get better, but there are too many things where assignments aren't done the way they need to be done. The fundamentals of the position have to be evidenced."

Per Scout.com: "6-foot-2, 275-pound Costa Mesa (Calif.) Orange Coast College defensive tackle Willie Mobley knew that he wanted to stay in the Pac-10.

On Sunday, he knew he wanted to be at Arizona.

After signing with Ohio State and going to a JC this year, Mobley has decided to give his verbal to Arizona.

Mike Tuiasosopo is responsible for the recruitment and the two have formed a relationship since Mobley was in high school."

I've tried to contact him a few times but with no success. I'll get in touch with him tomorrow.

By Jon Gold
Staff Writer

UCLA senior forward Nikola Dragovic remains suspended with a felony assault charge still pending, UCLA head coach Ben Howland said on Sunday.
Dragovic, the Bruins' lone returning starter, was arrested on Friday and was suspended for the team's 75-64 win over visiting Cal-State Bakersfield.

"I met with him after the game, and he'll be suspended again for (tonight's) game," Howland said during a conference call on Sunday. "We have to get more information that is going to be given to the appropriate people. This is a legal case, a case that is obviously pending, and he's got a lawyer now."

Dragovic filed a police report with the UCPD after an altercation at a concert in Hollywood last month, and after an investigation, the Los Angeles District Attorney's office filed a felony assault charge.

Dragovic was suspended for one regular-season game at the onset of last season following a misdemeanor battery charge stemming from an altercation with a former girlfriend, but was never charged with a crime. However, the city attorney's office reserved the right to revisit the case for up to a year.

Howland said Dragovic would be allowed at practice on Sunday but would not participate and would attend tonight's game against Pepperdine in street clothes.

"I spoke to him after the game on Friday, and everything had happened on that same day," Howland said. "It was a long day for him. He was very apologetic; he feels terrible about this whole situation."

In 34 games last season, with 21 starts, Dragovic averaged 9.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. In 40 minutes in the Bruins' season-opening, double-overtime 68-65 loss to Cal-State Fullerton, Dragovic went 2-for-14 for five points.

Prepping for Pepperdine
UCLA, which has allowed opposing guards to slash through the lane in its first two games, will have its hands full with the Waves' Keion Bell. Bell averages 21 points per game and in 29 minutes, and he's getting to the free-throw line almost eight times a game.

Playing the Pups
With a lineup that includes five freshmen, Howland knew there would be growing pains.
Now that he knows, though, he has to be OK with them.

After pulling freshman forward Reeves Nelson - who had 11 points and six rebounds - in the season-opening loss to the Titans, Howland admitted his mistake and played Nelson and fellow freshman Brendan Lane and Mike Moser throughout the game.

"First of all, inside with Reeves - Reeves has played the most of the freshman - he's done a good job," Howland said. "It was my mistake not to play him more minutes. All these freshmen are going to make mistakes. As long as they're trying their hardest and really, really playing with their heart that's something you just have to deal with. The experience they get is going to help them."

Alterraun Verner had a quick-pick-six in his first game at the Rose Bowl, against Utah in 2006.
Alterraun Verner had a quick-pick-six in his last game at the Rose Bowl, too.
Pretty cool.

A bodybag or an ice bath: Chane Moline needed one of them after UCLA's 23-13 win over Arizona State on Saturday in front of 46,151 at the Rose Bowl.
Guess that's what 25 carries does for a "fullback."
UCLA's senior hybrid running back got the start at tailback, and Norm Chow put him to good use, letting Moline grind out the clock as the Bruins nursed a lead.
Moline had 17 carries in the second half for 79 yards, finishing with 84 yards and a bunch of bruises.

"My body hurts," said Moline, who had just eight carries - though four touchdowns - for the season coming into the game. "I banged up my knee a little bit, my shins hurt. That's a good defense, they got me a couple times pretty good. But it's a good pain."

Facing an Arizona State defense ranked No. 15 in the country in total defense, UCLA turned to its most sure-handed running back.

With an early lead and little reason to test a defense that scored four defensive touchdowns against them last year, the Bruins left their speedier, more elusive backs on the bench. Sophomore Derrick Coleman had two carries for two yards, redshirt freshman Johnathan Franklin had no carries but two catches for 25 yards, and redshirt freshman Milton Knox and freshman Damien Thigpen didn't enter the game at running back.

The Bruins weren't looking for the home run, it seems.
Singles would do.

"In my mind, I feel like I can do all those things they can," Moline said. "We've got great young talent - they're faster than me, they're stronger than me, they've got quicks. In certain situations, they're better running backs. But I like to get in there and do whatever it takes. I loved this."

On Senior Night, so did the Rose Bowl crowd, which applauded the yeoman's effort in the gritty victory.

Going forward, Moline figures to at least be in the mix for increased time, especially against USC's spotty defense, which ranks 49th in the country in total defense, but 14th in tackles for loss.

"We've been using him for bits and pieces - big back and goal-line stuff," UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel said. "We decided maybe we should do it on an every-down basis. Some will say why we haven't done that the whole time. I don't know why, but we kept looking for the right combination."

On Saturday at the Rose Bowl, they found it.

Stat Tracker
UCLA's five fumble recovery was the most since 1998 against USC. ... Senior cornerback Alterraun Verner's first-quarter interception return for touchdown was the fourth of his career, a UCLA record; his five total defensive touchdowns ties him with Spencer Havner for first on the all-time list. ... Junior kicker Kai Forbath now leads the country in field goals with 26, one ahead of Alabama's Leigh Tiffin.

It was not UCLA's prettiest win.
The Bruins didn't throw all over the field like they've been doing.
There was no monster offensive performance.
In the end, though, pretty only matters in beauty pageants, and the UCLA defense did the dirty work in a 23-13 win over Arizona State.
The Bruins forced six turnovers, returning two for touchdowns, and held Arizona State to just 315 yards of total offense.
The UCLA offense was not at its sharpest, managing just 292 yards, but it was enough to win.
"We learned how not to lose a game," UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel said. "We hung in there and protected a lead. That doesn't mean you can afford to not stay aggressive. Penalties kept us from getting a little momentum down the field. But by not turning the ball over and playing sounds field-position football, we kept ourselves ahead."

After Kai Forbath's third field goal, Samson Szakacsy scrambled and found wide receiver Kyle Williams covered by linebacker Kyle Bosworth.
Not a fair matchup.
Williams sprinted past Bosworth and hauled in the 70-yard touchdown pass, bringing the Sun Devils within 10.

After UCLA's back-to-back fumble recoveries, Arizona State is reeling.
Immediately after Brian Price stripped ASU's Samson Szakacsy and Akeem Ayers ran for the touchdown, Damien Thigpen and Craig Sheppard stripped the kickoff return. After some time-management issues, the Bruins settled for a Kai Forbath XX-yard field goal.

Drive Time: 4 plays, 15 yards, 1:13

Another defensive touchdown, and UCLA truly is making Arizona State pay for last season.
Brian Price used four rush moves on ASU backup tackle Tom Nijunge - a bull-rush, a rip, a rip and a swim - and got to Sun Devil quarterback Samson Szakacsy, stripping the ball.
Akeem Ayers - who had two interceptions and two sacks last week - picked up the fumble and lunged into the end zone for the touchdown.

Kai Forbath put UCLA up once again, capping off a 14-play, 73-yard drive.
The Bruins offense is opening it up a little but, with Kevin Prince looking downfield often, hitting Nelson Rosario and Taylor Embree with nice passes.

Drive Time: 14 plays, 73 yards, 6:31

Arizona State answered UCLA's early quick-pick six with an efficient, if not fantastic, drive.
The Sun Devils marched 80 plays in eight plays, with running back Dimitri Nance chugging for 30 yards, and Samson Szakacsy hit Kyle Williams with a 35-yard touchdown.

Drive Time: 80 yards, 8 plays, 3:49

Chane Moline, coming off a three-touchdown performance against Washington State, got the start today.
One carry, one yard so far.

Last season, Arizona State scored four defensive touchdowns.
UCLA seems intent on repaying the favor.
Alterraun Verner intercepted Samson Szakacsy and returned the pick 68 yards, putting UCLA up with 11:47 left in the first quarter.

Drive Time: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0 minutes.

Here is a list of the unofficial visitors who are scheduled to attend UCLA/ASU...

Tauti Aiono South Hills High School 2011
Andrew Lewis Eleanor Roosevelt High School 2011
Andrew Albers Costa Mesa High School 2011
Andy Orozco Charter Oak High School 2011
Bene Benwikere Junipero Serra High School 2010

Brandon Willis James Byrnes High School 2010
Carlton Hudson Crenshaw High School 2010
Charles Garrett Dorsey High School 2010
Conner Preston Junipero Serra High School 2011
Cory Westbrook Long Beach Polytechnic High School 2010

DeAnthony Thomas Crenshaw High School 2011
Dejzon Walker Basha High School 2011
Derek Stickney El Dorado High School 2010
Derrick Brown Vista Murrieta High School 2011
Desman Carter Henry J. Kaiser High School 2011

DeVante Wilson Corona Senior High School 2011
Dres Anderson John W. North High School 2010
Earvin Simmons Murrieta Valley High School 2011
Emughedi Umodu South Hills High School 2010
Eric Kendle Torrance High School 2010

Eric Kendricks Hoover High School 2010
Evan Williams De La Salle High School 2010
George Bell Southwestern College 2010
George Farmer Junipero Serra High School 2011
Harold Mobley Roosevelt High School 2010
Hayes Pullard Crenshaw High School 2010

Sally Lee Harrick, 70, the wife of former UCLA head men's basketball coach Jim Harrick, passed away Friday from complications of scleroderma. She is survived by her husband of 49 years, three sons and three daughters-in-law, and nine granchildren.

She will be remembered at a service to be held on Tuesday, November 24th at 11:00 a.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints located at 30522 Via Com Dios, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.

In lieu of flowers the Harrick family asks that any donations please be offered to the Scleroderma Foundation at www.scleroderma.org.

All my condolences to the Harrick family and the extended family at UCLA.
Jon

Without Nikola Dragovic in the starting lineup - he was suspended indefinitely after being arrested for felony assault charges (see here: Drago - the Bruins struggled out of the gate against the visiting Roadrunners.

UCLA (1-1) was down by as many as 11 in the first half and was still down 10 with 3 minutes, 57 seconds left in the first half, before sophomore forward Drew Gordon sparked a 10-0 run to close the half. Gordon had six points and a monstrous block of Cal-State Bakersfield's Stephon Carter that swung the momentum in the Bruins' favor.

The roll continued into the second half, as UCLA outscored the Roadrunners 17-6 in the early going of the second half and maintained a 15-point lead for much of the half by shooting 59.3 percent from the field, after shooting just 31 percent against Cal-State Fullerton.

Gordon led all scorers with 19 points, and all five Bruin starters scored in double figures, with senior guard Michael Roll chipping in 12 points and sophomore point guard Jerime Anderson, sophomore guard Malcolm Lee and senior forward James Keefe each adding 10. Carter and Trent Blakely led Cal-State Bakersfield (1-2) with 15 points each.

After saying he regretted not playing freshman forward Reeves Nelson more in the season-opening loss to Cal-State Fullerton, Howland deployed his freshmen throughout the game, with Nelson and forwards Brendan Lane and Mike Moser rotated throughout the game.

UCLA senior forward Nikola Dragovic was suspended for tonight's matchup with Cal State Bakersfield for an off-court altercation.
Dragovic was involved in an incident last month at a concert in Hollywood; following an investigation, the LA District Attorney's office filed felony assault charges.
He turned himself into the university police department today.

Spoke briefly to George Uko's father today, and he said his son was seriously interested in UCLA but has not narrowed down his list. He will announce his decision at the All-American game in January.

Hey guys,

Sorry I was MIA today, had some office work to attend to, and a rather important lunch meeting.

Barring any unforeseen setback, the Inside UCLA podcast will start up on Tuesday for UCLA/USC week with my new cohost...former UCLA starting quarterback Ben Olson.

Ben, who had an injury-plagued career for the Bruins, will provide fantastic insight directly from the mind of a former player, one who is still very connected to the UCLA scene. Ben and I will talk UCLA football and hoops for 30 minutes, with an interview or two sprinkled in. This first show, scheduled to tape on Tuesday, will be available here on the blog, on the LA Daily News Web site, Dailynews.com, and on iTunes. That's right, you can hear my beautiful voice while you run or shop or drive.

The following week, we're going to try to answer your calls live on the air, but either way, we'll provide a call-in number and a specific time to call in.

After working the Q&A and in-game chat into the blog, I'm very excited for this next step.

Thanks, and look forward to hearing from you,
Jon

UCLA's football coaches have a busy weekend out at local games:

Tonight,
Rick Neuheisel, Chuck Bullough and Todd Howard are at Taft/Garfield (Tuan Woods, Lucky Radley, Brent Williams, etc.)

Friday,
Neuheisel at St. Francis/Gahr (Dietrich Riley)

Saturday
Todd Hundley at Cerritos/Palomar.

Jerzy Siewierski will be ready to play at defensive tackle. Guard Ryan Taylor (foot) is out, so Jake Dean will probably start, but Rick Neuheisel said Darius Savage will get time there, too.

Hey guys, join in to talk UCLA football and hoops tonight:

UCLA head coach Ben Howland at the team's press conference on Thursday, as the Bruins gear up for Cal-State Bakersfield:

On UCLA's poor offensive performance:
"The biggest thing was offensively we took so many bad shots. We were really hurried. That's the most shots a team of mine has taken since I've been here by 14. Malcolm Lee took 23 shots, the most any player has taken. We were very anxious, very amped up."

On why the team shot so bad:
"The most important thing about offense is shot selection. I think I counted six or seven either airballs or airbanks. I don't remember seeing that many in any time in recent memory. After the game (I realized) I played our starters too many minutes. When you're a shooter, you have to have your legs. We were so quick to shoot, we were on defense more than offense in that 50 minutes."

On what practices have been like:
"Our practice yesterday was geared totally toward us. Our execution of the things that we need to do. We need to focus on ourselves.

On Jerime Anderson:
"Obviously, he didn't have a good game in terms of his shooting. Neither did Nik. Between the two of them, 3-for-25. Jerime really had a setback, and you could see in his first exhibition against Humboldt State, he got really tired. He's still catching up conditioning-wise. What I want out of Jerime is continued improvement in every facet of the game. I look back at how he was playing in January, February and March, and he was playing really well, just behind an NBA point guard. When he gets back to where he was, I think he'll be fine."

On not playing Reeves Nelson more:
Reeves Nelson was really dominant yesterday. The biggest mistake I made Monday night was not playing him more minutes."

Hey guys,

First off, a couple people asked about Kevin Craft in practice yesterday. He just got more No. 2 reps than Brehaut, who coaches want to get more pocket awareness. As the season got a whole lot more interesting with a possible bowl bid, I think the Brehaut experiment is on hold.
Secondly, Jill Painter will be covering football practice tonight, so I figured we'd do a midweek chat to talk about Arizona State and Cal State Bakersfield.
Thirdly, I wrote a pretty big story about Prince and Su'a-Filo deciding (or not deciding) on embarking on a Mormon mission. Check it out here: A Higher Calling?

Thanks
JG

Westwood Bruin Touchdown Club
Friday Nov 20th -- 7 am
Coach Chuck Bullough, Defensive Coordinator
UCLA Football Players:
#26 Andrew Abbott, CB
#52 Jess Ward, DT
#25 Kai Forbath, PK
#14 Kevin Prince, QB
#82 Taylor Embree, WR
UCLA Spirit Squad
Olympic Collection
11301 W Olympic Blvd (at Sawtelle Blvd)
Free Parking
Cost: $25 includes buffet breakfast and program
For more information call Claudia Hart @ 310-348-UCLA or email at claudia4ucla@yahoo..com

Some quick notes from Wednesday's practice, followed by a short notebook:
Ryan Taylor is out for the game on Saturday, barring a miracle.
Jake Dean will likely be his replacement, with Darius Savage rotating in.
Kevin Craft led most of the 2-minute drill and got plenty of extra reps throughout practice.

Notebook:
UCLA redshirt freshman cornerback Aaron Hester was back in practice on Wednesday afternoon.
He's been practicing for weeks after recovering from a broken leg in Week 1 against San Diego State.
But he was back in practice on Wednesday.

At one point, after locking down a receiver on a go-route during team scrimmage, Hester hooted and hollered, daring the offense to bring it.

"My swagger never went anywhere," Hester said. "It's been here the whole time. Now I'm getting more reps, more of an opportunity to make plays. When I'm in my zone, I'm in my zone. I try to get the receivers going. How else can I do that beside talking and getting loud?"

I've been waiting for this to come in...

From UCLA:

UCLA head coach Ben Howland announced today the signing of Tyler Lamb and Josh Smith to National Letters of Intent to attend UCLA in the fall of 2010.

The Bruins' early signing class consists of Lamb, a 6-foot-4-inch, 195-pound guard out of Santa Ana, Calif., and Mater Dei High School and Smith, a 6-foot-10-inch, 280-pound center from Kent, Wash., and Kentwood High School.

Lamb helped the Monarchs to a 31-2 overall record as a junior in 2008-09 for head coach Gary McKnight. Mater Dei won the Trinity League with a 10-0 mark and finished the year ranked No. 3 in the state and No. 12 in the nation.

"I'm really excited about Tyler Lamb joining our basketball program and family," Howland said. "He's very athletic and is going to be an outstanding player that can play multiple positions. He is a very good defensive player and has been a part of one of the best high school programs in the country. He has received excellent coaching, which will help to prepare him in making the transition to high major college basketball. He has an excellent work ethic, comes from a great family, and I think he'll have a great career here at UCLA."

Lamb averaged 14.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3.3 steals (led the team) and 1.1 blocks per game (led the team) last year. He was a two-year starter at Colony High School (Ontario, Calif.) where he averaged 27.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.3 steals and 4.8 assists per game as a sophomore. He is rated as the No. 10 shooting guard and the No. 38 overall recruit in the country by ESPN. He was rated the No. 1 shooting guard in the state, the No. 8 shooting guard in the country and the No. 41 overall recruit by Rivals.com. Lamb was also rated the No. 14 shooting guard and No. 60 overall recruit by Scout.com and finished third in the voting for the Press-Telegram's 31st Best in the West.

Smith averaged 26.8 points and 13.5 rebounds per game (school record) last year at Kentwood High School, leading the Conquerors to a 19-7 record in each of the past two seasons for head coach Michael Angelidis. In 2008-09, Kentwood won the tough SPSL North League Championship.

"I'm absolutely elated to have Josh Smith attending UCLA," Howland said. "He is one of the best big men in the country. This was a three-year process recruiting him and we got to know Josh and his family very well. He's a great player and a great person. He has outstanding hands and catches everything. He is one of the few players that is very effective and comfortable with his back to the basket. He is an outstanding athlete and has good leaping ability and quick feet for his size. He has a very bright future ahead of him and he'll make an immediate impact at UCLA."

Smith also averaged 21.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game as a sophomore while shooting a school-record 74.0 percent from the field. He also averaged 14.4 points per game as a freshman at Kentwood High. He is rated the No. 1 center and No. 10 overall recruit in the country by ESPN. He is also rated the No. 3 center in the country and the No. 19 overall recruit by Rivals.com. Scout.com rated Smith as the No. 4 center and No. 13 overall recruit in the country and he finished second in the voting for the Press-Telegram's 31st Best in the West.

1) It was reported UCLA said "no thanks" to Darrell Scott as a transfer. I know UCLA has nice depth at RB, but no one has really emerged as an every down back to be feared. Are they that sure he's not the answer and the talent they have or have coming is at least as good or better? Any insights? Thanks. - 74ucla
With four solid backs already there - and while none has emerged as an every-down back, they're all very young - plus two high-profile recruits in James and Jones, I just don't think the coaches thought he was worth adding.

2) Given the number of decent to good freshmen QBs in the Pac-10, will 2012 be a Defensive Coordinators nightmare? - John Amussen
Let's just say it won't be a fun season for them.

3) E J Woods, 2008 recruit, is playing at Eastern Arizona CC. Any idea what happens after this year because I thought at one time the UCLA coaches were interested in him coming back. - Tim Warren
He's been at a couple practices, but I would be very surprised if he ends up back at UCLA. There isn't much news on him out there.

4) Which other recruits are UCLA focusing on the most for the 2010 basketball? Terrence Jones? Trey Zeigler? Ray McCallum? - Nick
McCallum is the most pressing concern, because A) UCLA needs a PG recruit and B) Jones and Zeiglers will be tough gets, seeing as how Zeigler's dad is a head coach and Jones has said he is mainly looking closer to home (Oregon and Washington)

5) Not to belabor the point for the 10,000 time, but is there any drive behind fixing the posting delay? - Reformed Droog
If you're referring to my posts, I sometimes put them scheduled for later times just so things aren't quite so bunched together. If you're referring to the delay of posted comments, no, I don't think it's possible. I've asked, but I think it's just part of the system.

6) Bio-Dome or Thunderdome? - Reformed Droog
I hate Mel Gibson, so that rules out Thunderdome. I also hate Pauly Shore, so that rules out Bio-Dome. Answer: Neither dome.

7) HOW MUCH PLAYING TIME DO YOU THINK BOBO GETS THIS YEAR? A BIG POST PRESENCE WOULD BE A HUGE HELP FOR US IMO. - Keith
All indications are not much. Howland wants his players to be extremely skilled defensively, and it looks like Morgan has a lot of catching up to do.

8) Where do you think Uko, Barr, and Owamagbe Odighuzuwa end up signing? I think we get 2 out of 3 - Bruin44
I think Barr will end up at UCLA if they can convince him to switch to LB. The Weis issue at ND opens things way up for the Bruins. Odighizuwa loved his trip to UCLA, and I wouldn't be surprised if he picked the Bruins after all his officials are through. Uko, I'm not so sure on. He's getting looked at hard by some major schools, and he'll have to choose between almost immediate playing time, and a program with a recent history of success.

9) In your opinion, what do you think the starting defense will look like next year? - Anonymous
D. Jones, I. Tepa, B. Price, D. Carter, A. Ayers, S. Westgate, S. Sloan, A. Hester, S. Price, T. Dye, R. Moore.

10) UCLA has so many young basketball players. Which one or two players need to develop the most over the course of this season to help the team win? - WIUbruinfan
Jerime Anderson is the key to the season. As he progresses, so will UCLA.

Check this ESPN story out on UCLA's improvement in the recruiting game: UCLA Moving Up

I don't know much about this story, but I know enough to try and help:
A daughter of two UCLA grads is in need of a bone marrow transplant, and there is a drive at UCLA today. If you're on campus, stop by near the Bruin Bear, please register if you can.
Team Krissy

And just to make it known: I saw this on the Scout board, and I haven't been emailed by the family or anything like that. It's just the right thing to do.

I think ucla's o-line misses eddie williams at gaurd its killing the rushing attack. How do you see the ground game vs ASU working with ryan taylor starting? - Leon Black
If Ryan Taylor starts at all? I expect UCLA to struggle in the running game unless they find a way to mix it up a little bit and catch the Sun Devils off guard.

2) I would like to know what the plans for Presley are? Is he likely to be a go to guy at WR or are there plans to use him at TE again? - BruinBurd
Unless Presley puts on about 40 pounds, he won't move back to tight end. He's too small to block a defensive lineman. He'll stay at wideout.

3) Also what is going on with the Ohio St transfer kid?
Willie Mobley is at Orange Coast College, attempting to gain enough units by next semester as to qualify for UCLA. He has opened his recruiting, though, in case he does not meet the requirements.

4) I'm assuming Anthony Stover is on the BB team. Is there anything going with this guy? Status? Is he redshirting this year? - rejn
I'm almost positive he's going to redshirt.

5) WHAT WAS THE NAME THAT WON IN NAMING THE WILDCAT OFFENSE? - g2ucla
It's still up for voting: VOTE

6) WHO DO YOU THINK STARTS THIS WEEK AT RUNNING BACK? - g2ucla
Derrick Coleman will start at running back this week, with Franklin rotating in.

7) After this year, is sean sheller moving back to offensive tackle, or does he have a future on the defensive line? - Oscar
No, I've been told Sheller will stay put.

8) Do you think we will beat USC this year in football? - Anonymous
Until I see UCLA's offensive line manage a decent pass rush against Arizona State, I don't know. The gap is certainly closed, but an angry, beaten-up USC team at home won't be an easy task.

9) On a scale of 1 to 10, how good of a coach do you think Rick Neuhisel is? - Anonymous
As a game manager, I say somewhere around a 7.5. There have been some blown timeouts and misuse of players that I didn't agree with. As a recruiter, he's a 10. So overall, I'd say around an 8.7.

10) Do you think Richard Breheut should have been redshirted? - Anonymous
Yes, but it's complicated. From the start, I don't think they gave Craft enough of a chance to prove himself as a backup. Had they known that he wasn't going to be such a calamity as last year, they probably would've at least preserved Brehaut's redshirt earlier in the season. With Craft's emergence as a suitable No. 2, it threw things off.

A rowdy practice tonight for the Bruins, who know full well what a win over Arizona State means to the season.
The more and more UCLA is in the news with big recruits and winning streaks, the higher their national profile, and the better chance for an at-large bowl bid.

Saturday's game against Arizona State - with which ranks No. 15 in total defense in the country - is of utmost importance.

* Jerzy Siewierski saw a much increased workload as his status was determined "as tolerated," for practice, which means he determined his practice time.
* Ryan Taylor did not practice with a spranied foot and is still highly doubtful.
* Aaron Hester practiced extensively but still needs to "get his confidence back."
* In his Pac-10 conference call this morning, Arizona State head coach Dennis Erickson addressed his quarterback issue, whereas Samson Szakacsy played the second half against Oregon last week.
"I haven't decided yet. I'll let them practice today and tomorrow and make a decision. Right now, Samson will get some looks with the one. We've just never seen him - he's been hurt all the time. We're going to let him take that first group quite a few times."

On Arizona State quarterback Samson Szakacsy, who completed 13-of-22 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown, with a rushing touchdown, in the Sun Devil's loss to Oregon on Saturday:
"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."

On what doomed UCLA last year against Arizona State:
"We have to do a great job of not turning the ball over. Obviously that was the nightmare of a year ago. We just can't do that. We can't afford that. We have been better this year with regard to turnovers, especially interceptions. But we have to keep track of the football - this is too good of a football team to do that."

On what the two-game winning streak means to UCLA:
"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."

On the Pac-10 conference:
This is as good and as deep a conference as I can recall. As a player, assistant coach and head coach before. This is unusual. You've better to be able to play each week, or you'll face the consequences. There's great coaching going on, great effort in the recruiting world. You can stockpile all these programs and give them a chance to be successful."

The prevailing thought in basketball is simple: Live by the three, die by the three.
A UCLA team trying to find its identity in this brand-new season might know where to look now.
Six-feet under.

The Bruins dropped their first season-opener since 2002-03 with a 68-65 loss in double-overtime to Cal-State Fullerton on Monday night, shooting 1-for-6 from 3-point range in double-overtime.

"To me, every loss is a shocking loss," said sophomore center Drew Gordon, who had 10 points and eight rebounds. "I feel like every time we lose, a little piece of me dies inside. It's competition for you; you win some, you lose some. It's not necessarily shocking as it is hurtful."

Gordon might not be hurt if the Bruins didn't shoot themselves in the foot.
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 threes 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.

"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."

While the Titans weren't exactly lighting it up either - Cal-State Fullerton shot 40 percent for the game, compared to UCLA's 31 percent, and 25 percent in overtime - they hit key baskets when it counted.

Streeter hit a fadeaway, 23-foot 3-pointer to five the Titans a five-point lead with 2 minutes, 17 seconds remaining in the second-overtime, three of his 11 points. Teammate Aaron Thompson led all scored with 22 points, while guards Michael Roll and Malcolm Lee paced UCLA with 17 each.

The only reason Cal-State Fullerton didn't pull away was turnovers, as the Bruins forced 19 and had seven steals and five blocks.

"I think it was the battle of who was kinda gonna give it up there," said a wide-smiling Titans head coach Bob Burton. "It's a great win for us; I know we're both kinda in the same boat. We're struggling with new teams. It was kind of a battle of who was going to be standing there last."

Lee wasn't standing there at all at one point.
Midway through the second half, Lee fell to the floor, grasping his right thigh. He attempted to get to his feet but collapsed again, ultimately being carried off the floor by trainers. Lee suffered tremendous cramps, though he would return six minutes later, and had a big role in the team's second-half comeback.

Lee had a 3-pointer with 3:38 left in the second half to give UCLA its first lead in more than 20 minutes, then found a wide-open Jerime Anderson for an easy lay-in to put the Bruins up three with three minutes to play.

But in a night when the Bruins scattershot the ball anywhere but in the hoop, Lee also missed a fadeaway jumper with 14 seconds left that would have tied the game at 67.

"I thought they had pretty good shots," Burton said. "They really had good shots, they just didn't make them. We were in zone there mostly at the end; we were just hoping they didn't make them."

Decimated by injuries throughout the preseason, UCLA knew the early season would be a struggle.
The Bruins fully understood that without adequate court time, pure passes would be scarce, on-ball defense would be a worry and clean screens would be hard to come by.
But not this hard.

As the first half dwindled down against Cal State Fullerton in UCLA's season-opener, the boo-birds came out, the Bruins trailing 33-27.
As bad as it looked early, neither team scoring until almost three minutes into the game, it would get worse for UCLA.

The Bruins shot 12-of-36 in the first half while allowing the Titans a 46.4 percent clip, as Fullerton was able to get the basket on UCLA guards Jerime Anderson and Malcolm Lee.
Case-in-point: Cal State Fullerton guard Jacques Streeter pulled a beautiful dribble-drive on Anderson, two plays after Bruin senior forward James Keefe tagged Anderson in the back with a pass.

More worrisome, though, a two-minute run to close the half.
Fullerton outscored the Bruins 8-4 to close the half, and if not for a rebound-and-putback by freshman forward Reeves Nelson on an airball floater by Anderson, the fans would have really let UCLA have it.

Nelson was possibly the lone bright spot early for the Bruins scoring five points and grabbing four rebounds off the bench.
Lee was on his game offensively, cutting through the Titans for 10 points, though his counterpoint, guard Aaron Thompson, had 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting.

Forward Gerard Anderson added nine points for Fullerton, while senior guard Michael Roll chipped in six first-half points for the Bruins, who shot 0-for-7 from the 3-point line.

Hey folks,
UCLA is about five minutes from tip-off with the Cal State Fullerton Titans.
Starting for UCLA: Jerime Anderson, Malcolm Lee, Michael Roll, Nikola Dragovic and Drew Gordon.
How about we start this off with a bang?
Game-time chat to commence...

You've got questions...
I've got answers...

Fire away, and if there are enough questions by tomorrow, you'll get the dish sooner than later.

Thanks guys
JG

Scout.com is reporting that No. 9 outside linebacker Aramide Olaniyan verbally committed to UCLA today.
Olaniyan originally committed to Duke but backed out of his commitment. A four-star prospect out of Woodberry Forrest High, Olaniyan visited the Bruins just two weeks ago, and was apparently very taken with the program.
Olaniyan quickly climbed up the prospect ranks this year, with offers from Michigan, North Carolina and Virginia, among others.

Here's his profile: Olaniyan

Just got a text from Kentwood (Wash.) center Josh Smith, Scout.com's #4 center, that he will sign with UCLA tomorrow.

UCLA sophomore linebacker Akeem Ayers was named Pac-10 defensive player of the week for his two-interception, two-sack performance at Washington State.
Here's a full story:

Ayers

Loyola Cubs tight end John Young - a teammate of coveted running back Anthony Barr - has reportedly committed to UCLA.
Young told Scout.com's Allen Wallace that he has been committed to the Bruins for about two weeks, but wanted to keep it under wraps.
In Young, UCLA gets a 6-foot-4, 250-pound brick wall with fantastic grades and a solid work ethic.
With Logan Paulsen and Ryan Moya graduating and Cory Harkey, Nate Chandler and Joseph Fauria all expected to battle for top billing next season, I wouldn't be surprised if Young redshirts.

Here is Young's recruiting profile: Young

As the regular season draws to a close, only two games standing between UCLA and a December date with destiny, head coach Rick Neuheisel has one eye on Arizona State, one eye on USC and one eye on the Pac-10 standings.

And he still knows it might not be enough.
The Bruins are stuck behind six already bowl-eligible teams in the supposedly "down" Pac-10, with six conference bowl tie-ins.

But while the league is not nearly as top-heavy as it has been in recent memory, the middle is quiet crowded, with four teams at 7-3 and Arizona at 6-3.

"I understand that were on the outside looking in," Neuheisel said. "That doesn't matter to me. I just want us to be playing and enjoying this month. We've got a good thing going right now."
He's right about that.

After squeaking past Washington with a 24-23 win in Week 9, the Bruins thoroughly dominated Washington State on Saturday, their first winning streak since September.
The recent burst has UCLA thinking that if it becomes eligible, a bowl such as the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho, or The EagleBank Bowl in Washington, D.C.

"When you look at the schedule we played and the schedule other teams have played, I don't think we have to be ashamed at all," Neuheisel said. "Not one bit. We've gone toe-to-toe with a lot of good football teams. If we're bowl eligible, we're bowl eligible. I don't think we have to apologize at all."

Ramirez in Limbo
Junior running back Christian Ramirez - the preseason starter - did not travel to Washington State with the Bruins because of a coach's decision. Ramirez, who has been banged up and inconsistent all season, is stuck in a crowded backfield.

More surprising: UCLA did bring scarcely used senior running back Craig Sheppard, a former walk-on, and Sheppard actually got two carries for 16 yards.

Neuheisel noted Sheppard's role in the special teams game, though.
"We just needed some other bodies, and we had enough tailbacks," Neuheisel said. "When we made all those teams, he was hurt. He hasn't fought his way onto that depth chart."

Bumps and Bruises
Neuheisel said he hopes to get senior defensive tackle Jerzy Siewierski (foot) and junior offensive guard Ryan Taylor (foot) back this week. ... Redshirt freshman cornerback Aaron Hester is expected to return to full-speed action this week as he has still been hampered by a fractured leg suffered in Week 1. ... Senior tight end Logan Paulsen suffered a calf cramp that kept him down on the field for a few minutes against Washington State, but Neuheisel said Paulsen was fine.

Hey guys,
Here's my report card...what's yours?

RESULT: UCLA 43, Washington State 7
RECORD: 5-5
WEEK 10 GPA: A-

QUARTERBACK
Who knew Kevin Prince had a third gear, much less a fifth?
A-

RUNNING BACKS
Chane Moline has emerged as a valuable red-zone and receiving back.
A-

WIDE RECEIVERS
Taylor Embree struck early, Nelson Rosario had three big grabs and Terrence Austin was efficient.
B+

OFFENSIVE LINE
Yes, Washington State's defensive line is as menacing as a napping kitten, but the UCLA O-Line was great.
A-

DEFENSIVE LINE
A message to opposing offensive linemen: If Brian Price charges, just fall to the ground and whimper.
A

LINEBACKERS
When he lets the game come to him, Akeem Ayers might be UCLA's best linebacker.
A

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Rahim Moore made two big gambles, one paid off and the Cougars had just nine completions.
B

SPECIAL TEAMS
Kai Forbath, meet Lou Groza. Jeff Locke, meet Ray Guy.
A-

COACHING
Norm Chow a genius? Yeah, I kinda see it now.
A-

After a 55-21 loss to Stanford, USC dropped to No. 22 in the AP poll on Sunday, while the Cardinal jumped all the way up to No. 14.
The loss was the Trojans' worst in 43 years, since a 51-0 smashing by Notre Dame in 1966, and was Stanford's second straight win in the Colisseum.
USC had not been ranked lower than 13th since 2002, Pete Carroll's second season as coach, while Stanford is at its highest since 2001.

How it affects the Bruins:
If UCLA gets to 6-6, it still might not be enough for a bowl game, as the Bruins will likely finish in seventh place despite the record. Even a 7-5 finish with a win over USC in Week 12 might not be enough to leapfrog to the sixth spot.
I'll try and play out some scenarios later today, when I get back to LA.
I'm in the Seattle Airport right now, about to fly home. Will stay in touch.

Thanks
Jon

By Jon Gold
Staff Writer

Picking a standout defensive player from UCLA's 43-7 win at Washington State on Saturday proved to be a tough task for senior linebacker Kyle Bosworth.
On the one hand, there was Akeem Ayers.

The sophomore linebacker had an interception on the third play of the game and added another pick less than five minutes later off Cougar quarterback Marshall Lobbestael. He also had two sacks and was generally disruptive of both facets of the Cougar offense.
Perhaps not more disruptive than Brian Price, though.

The mammoth junior defensive tackle was in the Washington State backfield almost more than Lobbestael, who was pulled after Ayers' second interception, with just more than 10 minutes left in the first half. Price had three tackles for loss, giving him a Pac-10 leading 16.5 for the season, to go along with 5.0 sacks.

It's quite the quandary for Bosworth.

"BP has always had his name out on the leader board, but with Akeem, it's really good to see him kind of shine today," Bosworth said. "Two picks is huge for anybody, and it's good to see him with those two sacks. I'm happier for him, but BP did great - I know he'll be in the league one these days, and this is one of the games that's going to help him do that."

As the UCLA running back carousel continues to spin round and round, the young pups in the backfield at times biting off more than they can chew, Chane Moline seems to be the one constant.

The senior tailback-fullback hybrid had three touchdowns on three carries in the Bruins' 43-7 win over Washington State on Saturday night and was a huge factor in the passing game.

The coaching staff has discovered that don't have to teach this old dog any new tricks.
They're fine with the ones he already has.

"The coaches have realized how dependable he really is," redshirt quarterback Kevin Prince said. "He's Chane the Train, he doesn't go down easily. He's a good catcher, a good runner, a great blocker, and as a senior, he knows the offense really well. He's a great presence not only in the field, but in the huddle, too."

By Jon Gold
Staff Writer

Rick Neuheisel can hem and haw as much as he'd like about a win over Washington State just being enough for his UCLA football team.

Kevin Prince can say that he never goes into a game looking to wallop an opponent.
Reggie Carter speaks the truth, though, and the truth was this: With their resume spotty at best - and missing a huge chunk in the middle at worst - the Bruins needed a big win over the host Cougars on Saturday.

Carter's wide smile after UCLA's 43-7 demolition of Washington State at Martin Stadium told the whole story.

"I wanted to really beat the dog-piss out of them," Carter said. "They've been losing all year, and then we heard that they said this was the game they felt could win. It's nice for them to have confidence, but it's nicer for us to snatch that away."

Akeem Ayers and Rahim Moore did most of the snatching.
Ayers intercepted Washington State quarterback Marshall Lobbestael on the third play of the game at the Cougars 27-yard line and Prince did the rest, finding sophomore wide receiver Taylor Embree open for a touchdown on the ensuing play.

Moore then grabbed his NCAA-leading ninth interception on Washington State's next drive, followed by another Ayers pick on the Cougars' third series.
Less than 10 minutes in, Lobbestael had three interceptions and the Bruins had 14 points, with senior running back Chane Moline punching it in from a yard out following Ayers' second interception.

Hey guys,

UCLA's 43-7 win over Washington State must be taken with a bit more than a grain or two of salt. It was not just a win over a bad team - and the Cougs are baaaaaaaaad - but a complete and utter domination.
For starters: UCLA outgained Wazzu 556-181, allowed just one third-down conversion, went 5-of-6 in the red zone and generally beat the hell out of the Cougars.
Some more tidbits:
* Kevin Prince was masterful. In building on the Oregon State and Washington success, Prince went 27-of-40 for 314 yards and a touchdown and ran for a 68-yard score.
* The defense hounded Washington State ALL game, picking up 10 tackles for loss and four turnovers. Akeem Ayers led the way with two interceptions and two sacks, and Brian Price added three tackles for loss.
* The UCLA running game was stunted at times, but Coleman and Co. finished with 156 yards on 31 carries.
* Chuck Bullough was on his game today - stunts, blitzes, improvisations. Solid game.
* Norm Chow really lived up to his billing today, calling effective play after effective play, and mixing in the Wildcat...or Oso Loco...or Bear Claw...several times.

Stay tuned for my gamer, sidebar and notebook.

And for future reference: I head down to the field with 10 minutes left, interview players and coaches for more than an hour, and then head up to write on deadline. I can't post on the blog until I finish my stuff for the paper, but I'll always be here eventually.

And the power cord is working fine.

Thanks guys - ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO CHILLED ON THE IN-GAME CHAT, WHICH WAS AWESOME.
-JG

Looks like UCLA backup quarterback Richard Brehaut is going in for the first time today, with 10:47 left in the game.
Kevin Prince exits with 314 yards and 1 touchdown, 27-of-40 passing.

That was fast:
Chane Moline's 16-yard run capped off UCLA's fifth touchdown drive of the day, a three-play, 70-yard exercise in perfection.
First, a long bomb from Prince to Rosario.
Next, a solid 10-yard pass from Prince to Embree.
Then, Moline.
UCLA's offense hasn't look this good in five years.

Drive Time: 3 plays 70 yards 49 seconds

Chane Moline scored for the second time today, on a seven-yard run, as UCLA leads 36-7. The Bruins again moved the ball well, using the run to set up the pass and benefitting from a 15-yard penalty.

Drive Time: 6 plays 81 yards, 1:56

Washington State put together an effective drive for the first time today, capped off by a Kevin Lopina-to-Jeffrey Solomon 46-yard touchdown.
Rahim Moore went for the interception on the play and the ball floated just above his hands, and Solomon jaunted into the end zone.

Drive Time: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:01

UCLA just efficiently marched it down the field and Kai Forbath hit a 31-yard field goal to put the Bruins up 29-0.
Prince hit wideouts at the second level, Coleman ran the ball well and though UCLA settled for a field goal, it was a solid drive.

Drive Time: 12 plays, 54 yards, 5:01

UCLA got on the board early, kept going, and now leads 26-0 at the half.
A true team effort: three interceptions, five tackles for loss, two rushing scores and a 27-yard touchdown to Embree has the Bruins rolling.
UCLA marched down the field with just more than a minute left, culminated by a Kai Forbath 38-yard field goal.

Kevin Prince can move.
Prince just had a 68-yard touchdown run to put UCLA up 21-0, as the Wazzu cornerback continued to run with Terrence Austin for 20 yards.

Drive Time: 3 plays, 72 yards

UCLA has 14 points off interceptions, and another pick to boot, as Chane Moline just punched it in from two yards out. UCLA methodically marched down the field, with a pair of nice passing plays.

Drive Time: 7 plays, 68 yards

That was quick.
On its first offensive play of the game, UCLA pounced on the Cougars with a Kevin Prince-to-Taylor Embree 27-yard touchdown.
Embree ran a perfect route and Prince bought time out of the pocket, after the Bruins got the ball on the third play of the game, an Akeem Ayers interception of Marshall Lobbestael.

Drive Time: 1 play, 27 yards, 10 seconds

It's pretty cold in Pullman, but the sun is shining. The snow ceased falling a while ago, and while UCLA players are bundled up, I don't expect weather to be an issue.
We started up the in-game chat today, and it's already going wild, so please join in on the conversation.
Stay tuned throughout the game for updates, and follow along on twitter at DNJGInsideUCLA or TheCoolSub.

thanks for tuning in,
Jon

Here's a story that's in today's paper. Jerry Neuheisel is proud to be a Neuheisel and why he wants to play for his dad.

You can follow me on twitter at twitter.com/jillpainter

Hey guys,
Just got to Moscow, Idaho, where I'm staying for the night. Only skidded out four times in the snow; if you're driving to Pullman, please be safe. Snow comes out of nowhere right around Pullman.
In other news...

Guys,

Sorry for the delays; I just landed in Spokane after a quick layover in Seattle, and now comes the drive to Pullman. I'll check in with a few things when I arrive, if I make it through the snow in this rental Corola.

Here's the preview for tomorrow:

By Jon Gold
Staff Writer

There is supposed to be beauty in patience, the willingness to wait for dividends, long after the work has put in.
Forget that: UCLA was edgy, intolerant, not satisfied with simple progress.

Even a near-perfect fourth quarter on offense against Oregon State in Week 8 was not enough.
These Bruins needed a win, craved it, hungered for it, thirsted for it, begged and borrowed and pleaded for it. Needed it.

By one point or a thousand, UCLA needed to beat Washington in Week 9 as much for its bowl chances this season as its future optimism.
And one point it was, a 24-23 victory over the Huskies last Saturday at the Rose Bowl that was not nearly perfect but was essential, flawed or otherwise.

As the Bruins prepared for downtrodden Washington State this week, they savored their first win in more than a month, a loss spanning five games but an eternity after a 3-0 start.
They prepared for the 1-8 Cougars, who might be without their starting quarterback and whose rankings place them near the bottom of all FBS schools, as if they were preparing for the 1967 Green Bay Packers.

That is what one win wrought: A renewed enthusiasm, a spike in energy, even dreams of that elusive bowl game.

"That win was a momentum booster for us," sophomore defensive end Datone Jones said. "The whole team was down that we lost five games in a row. We won three in a row, we're on top of the world, and our world came crashing down on us. That one win against a good team helped us push forward. Now we know how it feels to win again."

All indications are that they'll be hooked on the feeling again today.

Despite five turnovers against the Huskies, the UCLA offense is playing with a confidence and rhythm unseen this season, even in its 3-0 start. As it so often does, it has started up front, as the Bruins offensive line has provided ample protection for redshirt freshman quarterback Kevin Prince - and senior quarterback Kevin Craft after Prince suffered a concussion in the second quarter against the Huskies - in the past five quarters.

Albeit against opposing defenses in Oregon State and Washington that rank 91st and 112th in the country in sacks, respectively, the protection has allowed Prince and Craft to operate with precision, as the two have combined for 569 yards and four touchdowns in the last five quarters.

All it took, it seems, was a simple conversation between Prince and UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel.

Before Prince took the field with just over 10 minutes left against the Beavers, Neuheisel told his budding young protégé to have faith in his receivers, to throw the ball into murky waters and believe that his tall targets - sophomores Nelson Rosario and Taylor Embree - and his small but shifty option, senior Terrence Austin, would come up with it.

"This whole season has been about developing a whole trust with the offense, and I think it's finally clicked," said Prince, who showed no ill effects after the concussion this week and has been fully cleared to play. "I don't know if it's what coach Neuheisel said to me or just kind of what our game plan was. We were going into the (Oregon State) game saying we were going to throw fade balls. We were going to make our receivers work for it. Executing that game plan showed us, 'Wow, we can do this.'"

UCLA came up short against the Beavers; after the Bruins tied the game with just more than two minutes left in Corvallis, Oregon State marched down the field in less than two minutes and wideout James Rodgers ran the ball in for the game-clinching score.

The same did not happen last week, although with three fumbles and two interceptions, the Bruins seemed willing to give the game away.

Now, with back-to-back games against the dregs of the league in Washington State and Arizona State, UCLA can build some momentum for the first time in a long time.

"Although it's great to not be at the bottom anymore, kinda be on our way up, it's more important that we're improving every week," senior tight end Logan Paulsen said. "We kind of got that rhythm, and the hardest thing for a young offense is to find that rhythm. Early in the season we had it in moments, but we lost it a little bit for five games.
"Oregon State, we got it back. We felt it."

Freshman punter Jeff Locke was named a Ray Guy Award semifinalist, given to the nation's best punter. He is the line freshman on a list that includes three seniors, four juniors and two sophomores.
Locke is No. 10 in the country and No. 2 in the Pac-10 with 44.57 yards per kick, and he has pinned opposing offenses inside the 20-yard line 14 times.

The full list of semifinalists:
Drew Butler (So.) Georgia
Peter Caldwell (Jr.) Utah State
Desi Cullen (Sr.), Connecticut
Ryan Donahue (Jr.) Iowa
Johnny Hekker (So.) Oregon State
Chas Henry (Jr.) Florida
Jeff Locke (Fr.), UCLA
Rob Long (Jr.) Syracuse
Zoltan Mesko (Sr.) Michigan
Matt Reagan (Sr.) Memphis

Jon Gold called in this info as he was about to board his plane for the Pacific Northwest:

Small forward Harrison Barnes from Ames, Iowa, the consensus top basketball recruit in the country, committed to North Carolina today, choosing the Tar Heels ahead of UCLA, Duke and Iowa State among others.

Jon will have an update as soon as he lands in Seattle and/or Spokane.

Hey guys,

My computer AC adapter just died - the second one in two weeks - and I might not be able to post on the blog until I get to Washington tomorrow night. I apologize if there is in fact a delay, but thanks for the understanding.

Check in every so often, but I'm not sure when I'll be back on here.

Thanks again,
JG

It seems UCLA's 8-13 record under head coach Rick Neuheisel is not scaring away big-time recruits.

Jordon James is next on that list.

The Corona running back verbally committed to UCLA on Thursday night over Cal, Arizona, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Washington, among other suitors.
Where fans see disappointment, potential Bruins see opportunity, as Neuheisel has shown no hesitation in ushering in a youth movement.

"I'm not surprised at all," said Brandon Huffman, Scout.com's West Coast Regional Recruiting Manager. "UCLA is one of those schools that can sell the youth movement. That's why even with eight wins in two years, they're able to recruit. They're showing that they're going to play young guys, even true freshmen. Kids are seeing, 'Hey, I can come in and play, I can contribute.'"

James provides the Bruins with a shifty speed back to pair with fellow incoming freshman back Malcolm Jones of Oaks Christian of Westlake Village, who is more known for his power and stamina.

They are set to join a crowded backfield that already includes sophomore Derrick Coleman, redshirt freshmen Johnathan Franklin and Milton Knox and freshman Damien Thigpen.

"James is speed," Huffman said. "Yeah, they have speed with Thigpen and Franklin, but I don't think it's between-the-tackle speed so much. That's where James and Jones come in - they're not afraid to take on the contact, and they can put a move on a linebacker. I saw (James) play last Friday and he had two stop-and-go moves on a linebacker and he was just gone."

Perhaps more importantly than the immediate dividends UCLA will reap from players such as James, Jones and Mater Dei offensive guard Chris Ward, the No. 5 offensive guard in the country, are the in-roads the team is building both regionally and by school.

Huffman said that snagging a star player from the Inland Empire, an emerging football hotbed, is key, as is the interest being shown from major powerhouses such as Oaks Christian and Mater Dei.

"It's crucial - when you look at the schools that are constantly cranking out the talent, it's Mater Dei, Oaks Christian, Corona Centennial, where they got (freshman wide receiver) Ricky Marvray," Huffman said. "It's crucial to get some of those players as consistently as they can. It shows the younger guys that they have a former teammate at a future school. It makes it acceptable to go to UCLA again. When you look at Mater Dei and Oaks Christian, it took some time to get those guys, but this could be the start of a run they'll have at those schools."

* Neuheisel confirmed that Jake Dean would start at right guard in place of Ryan Taylor, and Darius Savage was expected to play as well.
* Kevin Prince looked sharp and is completely cleared for Saturday's game.
* Derrick Coleman and Johnathan Franklin both got good looks today, but Coleman is definitely the starter for Washington State. When asked about the situation, Neuheisel basically said that Coleman was simply playing better right now, and that everything is intended to send a message. If Franklin takes care of the ball and plays well, I'd expect him to get the starting nod back.
* As stated, Stan Hasiak is back with the team. Where it goes from here is anyone's guess.

Freshman offensive guard Stan Hasiak was back at practice today and UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel had this to say:

"All of these things require conversations between the head coach and the individual, and I'm just glad to have him back. He's on our team, he's in full participation mode now. I'm not worried about seeing much from Stanley. I want him just to be like everybody else on the team. Do what we're asking him to do, do it with a great attitude and enjoy that he's at a great university.
"The rest will take care of itself."

Readers: Post your final score prediction. Closest to actual score with correct winning team gets to give me 10 questions to ask a player of their choosing, within reason.
NEW RULES: The 10 questions will go to the reader who gets the winner correct with the closest total score; tie-breaker will go to whoever has the closest winner's score.
Maltbaa came closest this week, so please shoot me those questions, too, at jon.gold@dailynews.com

Thanks
JG

Corona running back Jordon James verbally commited to UCLA today during halftime of the Ball State vs. Northern Illinois game on ESPNU.
James is rated the No. 13 running back in the country by Scout.com and is among ESPN's ESPNU150 top players in the country.
Here's his profile:
JORDON JAMES
Pairing James in the backfield with Malcolm Jones could be a devastating combination, and if both end up signing, UCLA will have the makings of one impressive backfield.
It will be a crowded backfield, however...
Franklin, Coleman, Knox, Thigpen, Ramirez, Jones and James? Gotta figure one of the current guys ends up transferring.

Here's a link to the ESPN piece, and I hope to get James on the line tonight:
ESPN on James

Neuheisel's Twitter feed says that he'll be on the Dan Patrick Show tomorrow morning at 8:20 a.m.

On Humboldt State:
"We're still having a problem defending the dribble. There were a number of times where we were getting beat off dribble penetration. That's an important thing, especially when you go into a Fullerton game where they have a bunch of athletes who can break you down of the dribble."

On offensive rebounding:
"There were nine minutes where we didn't have a player with an offensive rebound in the first half. We've got to get the guys who are supposed to be on the glass to get on them better. Second half, Malcolm did a good job on the glass. But it's not going to be often where we use him in that capacity."

On Nikola Dragovic
"He's 6-for-23 so obviously he hasn't shot it well. I think his defense had something to be desired in the second game. He's got to definitely play better for us to have some success. We're asking him to do something we didn't ask him to do at all last year, and that's play the three, but it's a necessity for us. It's just unfortunate that Honeycutt started the game before and now he's off for three weeks or a month."

On Reeves Nelson:
"I thought Reeves Nelson had a good half in the first half. He has the ability to be a consistent rebounder as he has in practice every day. I just want those freshmen to come in and play good defense and let the offense come to them naturally."

On Brendan Lane:
"He only had five practices, and the last practice I thought he'd be out on Monday. I think he's practiced six out of the 19. He's catching up in terms of conditioning. His ankle is getting better. The one thing about Brendan I like his he has a good feel from the game. As he gets bigger and stronger, he's going to be more and more effective."

Tyler Lamb said a month ago that his verbal commitment to UCLA was made of granite, that he would not back down.
It was, after all, the Mater Dei shooting guard's dream school.

"I'm solid on UCLA," Lamb said on Oct. 13. "I've always known I wanted to go there. When they offered me, it wasn't a question. I sat with my parents, and we all agreed on it. Once I gave me my word, that's what it was going to be."

And it was.
Lamb officially signed his letter-of-intent for Ben Howland's Bruins on Wednesday, seemingly a mere formality based on his overwhelming interest in UCLA.

For potential teammate Josh Smith, though, it was anything but.
Smith, who verbally committed to the Bruins on Monday after a seesaw battle with Washington, did not officially sign on Wednesday, and he said in a text message that he was not sure when he would. A UCLA source said that officials from Smith's Kentwood High were thought to be planning a official signing ceremony, which explained the delay.

The Bruins are anxiously awaiting another delayed commitment.
Harrison Barnes of Ames, Iowa, is expected to sign his letter of intent on Friday in a special ceremony, choosing among UCLA, North Carolina, Duke, Kansas, Oklahoma and Iowa State.

Lamb did not need any hysterics for his signing, not after waiting so long to become a Bruin.

"All that stuff is nice, but I don't think it's necessary," said Lamb, who signed at his high school. "I've worked so hard to get here from where I was, I've been waiting for this day. Mater Dei has a really big tradition and I wouldn't have wanted to sign anywhere but there."

If the Bruins can somehow land Barnes, they'll almost certainly end up with the nation's top recruiting class, as they continue to pursue point guard Ray McCallum out of Detroit Country Day and Trey Zeigler out of Mt. Pleasant, Mich.

"We have the potential to make a good run for the national championship with Josh Smith," Lamb said. "I think he's one of the best players in the country, with how big he is and how he can move. If we get one or two more guys, I think we can make a good run as we get older and gel."

Now Howland waits, and just hopes that UCLA's history can win over a few more.

"It's such a storied history, but these kids are 15, 16, 17 years old when we first start talking to them," Howland said. "They see us on TV all the time, and they've seen the recent success the program has had. But in terms of understanding the long-term history, I think sometimes mom and dad and coaches explain to them that this is a pretty special place."

Out of the 72 comments on the Wildcat Contest, here are the eight that I've selected as the quarterfinalists, after careful consideration and some deliberation with friends, I've picked the following eight. Last minute entries will be considered, and if one blows me away, it'll go on the list.

The prize for the winner will be a bunch of cards featuring former UCLA athletes. Maybe I'll slip in an autograph or game-worn jersey card. We'll see.

Oh, and by the way - I LOVE Oso Loco

Thanks for participating, and as always, thanks for reading,
Jon

Just texted a few times with Josh, and he said he's NOT signing today. He is not sure when he's officially signing, though he remains a hard, hard, hard verbal after committing two days ago. A source told me that his high school might be planning an official signing ceremony, but there are not set plans yet.

Just got text confirmation from Mater Dei's 6-foot-4, 190-pound shooting guard Tyler Lamb that he signed a letter of intent with UCLA this morning.

Lamb - see here: LAMB - is a lithe, fluid scorer, considered by some as the top perimeter player in the west.

Scout.com's Greg Hicks had this to say, when asked: "Game on the line, you need a bucket. Which senior are you drawing the play up for?"

Hicks: "Since I only cover the West Coast, I will limit myself to players in the west. I'll go with Tyler Lamb. He can shoot the three, put the ball on the floor to create his own shot and he has the size and strength to finish inside against contact."

With senior Michael Roll graduating and Malcolm Lee becoming a workhorse for UCLA, I'd expect Lamb to challenge for a few minutes here and there next year, until he gets a bit stronger and learns Ben Howland's defense.

Ben Howland on Nikola Dragovic, who is shooting 6-for-23 for 25 points with nine rebounds:
"He needs to rebound better than he's been rebounding. And he needs to shoot better. That'll come. He's not going to be a create-his-own-shot guy. But obviously we want to get him open looks. He's a returning starter from a team that won 26 games last year, and of course, we're expecting a lot out of him."

Drew Gordon, on the team's exhibition performances:
"We kind of overlooked the teams. 'It's not really the season, it's not technically counting toward our record.' We really didn't pay much attention. Well, we paid attention, we just didn't give our full effort. We came in expecting to blow out the first team we played. But you know what? Concordia is a great TEAM. They're small, they're athletic and they're well coached. We were kind of taken back by it at first.
"Now we're taking it game-by-game. Every game needs to be a Pac-10 game for us."

Ben Howland, on the UCLA "brand" in recruiting:
"It's such a storied history, but these kids are 15, 16 , 17-years old when we first start talking to them. They see us on TV all the time, and they've seen the recent success the program has had. But in terms of understanding the long-term history, I think sometimes mom and dad and coaches explain to them that this is a pretty special place."

UCLA center Drew Gordon has long maintained a reputation as an enforcer. A 6-foot-9, 230-pound, broad-shouldered totem pole, Gordon had back-to-back double-doubles in the Bruins' two exhibition games.
Coming off the bench in a 62-61 win over Concordia, Gordon had 17 points and 11 rebounds; starting against Humboldt State, he had 11 points and 10 boards.
Against the Lumberjacks, Gordon displayed both tremendous power in the paint, at one point backing down Humboldt State's adept center Brian Morris for an inside layin. At another, Gordon went up for a rebound came down with it and immediately leapt back up.
"That's what this season is about - trying to find that fine line between being the enforcer and getting that finesse game,"Gordon told me after the post-game press conference. "I want to definitely improve on that finesse game, but I've made my name as the enforcer. I'll probably ease up on that a little bit, try to get around people instead of go through people. But it's my game. It's who I am. It's who I would be.
"It's going to be a fine line, and I'm eager to find out how it plays out."
So is Ben Howland.

Malcolm Lee, who was 3-for-9 tonight (including 0-for-2 from 3-point range), is putting up extra shots in Pauley Pavilion. It's 10:40 p.m. His dad is rebounding for him, and his mom is watching. The only people left in Pauley Pavilion are a few reporters and a handful of folks cleaning up in the arena.

The Bruins closed out their 74-57 win effectively, stretching their lead consistently and playing well both in the paint and on the perimeter. Michael Roll had 17 points and Nikola Dragovic 13 to lead UCLA, both draining two threes. Drew Gordon had 11 points and 10 rebounds, but no points in the second half.
I'll pump out some quotes after the conference.

Thanks for checking in,
Jon

Freshman offensive guard Stan Hasiak has left the program for an undetermined length of time and traveled to his native Hawaii over the weekend before returning to Los Angeles.

Hasiak did not travel to Oregon State for UCLA's 26-19 loss on Oct. 31 and flew back to Hawaii late last week, not attending the team's 24-23 win over Washington on Saturday.

It has been a rather drastic fall from grace for the projected preseason starter, who was replaced by sophomore Jeff Baca before Week 1 against San Diego State, played more against Tennessee but was a non-factor for the past several weeks.

Hasiak was rated the No. 9 guard recruit in the country by Scout.com last season and was expected to contribute immediately to the Bruins patchwork offensive line.

Michael Roll just hit a nice 3-pointer in the corner and the UCLA offense seems to be building some momentum with just under 16 minutes to play in the game.
Roll has 11 points, tied with Drew Gordon for the team lead.

* UCLA is not playing anywhere close to clean basketball, but they are certainly playing better than they did in a 62-61 win over Concordia.
* Jerime Anderson and Michael Roll are displaying the athleticism and filling the roles that the Bruins really missed against Concordia.
* Anderson has six points and two assists, and most importantly, no turnovers. Anderson is so clearly the key to this season. His penetrating ability is crucial to a team that will discover its identity as the season progresses.
* If Drew Gordon can stay in control, he could really be a key piece to the puzzle. With 11 points and four boards, he's entrenched in a heated battle with Humboldt State center Brian Morris, who has 14 points and nine rebounds.

At Pauley Pavilion as UCLA tries to atone for its lackadaisical effort against Concordia in its first exhibition game.
The difference: Jerime Anderson, Michael Roll and Brendan Lane.
Anderson and Roll are starting today, along with Drew Gordon, Maclolm Lee and Nikola Dragovic, so the Bruins should get at least some idea of what they'll look like going forward.

I'll hit back with updates throughout the game, as Jill Painter is covering for the paper.

Thanks for checking in,
Jon

Suprisingly, UCLA's basketball team suit ups everyone with the exception of Tyler Honeycutt tonight.

Follow my game updates at twitter.com/jillpainter

Check out this ESPN story on Josh Smith, who is going to propel the Bruins into a nationally ranked class: Josh Smith

Corona RB Jordon James will commit on ESPNU during halftime of the football game between Pulaski Academy and Little Rock Christian, James told Scout.com's Brandon Huffman.
That does not bode well for UCLA, seeing as his official visit is/was planned for Nov. 21.
His final five choices are likely between UCLA, Washington, Notre Dame, Cal and Arizona.

Just found this out:
Kareem
As an all-time Bruin great, I thought it might interest some.
All my thoughts and prayers as he battles this.
Jon

UCLA head coach Ben Howland got one relieving phone call on Monday night, from an old friend.

Four years after receiving his first interest from the Bruins, Kentwood (Wash.) center Josh Smith orally committed to UCLA on Monday.

The 6-foot-9, 270-pound center chose between the Bruins and home-state favorite Washington in a tense recruiting battle, picking UCLA because of the past, present and future.

The past, because he knows well of the program's storied history, hearkening back to John Wooden and the team's 11 national championships.

The present, because he knows the Bruins are a team in transition, with nine scholarship underclassmen and the opportunity to contribute quickly.

The future, because UCLA has been a ladder to the NBA in recent years.

"Not trying to disrespect any other school, but with UCLA, people see those four letters and they remember all those great players, those champions, Coach Wooden," Smith said. "I want to wear those four letters well."

Smith has been vocal about his interest in the Bruins for a long while, even speaking often with former UCLA center - and first-round pick - Kevin Love.

He said that he was particularly enamored with Howland's style of play and commitment to execution.

"Going and watching them play, I just kind of fell in love with their style of play," Smith said. "It was one of those things where I look at Pauley, I knew I'd have to live up to a lot. I spoke to Kevin Love multiple times and he worked his butt off and had fun, and look where it got him.
"But I'm not trying to be the next Kevin Love though, I'm trying to be the next me."
He'll try to get an early start.

Smith said he planned on heading to Westwood in June to get a head start on weight training and conditioning. A fixture in the post, Smith has said he wants to improve his explosiveness.

BREAKING NEWS:

Just got off the phone with Kentwood, Wash. center Josh Smith.

He's a Bruin.

He's calling me back again shortly, but I'll get his reaction.

Kevin Prince has been cleared by doctors to return to practice on Tuesday for non-contact drills.

UCLA's final home football game of the year versus Arizona State on Nov. 21 will kick off at 1:00 pm and will be televised nationally by Fox Sports Net (Prime Ticket in Los Angeles).

With this announcement that Kai Forbath was named a Lou Groza Award Semifinalist - Forbath - UCLA now has the following players on national award watch lists:

Brian Price: Semifinalist - Chuck Bednarik Award (top defensive player), Quarterfinalist - Ronnie Lott Trophy (top defensive player), Outland Trophy (top interior lineman), Rotary Lombardi Award (top lineman), Bronco Nagurski Award (top defensive player)

Alterraun Verner: Semifinalist - Jim Thorpe Award (top defensive back), Quarterfinalist - Lott Trophy, Bednarik Award, Nagurski Award

Reggie Carter - Lott Trophy, Bednarik Award, Nagurski Award, Rotary Lombardi Award

Korey Bosworth - Rotari Lombardi Award, Ted Hendricks Award (top defensive end)

Kyle Bosworth - Rotari Lombardi Award

Ryan Moya - John Mackey Award (top tight end)

Logan Paulsen - Mackey Award

I have a call in with Don Lugo head coach Rick Martin to speak with Uko in the morning, but until then, here's ESPN on Uko's official visit this weekend:

Uko

Here's an excerpt:
"I had a great visit to UCLA," Uko said. "They definitely moved way up for me but I really can't say how high right now. I just want to get through my visits and then I'll make my decision, I really don't want to rank the schools until then.

"UCLA has a lot to offer though. It felt like I was part of a family at UCLA, my parents felt the same thing, they loved it there. The players were great to hang with, the other recruits were real cool and I already love the coaching staff.

"Coach Neuheisal is a great guy but recently, I've really started to bond with Coach Howard, the DL coach as well. He's an ex NFL coach and that means a lot to me. He does a great job and I think he could prepare me for the next level."

By Jon Gold
Staff Writer

UCLA freshman forward Tyler Honeycutt will miss three-to-four weeks with a stress reaction in his right tibia, a precautionary measure to prevent a stress fracture, head coach Ben Howland said on Monday.

Honeycutt discomfort boiled over during Saturday's practice and was diagnosed on Sunday.

"We had one of these happen to Aaron Afflalo in the summertime, and he missed six weeks," Howland said. "In terms of the severity, I'm sure there are different levels. We'll know more tonight. He's definitely out two-to-three weeks minimum."

UCLA's practices lately have looked more like an infirmary, with as many as six players sidelined throughout the preseason.

Despite Honeycutt's injury, though, other Bruins are on the mend.

Sophomore point guard Jerime Anderson was back in practice last week after a groin pull sidelined him for all of the early preseason camp, and though he did not play in the team's 62-61 exhibition win over Concordia, he is expected to start tomorrow against Humboldt State in the Bruins' last exhibition game.

Senior guard Michael Roll was also back in the mix following a sprained ankle, and he is also expected to start today.

But Howland feels for Honeycutt, who missed most of the summer with a sore back.

"It's just another piece of adversity to deal with," Howland said. "You're always going to have adversity. We seem to have more than our fair share. He had such a tough time this summer not being able to do anything. He's done everything we've asked him to do. I think he's made good strides and worked real hard.

"I'm counting on him being back, hopefully not too long away."

More Bumps and Bruises
Freshman forward Brendan Lane returned to practice on Saturday after recovering from a sprained ankle, but fell ill on Monday morning.

Scouting the Enemy
Howland had only good things to say about Humboldt State, which is ranked No. 21in the National Association of Basketball Coaches Div. II poll.

"They're a good-shooting team, a team that executes well," Howland said. "They'll run a flow action like we saw in the last game. They've got a lot of different things they run, and they're a team always at the top of their league."

Because I know a few of you paid a lot of attention to this:

Oregon's LeGarrette Blount was reinstated:

Blount

The teacher, Carnell Lake, congratulating the student, Rahim Moore, after his game-saving INT.

UCLA punter Jeff Locke in isolation as he prepares to ice the game with a punt if needed.

Safety First: The Three-Six Mafia watches as the UCLA offense tries to seal the game.

Finally some mugging for the camera after a win.

What's yours?

RESULT: UCLA 24, Washington 23
RECORD: 4-5
WEEK 9 GPA: B-

QUARTERBACK
Kevin PrinceCraft combined for 23-of-31 passing for 371 yards and two scores, but also two picks.
B

RUNNING BACKS
Derrick Coleman performed admirably in place of fumble-prone Johnathan Franklin, and Milton Knox was a stud on the Wildcat.
C-

WIDE RECEIVERS
Nelson Rosario is blossoming and Terrence Austin made three fantastic plays that made a difference.
A-

OFFENSIVE LINE
The standards are raising for this unit, which is improving in pass protection by the game.
B+

DEFENSIVE LINE
Better against the run, and Brian Price had one of the nicest sacks I've ever seen.
B-

LINEBACKERS
UCLA's starters combined for only 12 tackles and were brushed away at the second level.
C-

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Sheldon Price learned that he must be more physical, particularly in his game-saving tipped interception to Rahim Moore.
C+

SPECIAL TEAMS
Austin had a fumble in the return game but also broke a 59-yard kick return.
C+

COACHING
Both Norm Chow and Chuck Bullough took off the shackles and it paid off.
B

UCLA freshman forward and Sylmar product Tyler Honeycutt is out 3-4 weeks with a stress reaction in his right tibia.

An MRI on Saturday night confirmed the injury that was suffered during practice on Saturday.

Hey guys,

So UCLA '64 had a pretty cool idea, and I thought I'd run with it.

How bout coming up with a name for the Wildcat formation that UCLA runs? Kind of like how Oregon State's "Wildcat" is the "Wild Beaver." Please be more creative than Wild Beaver. There's kids around, come on.

Now this is the tricky part:
I have some UCLA basketball and football cards just lying around. I have a couple of Ben Howland and John Wooden. Some Jordan Farmars, Darren Collisons and Jrue Hollidays. A couple MoJos and a few Marcedes Lewis'.

Would anyone be interested in a package of those or should I come up with something else?

Post your idea for the UCLA Wildcat and your idea for a prize, and I'll try to come up with something.

After a few hours of reflection and a few more of sleep, what do you all think about last night's 24-23 UCLA win?

Are you more optimistic about the future, or is 4-5 still not enough to get you excited?
Are you confident is and will remain the best option for UCLA at quarterback?
Are you worried about the running back situation?

I think the team showed promise last night, but while more than 400 yards of offense and three touchdowns is impressive, five turnovers is not. I do believe a good offense takes those chances, though, and that the only real troubling signs were the fumbles.

Defensively, while Sheldon Price was great on that last play, I'm simply shocked that Viney hasn't gotten a chance to work back in. I'm not sure he's better, but there are times when he can't be worse than Price.

I was impressed by both coordinators last night. Chow seemed willing to experiment on the fly and called the game with good rhythm. At one point, he called the Wildcat on consecutive plays, and while that isn't unheard of, it shows that he has confidence that his guys can excute complex calls and plays. Bullough called some nasty blitzes and the defensive line pulled off some sound stunting, which confused the Washington offensive line at times.

My report card will come later, and I'd love to get yours.

Thanks
JG

By Jon Gold
Staff Writer

PASADENA - Something happened to Kevin Craft on Saturday night, something hard to spot and even harder to define.

With almost no reps with the first- or second-string offense throughout UCLA's weeklong preparation for Washington, Craft entered the Bruins' 24-23 win over the Huskies on Saturday at the Rose Bowl a changed man.

He was looser, feistier, more willing to riff and rock and roll.

After redshirt freshman Kevin Prince went down with a concussion midway through the second quarter and freshman Richard Brehaut fumbled on his lone series, Craft came in and completed 10-of-14 passes for 159 yards and a score.

He had his moments - a flailing interception, kneeling for a two-yard loss because he thought the defense was offsides - but he was a different player than the guy who threw a team-record 20 interceptions last year.

He was loose, he was creative, he was confident.

He was fun.
"Shoot, I'm just going to go out there and play, have fun," Craft said. "Whatever happens, happens. There's no reason to get tight in a situation where it's close like that. You can't play not to lose. You have to play to win."

And the Bruins finally are.

Offensive coordinator Norm Chow opened up the playbook, running the Wildcat formation more than 10 times and constantly calling deep passes, and it paid off.

Of course, it helped that the offensive line had its best protection of the season.

"It's easy to play quarterback when you've got some time and space to throw it," Craft said. "A couple of times, the timing was messed up because I don't get some of the reps. A couple of them, I'm just running around and making plays."

Craft prefers to make something out of nothing, to be able to scramble around the pocket and let his receivers make second and third cuts to get open.

He feels more at ease.

With his offensive line.

With his wideouts.

With himself.

"I feel like I can come in and just play," Craft said. "I came in, I know everything that's happening, I know the offense, I know what I'm doing. Then it's just a matter of things not always happening how you draw them up. If something has got to happen, I'll let guys make plays.
"We have to let the guys on the team who can make plays, make them."

An Impassioned Plea
UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel stepped to the microphone as he does after every home game, and for the first time in weeks, he was welcomed with cheers.

His voice cracked, his hair messed, Neuheisel made a plea to all those who have jumped ship as one loss became five.

"For those of you who jumped off the bandwagon, I understand," Neuheisel yelled to UCLA's embattled fans. "I'm just asking you to get back on."

Stat Tracker
Nelson Rosario (seven catches, 111 yards) has back-to-back 100-yard games, the first Bruin to do so since Marcedes Lewis in 2005. His seven receptions were a career-high. ... Senior fullback Chane Moline's one-yard touchdown run was his first score in more than two years. ... Washington hasn't defeated UCLA at the Rose Bowl since 1995.

By Jon Gold
Staff Writer

PASADENA - UCLA giveth: Against Washington on Saturday at the Rose Bowl, the Bruins committed five turnovers, including a fumble in the red zone.

Washington taketh away: With five minutes, seven seconds left in the second quarter, Husky linebacker Donald Butler cracked starting quarterback Kevin Prince helmet-to-helmet on a scramble, knocking the emerging redshirt freshman out of the game with a concussion.

And yet despite all that, despite a five-game losing streak, a winless October and a bandwagon missing both axles and a steering wheel, UCLA snuck out of the Rose Bowl with a 24-23 win over the Huskies in front of 72,924.

Perhaps snuck out is wrong: the jubilant Bruins sprinted through the tunnel, whooping, wailing and hollering after their first win since Sept. 20.

"It makes you hungry," senior linebacker Reggie Carter said. "You play this game to win, never forget that. Regardless of how well you play as an individual, the objective is to win. We get hungry after every loss to get that nasty taste from our mouths and get this 'W.'"

All it took was a game-saving play by UCLA's man-on-the-scene.

After a Jeff Locke punt gave Washington the ball on the 10-yard line with 4:21 left to play, Husky quarterback Jake Locker went to work. Locker had been steady but unspectacular throughout the day, completing 20-of-37 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns. Willing to work the clock in what had become a possession game, Locker was efficient on the final drive, hitting 3-of-3 passes for 28 yards as Washington moved the ball to the UCLA 46-yard line.

Efficiency gave way to disaster, though, as Locker forced a pass into Jermaine Kearse, who was tightly guarded by freshman cornerback Sheldon Price. Price popped the ball up, and Bruin sophomore safety Rahim Moore plucked it from the air for his NCAA-leading eighth interception of the season.

"It's called teamwork, man, and teamwork makes the dream work," Moore said. "That two-minute drill, we do that in practice all the time. That's the camaraderie we have with one another. I mean, Sheldon ran up to me and was like, 'I love you, man. I love you, Rahim.' As a team, we've been through so much, to pull out this win is a blessing."

Before the blessing, there was a curse. Or many.

UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel stormed the UCLA sideline like a frustrated general, watching his troops cough up turnover after turnover.

Prince was sensational but for one throw before being knocked out with a concussion, completing 13-of-17 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown. His lone interception, though, led to three Washington points, as did the team's first turnover, a Terrence Austin fumble on a kickoff return.

Then there were the fumbles by freshman quarterback Richard Brehaut and redshirt freshman running back Johnathan Franklin and an interception by senior quarterback Kevin Craft.

Like Prince, Craft was solid besides his lone gaffe, completing 10-of-14 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown.

"There were some great things today - our throwing game getting the ball down the field and our receivers getting open - but we had far too many turnovers," Neuheisel said. "We finally got one back in the end, a very key play in the game, but we're fortunate to be sitting here with a win."

But a win is a win is a win for a reeling team.

A team now on a one-game winning streak, rather than a five-game skid.

A team now undefeated in November, not winless in October.

It is a new day, a new month, even, and the Bruins are putting the past in the past.

"I told them we were like bums on the street, just thirsty for a meal," Carter said, his smile wide and his eyes gleaming. "We finally got one. We ate today, and it tastes great. But regardless of the taste, I'm full, man. And I'll be hungry again tomorrow."

First: The UCLA offense, while committing five turnovers, had its best game of the season. Kevin PrinceCraft had decades to throw in the pocket, and it showed. Yes, two interceptions, I know. But if the Bruins commit to the deep pass as they did against Washington and in the last 10 minutes against Oregon State, there can be more good than bad.

10) The UCLA defense finally learned to trust each other. In the third quarter, Tony Dye had a pitch-perfect tackle: He let the receiver come to him, and he waited three seconds for help before taking him down. In the fourth quarter, Rahim Moore's interception developed because Sheldon Price did not go for the pick or the knockdown, but batted it in the air for Moore to cradle.

9) Johnathan Franklin is beating himself up right now, but he needs to shake it off quickly. He is the best pure running back on the team, and he just needs to get stronger.

8) Milton Knox: Not to say I told you so, but... He just looked so good in practice this week, that I thought he deserved a shot.

7) A+ for the offensive line. Incredible protection that allowed UCLA wideouts to make secondary cuts and weave their way through traffic.

6) Norm Chow finally threw the kitchen sink at a team, and it worked. Fine play-calling, and it makes me wonder what this offense would have looked like had Prince stayed healthy all year and matured.

5) Is it just me, or did the Bruin defense attack the quarterback on the blitz for the first time in a while? It didn't always work, but that kind of pressure gets in a quarterback's mind.

4) Three personal foul penalties, all by team leaders, is unacceptable. There should be major extra running for that.

3) If UCLA opens with Washington, Washington State and Arizona State, it starts 6-0. Weird scheduling quirk with five of the conference's six best teams in a row to start.

2) I would be shocked if the Bruins don't come out FIRING at Washington State. They're going to go all out.

1) Has it really been 49 days?

I just spotted Kevin Prince on the sidelines in a gameday hat, but walking around and coherent. I'd assume he'll be back for next week against Washington State.

Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks product Eric Folk just whiffed on a 37-yard field goal, and UCLA maintains its one-point lead.
UCLA stayed strong in the red zone and Folk looked like he took a bad approach.
Folk, you might remember, kicked for Notre Dame after a certain UCLA kicker named Kai.

The Bruins have lost their starting quarterback, given up more than 100 yards rushing and
committed five turnovers.
Yet they lead 24-23, as Kai Forbath converted a 27-yard field goal. Craft looked efficient at times, nailing open receivers. But there was also a dropped interception and a fumble on the series.

Drive Time: 8 plays, 55 yards, 3:07

Kevin Craft good: Weaving his way in the pocket, letting Embree get open, hitting him in motion.
Kevin Craft bad: Awful interception, not diving for fumble, missing wide receivers.
Still, UCLA is about to take a 1-point lead with 14:56 left in the fourth quarter.
Chow has let Craft play, though, and that's something to smile about.

Terrence Austin just came up with a circus catch, diving for a Kevin Craft 29-yard touchdown pass, dropping the ball on the catch before it popped out and he grabbed it again.
After an intentional grounding penalty put UCLA at 2nd-and-21, Craft came back with a fine pass to Nelson Rosario for a first down and then hit Austin for the touchdown.
This is one crazy game.

Drive Time: 3 plays, 39 yards, 50 seconds

Jermaine Kearse just leapt right over Sheldon Price to snag a perfectly thrown Jake Locker pass, and Washington once again scored off a UCLA turnover. The play went for 34 yards, and the Huskies have now scored 13 points off Bruin turnovers.
Things are not looking good at the Rose Bowl.

Drive Time: 4 plays, 50 yards, 1:47

Johnathan Franklin just had his second fumble of the game and UCLA lost its third fumble of the day after a review.
The Bruins now have three four turnovers.

I'm combing the sidelines and field before the start of the second half, and I don't see Kevin Prince anywhere. That is a really bad sign for UCLA, with all indications pointing toward a serious injury.
Kevin Craft is starting the half at quarterback for UCLA.
The announcer in the press box said Prince is being evaluated for concussion-like symptoms and his return is questionable.
Prince was knocked out with 5:07 in the second quarter after completing 13-of-17 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown and an interception.
Stay tuned.

* The loss of Kevin Prince means so much more than the loss of a quarterback who was beginning to put everything together. Now Norm Chow shrinks the playbook, the offense gets back into its little bubble, and the team cannot move forward. Truly a devastating loss.
* This defense is so poor on cutbacks its unbelievable. Chris Polk is getting stuffed at the line of attack then reverting outside, and UCLA cannot contain him. Polk has 102 yards on seven carries.
* Johnathan Franklin seems to be in the doghouse after fumbling once, dropping a pass and stumbling out to a 6-carry, negative-4 yard start.
* Nelson Rosario is becoming the go-to-guy, it seems. He has five catches for 67 yards and is consistently getting open.
* I'll stay on the Prince injury as much as I can. Stay tuned.

Kevin Prince was knocked out on a helmet-to-helmet hit, and UCLA went into the Wildcat formation for the first two plays, but Richard Brehaut is in at quarterback.

After Kevin Prince's first truly bad pass of the day - a lofted ball to Terrence Austin that was picked off by Desmond Trufant - gave Washington the ball at UCLA's 17-yard line, the Bruins got off easy.
The Huskies moved two yards on four plays and settled for another Eric Folk field goal.

Drive Time: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:01

UCLA committed its third personal foul penalty of the day, after Kevin Prince was picked off by Washington's Desmond Trufant. Washington now has the ball to start at the UCLA 17-yard line. So far, Logan Paulsen, Brian Price and Kai Maiava have been flagged.
I understand frustration, but come on.

UCLA's goal-line defense stepped up for the second time, with Alterraun Verner again being the Husky killer.
Verner had a great open-field tackle on Chris Polk on the 2-yard line, and Akeem Ayers and Kyle Bosworth teamed up for a second big hit on the ensuing play.
Eric Folk capped off the drive with a 20-yard field goal.
Polk continues to punish the UCLA defense, though, as he's gone over 100 yards.

Drive Time: 82 yards, 11 plays, 5;16

UCLA's passing offense in the last 25 minutes has been downright fantastic. Kevin Prince in his last five series - 19-for-26 for 368 and three touchdowns. Wow.
The line is giving fantastic protection and Nelson Rosario and Co. are getting open.
The running game stalled with Johnathan Franklin struggling early, and the defense is giving up huge chunks of yardage.
UCLA leads 14-10 after one.

Kevin Prince continues to be simply fantastic, and not to be Debbie Downer here, but if he hadn't have broken his jaw against Tennessee, you gotta wonder.
Prince completed 4-of-6 passes (with a drop) for 76 yards, and Milton Knox had two nice Wildcat runs. Chane Moline capped off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.

Drive Time: 11 plays, 80 yards, 4:25

After Terrence Austin fumbled the kickoff following Washington's first score, Eric Folk banged in a 30-yard field goal six plays later to put the Huskies up 10-7.
Alterraun Verner had a fantastic diving tackle to hold Washington on third down, forcing the field goal.

Drive Time: 6 plays, 18 yards, 2:08

Terrence Austin coughed up the ball on the ensuing kick return, and Washington starts with the ball on the UCLA 30. Austin should have bounced the run outside.

Washington marched down the field on four plays to tie the game on a Jake Locker-to-Jermaine Kearse 17-yard touchdown. Locker faced heavy pressure and delivered a precise pass to the side of the end zone, and Kearse simply made a fantastic play.
Chris Polk had a beautiful bounce back that led to a 27-yard run, the big hit on the drive.

Drive Time: 4 plays, 66 yards, 1:44

Incredible.
Absolutely incredible.
I don't know what happened to Kevin Prince with 10 minutes left to go in the Oregon State game, but this is a different person. Maybe the whole offense is different. Maybe Norm Chow and Rick Neuheisel are different.
But whatever happened, it is a good thing for UCLA.
Prince looked incredible on the team's first drive, 6-for-7 for 95 yards and a 1-yard touchdown to Cory Harkey on 4th-and-1 to cap off the Bruins' best, cleanest, most impressive drive of the year.
Yes, Johnathan almost fumbled away the red-zone opportunity, but I have yet to see Prince - or Chow, for that matter - display such confidence.
Incredible.

Drive Time: 88 yards, 9 plays, 3:33

The UCLA defense will have the first crack at Washington, as Jeff Locke will kick off to James Johnson and Quinton Richardson.
And there it goes...Locke banged it on the 1-yard line and Washington will have the ball at its own 20.

Here at the Rose Bowl on a foggy day for UCLA/Washington.
The Bruins looked zippy in their pregame throw-around, and they certainly understand that today is as good as any to end the five-game skid.
I expect to see a little more backfield creativity today, with Knox finally getting in the mix. He's had a great week of practice, and I'd be surprised if he didn't get at least a few touches today.

Andrew Albers Costa Mesa High School 2011
Tre Hale Damien High School 2010
Victor Woolem S. John Bosco High School 2011

Andrew Lewis Roosevelt High School 2011
Christian Soto Rancho Verde High School 2011
Garrett Gilliland Lutheran High School 2010

Marquan Major Las Vegas High School 2011
Andy Orozco Charter Oak High School 2011
Shaq Richardson Los Alamitos High School 2010

Tyler Gray Templeton High School 2011
Derek Stickney El Dorado High School 2010
George Uko Don Antonio Lugo High School 2010

Ryan Andrews Newport Harbor High School 2011
James Brock Crenshaw High School 2011
John Tavai Mira Costa High School 2011

LeJon Baker Crenshaw High School 2010
Wyatt Baker Servite High School 2011
Owamagbe Odighizuwa Douglas High School 2010

I'll be on John Clayton's ESPN 710 radio show tomorrow morning at 9:25 a.m. to talk global peace initiatives, ending world hunger and UCLA football. We might only get to UCLA football. Sorry if you tune in for the others.

Would love to have you all listen, as it should be a pretty cool gig.

Thanks
JG

Last season, as loss piled on loss, injury stacked on injury, UCLA found solace in Week 10 against a down-on-its-luck Washington team.

The Huskies were in the midst of a winless season that eventually culminated in the firing of head coach Tyrone Willingham. Star quarterback Jake Locker was sidelined with a broken thumb. Optimism gave way to realism, and the facts were simple: Washington was a lost cause.

Now the Huskies have a new coach, former USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian.
They have Locker back.
They have a huge win over USC in Week 3 under their belts.
It's safe to say, the Bruins aren't welcoming Washington into town this year with such open arms.

"Sark is off to a great start," said UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel, who coached the Huskies from 1999-2002. "They've had a couple of signature performances, and it's fun to see Husky Stadium jumping around again. I've watched bits and pieces of the SC game, and when the camera starts shaken, it harkens back to some fond memories."

Locker was at his best down the stretch against the Trojans, completing 4-of-4 passes for 56 yards as Washington drove down for the game-winning field goal.

Locker's return this season is not lost on Neuheisel.

Last year, the Bruins punished Washington backup quarterback Ronnie Fouch to a 7-for-22 performance, allowing just 39 passing yards and 135 total yards, the team's best defensive performance in nearly 20 years.

What a difference a year - and a new coach and a Davey O'Brien Award semifinalist - makes.

"What a fabulous player (Locker) is," Neuheisel said. "He's truly a remarkable guy. I know there are a lot of quarterbacks who get the accolades because of the program they're in. But I don't think there's a better quarterback in the country than him."

The UCLA coach hopes to one day say the same about his own quarterback.
If the fourth quarter last week against Oregon State was any indication, redshirt freshman Kevin Prince is on his way.

Prince completed 9-of-13 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns in nearly leading UCLA back from a 16-point deficit. The Bruins tied the game at 19 with just more than two minutes to play, but the Beavers marched down the field quickly and wide receiver James Rodgers ran the ball in from 17 yards out for the 26-19 win.

After Prince's best week of practice this season, Neuheisel thinks he could just be starting to blossom.

"I know that's a huge step in the right direction," Neuheisel said of the UCLA passing game. "Quarterbacking is a combination of ability and confidence. The conclusion of the Oregon State game, I think is a huge boon from a standpoint of confidence. Once you have that, it's much easier to come in and focus on getting better."

That has been Neuheisel's calling card this season, the "focus on getting better."
Too much time focusing on getting better without actually getting better, though, is a recipe for frustration.

And frustration is certainly starting to set in for a team that is 0-5 in Pac-10 play for the first time in 15 years and suffering its first five-game losing streak since 2003.

"Our guys are dying to win," Neuheisel said. "A week or so ago I talked about you can't get in that comfort zone or that protective cocoon of, `I'm not going to let this pain get to me. It's OK. I'm just going to keep doing my best.' We have to let it go and believe that everything is going to go exactly as we hoped. But you have to risk it before you can achieve it. You can't just go in there, and (think), 'It'll be OK if it doesn't go well.''"

But even in the midst of such a skid, Neuheisel still sees signs.
Then again, the ever-optimistic Neuheisel could find a single ray of sunshine on a rainy day.

"There's nothing magic about the plan," he said. "The magic is in the belief. Therein lies why patience is such a virtue. You just have to believe we're going in the right direction. I think there are signs.

"The quarterback had his best week of practice. Guys are getting healthier. Reggie Carter is healthier than he's been. Hopefully, it will lead to a great win on Saturday."

With basketball season upon us, I'm starting up a weekly UCLA sports podcast that will hopefully be available here, at Dailynews.com and on iTunes. We're working out all the kinks and I'll have a call-in number for you as well.

I'm looking for any suggestions or ideas, because I want to make this as fan-friendly as possible.

Please post comments here or email me at jon.gold@dailynews.com

Thanks guys,
JG

Check this out from up north:

Familiar Foes

Here's Rick Neuheisel's quick pep talk to the band, which plays at the end of every Thursday practice.
``If you bring your `A' game, I promise we'll bring ours,' '' he told them.

On a side note: I've just started tweeting on twitter. You can follow me at www.twitter.com/jillpainter

Aaron Hester is out for Saturday's game. X-rays on his leg were negative, but he's still not playing.

Rick Neuheisel believes Kevin Prince had his strongest week of practice yet. Andy Keane has an elbow injury, and Morrell Presley's left arm was in a sling. Presley has a shoulder sprain and will be out at least a week, maybe two. A UCLA official said Aaron Hester's X-rays on his leg that he fractured earlier this year were negative. Also, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reports that quarterback Jake Locker is epxected to start on Saturday. He made it through today's practice.

Here's the info for the Westwood Bruin Touchdown Club breakfast on Friday, forwarded by Claudia Hart.

Westwood Bruin Touchdown Club
Friday Nov 6th -- 7 am
Guest Speakers:
Angus McClure, Director of On-Campus Recruiting
Mike Sherrard, UCLA receiver 1982-1985
UCLA Football Players:
#10 Akeem Ayers, LB
#83 Nelson Rosario, WR
#66 Ryan Taylor, OG
UCLA Spirit Squad
Olympic Collection
11301 W Olympic Blvd (at Sawtelle Blvd)
Free Parking
Cost: $25 includes buffet breakfast and program
For more information call Claudia Hart @ 310-348-UCLA or email at claudia4ucla@yahoo.com
GO BRUINS!

* The best thing about UCLA's 62-61 win over Concordia last night happened in the player's post-game press conference. Someone asked Mustafa Abdul-Hamid if Concordia was actually a good team, and the four players on stage - Abdul-Hamid, Drew Gordon, Malcolm Lee and James Keefe - each chuckled. While Ben Howland tried to say that the Eagles were a worthy opponent, the players knew better. They knew they played awful basketball and have a lot of work to do. Keefe said as much. It's important that UCLA knows that there wasn't much to be proud about.

* Abdul-Hamid may be an adequate replacement for scarce minutes, but Jerime Anderson is needed. Badly. Abdul-Hamid had seven turnovers, and while showing the resolve to hit the game-winning shot, they were bad, bad turnovers. On a young team, a steady presence at point guard will be crucial.

* Against good defenses and stronger, taller, faster defensive players, the Bruins can't rely on the outside game nearly as much. The team didn't shoot badly from distance, hitting 5-of-11 shots, but only 2-for-7 in the first half.

* Reeves Nelson is a good player, but he'll have his freshman flaws, as he shot 0-for-4 on free throws last night.

* Until the team gets in sync offensively, I think Nikola Dragovic is going to struggle. He thrives on set plays and working to get open, and the lack of team practice time wreaked havoc with UCLA's screens and picks.

Looks like Jake Locker's not progressing as much as anticipated:

Locker

Don't forget what happened last year with Locker out - UCLA dominated Ronnie Fouch and the Bruins had their best defensive performance in 20 years in a blowout win.

I caught up briefly with UCLA's only Heisman Trophy winner, Gary Beban. Beban remains a devoted UCLA fan, though he cannot follow the team as closely as he'd like from Chicago, where he works in global real estate.

Here's a little more on Beban: Gary Beban

In your Heisman Trophy campaign, you had just 156 attempts. For comparison, Kevin Prince has 167 in just six games. Talk about the differences between passing in 1967 and in 2009 and how offenses have progressed:
"I'm not sure they've progressed. We had a very balanced attack. The pass was used more for really quick scores. All the way through the three years we had wonderful receivers; we were really able to use the pass to go downfield, to try to score instead of a West Coast offense where you're trying to score first downs. Watching Oregon against USC, that Oregon offense would've been right up my alley.
"I think that with Pepper and Tom Prothro as coaches, we had more of a balance and used the pass for longer gains, rather than the small ones."

Do you still follow UCLA closely?
"It's very hard to do that from the Midwest. If you play past 3 o'clock we don't even know you played! It's a little hard to stay close on a game-to-game basis. I might check in on the big games, and I know there's been some struggles this year."

How can UCLA turn things around?
"I came into a program that had been puttering around for quite a while as well. My sophomore year was a very polarized team. Seniors who had lost a lot, sophomores who had never lost, and in the middle a handful of juniors who were very talented. A great coaching staff that Prothro had, made good players a great team. I don't know what that chemistry was. I don't know how that happened. We never thought twice about losing. Now, how we gain that confidence and that momentum has a lot to do with the coaches putting the right offense in for the players they had. The one thing I think that could have been a trait of those three years is we didn't make a lot of mistakes. I know that's been part of the story this year. I think the players have to commit to play that way. They have to make that commitment to themselves and their teammates."

Can things turn around quickly?
"Without having spent time with coaches or players for that matter, I don't think you can get caught up on what happened two or three games ago. I think you need to get caught up on the last game. What were our mistakes? Correct those, make sure you don't do them again. We always talked about not making the same mistake again."

Is it a matter of talent?
"My senior year, USC had nine first-round draft picks. My tight end was a dentist, my wide receiver became a police officer. We didn't have the talent like the other side of the ball, but we made it a ball game. As players you have to make this commitment that you're doing everything in your power to play at the highest level."

Talk about your Heisman Trophy season, what was the high point?
"I'm not sure that my award was a "year" award. I've made a comment - when voters looked at Gary Beban at UCLA, I think voters looked at three years. We were in contention for three years. We never lost on California soil until (losing to USC by one point in 1967). We didn't lose very often. And I think my award was more of a career award than a season award.
"The highlight was playing in that USC game we lost. It was a highlight because it was what we for shooting for, to play for a national championship. I think everybody left whatever they had on that field that day."

Does the team need another Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback?
"I don't think that any team needs a Heisman Trophy candidate. You need good players who believe in themselves and are coached well, and when I say coached well, that means coaches adjust their system to the talent they have. Then the players have to make the commitment that when all is said and done, what happens on the field is their responsibility."

Also, here's more on the epic 1967 battle between UCLA and USC: Game of the Century

And Beban's 'My UCLA Moment': Beban Video

Mustafa Abdul-Hamid had seven turnovers tonight, but you probably won't remember those since he drained the game-winning 3-point shot with 16.1 seconds left in an exhibition game against Concordia. UCLA wins - barely - 62-61.
``It was a good pass,'' Abdul-Hamid said. ``I think it was James who made the pass. It was kind of instinct once you're there. Not thinking about it. Just doing what you're supposed to do ad knocking down an open shot. It was a tough game, a long game but I'm glad we all had the mental toughness to make a couple plays at the end and pull it out. They did a great job.''

UCLA, well, "won" against Concordia 62-61 tonight, but Ben Howland will not be happy.
That was 40 minutes of some sloppy basketball.
* UCLA's perimeter rotation was just dreadful, and Concordia made the Bruins pay.
* Drew Gordon was solid in the post but needs to convert easy baskets.
* BoBo Morgan looked decent early but became a non-factor.
* Jerime Anderson was sorely missed, and the Bruins will need his handles.
* Malcolm Lee certainly made strides from last season, but he needs to take care of the ball better.

Yesterday, tiny D-2 school LeMoyne shocked the basketball universe with an exhbition win at Syracuse.
A similar scenario is playing out at Pauley Pavilion.
NAIA powerhouse? Concordia leads UCLA 61-57 with 2:10 left, and the Bruins are having an awful night passing and defending the perimeter. Yes, two starters are out, but this is bad...

The Bruins have been downright sloppy with the ball, committing 10 turnovers as a team. UCLA has been good on the glass, with 23 rebounds to Concordia's 12. But almost every other time down the court, the Bruins have squandered an opportunity.
James Keefe and Drew Gordon have been solid in the post, combining for 7-of-9 shooting with nine points each. Malcolm Lee hasn't converted his opportunities, struggling to a 2-of-7 start.

In the early going against Concordia, the Bruins have too often settled for the long-range jumper, rather than using their size advantage down low.
There has been quick rotation, with several starters entering and exiting the game twice already.
Malcolm Lee has a couple of turnovers but has shown the ability to cut through the defense, and Reeves Nelson looked good on the boards.

More to come...

Here's the UCLA starting lineup for tonight's matchup with Concordia:

James Keefe, forward
Tyler Honeycutt, forward
BoBo Morgan, center
Mustafa Abdul-Hamid, guard
Malcolm Lee, guard

Check in for updates throughout the game...

Jerime Anderson, Michael Roll and Brendan Lane are all still out with injuries and in street clothes for tonight's exhibition game against Concordia.

* UCLA went at it in shells today, as Rick Neuheisel wants the team to be more fresh on Saturday for the Bruins 12:30 matchup with Washington.
* Morrell Presley was helped off the field clutching his shoulder after a particularly nasty hit on offense, and he came back to practice in a sling. Neuheisel said he thinks its a sprain, but Presley will have more testing.
* Aaron Hester sat out practice and will have more tests done on his leg; Neuheisel said he was doubtful Hester would play.
* Jerzy Siewierski is improving but at least a week or two away.
* Milton Knox and Damien Thigpen got increased opportunities but time will tell if that translates

UCLA's football game at Washington State on Nov. 14 will kick off at 2:00 pm.

The game will be televised on a national basis by Fox College Sports, which is carried on digital cable systems and DirecTV, and FS Northwest will air a replay at 7:30 p.m.

Readers: Post your final score prediction. Closest to actual score with correct winning team gets to give me 10 questions to ask a player of their choosing, within reason.
NEW RULES: The 10 questions will go to the reader who gets the winner correct with the closest total score; tie-breaker will go to whoever has the closest winner's score.
I still haven't heard from Spedjones or El Maton with their questions, please email jon.gold@dailynews.com. Scrubie came closest this week, so please shoot me those questions, too.

Thanks
JG

You committed five days after getting your offer from UCLA, why so fast?
"I've always loved UCLA, and I took a little unofficial visit this summer. Once I got the offer, I just talked it over with my family and made the decision."

What did your brother, Cal linebacker Mychal, tell you about UCLA?
"He was telling me to commit. He's behind me. He knew I wanted to, and he was actually very excited for me."

With your family connections (dad Marv played for UCLA), was there any pressure?
"I've liked UCLA since I was a kid. I was open to any colleges, but it was that much more for UCLA."

You committed in the midst of recent UCLA struggles, why are you optimistic?
"We're gonna turn it around. The coaches are excited about the future. They're excited to make a change and so am I."

Are you hoping to play early?
"I want to make a difference as soon as I can. I'm my own player. I can do a lot of different things. I played running back, quarterback, receiver, punter, kicker and linebacker. I want to be a linebacker. Everyone will get their chance, and they'll pick the best ones."

1) Do you think that Aaron Hester will be starting the CB over Sheldon Price this Saturday? - Spencer
No, I think his injury was worse than thought and he'll be shut down for the week. I'll learn more today.

2) It seems like Moline is playing more and Coleman is playing less. Are we ever going to get a running game on track? - Gerry4ucla
I'm not exactly sure what is going on with the running game. I don't think the coaches know either. I think they look at a crowded backfield and a below-average offensive line and haven't decided the direction to go with anyone.

3) How do you think Taylor did filling in at RG? Better than Hasaik would have done? - Jungleland
I think Taylor was decent. Looked like he missed a couple blocks, and I saw at least two sacks come in the right side, though I did not distinguish between Maiava/Taylor/Harris.

4) What's the status on Hasaik? Why isn't he playing more? And what's the status on his injury that kept him from traveling to OSU? Do you get the feeling that he is unhappy with his playing time as of late? - Jungleland
The details of the injury have been kept quiet, but have been labeled "personal health issues." I would assume it has something to do with the several skirmishes he's been involved in and trying to work past that. But no, I don't think it has to do with playing time. He's been happy with his playing time.

5) What about the former CU Buffs receiver Josh Smith -- he transferred to UCLA...is he still in the plans to play next year? - Mark P
http://insidesocal.com/ucla/2009/10/quick-chat-with-fb-josh-smith.html

6) In a recent interview on the Scout.com website (http://ucla.scout.com/), Coach Howland specifically cited Reeves Nelson as a possible impact player, because of his physical maturity. Do you have any thoughts on Reeves Nelson? Have you seen him play? - Spencer
Reeves has a good nose around the basketball for the ball in the limited time I've seen him. He also has huge hands, and that's key for rebounding. I don't imagine him being an offensive threat early, although I've seen some decent moves. I just think UCLA's offense is more predicated toward its guards, and he'll learn to work into that.

7) Any thoughts on other possible impact players after seeing practice? - Spencer
Jerime Anderson is going to be good, if he stays healthy. A big if, I know. Malcolm Lee looked efficient running the point and even working off the ball, and I think Tyler Honeycutt is a star. Put 20 pounds on his frame the next couple years, you're looking at an all-Pac 10 guy.

8) When do you think Seattle-area prep star, Josh Smith will announce his decision, this week or during the early signing period? - Spencer
I think he'll wait a little bit, but I'm supposed to talk with him tonight, and I can gauge his decision a little more.

9) Just wondering if you knew where Josh Shipp and Alfred Aboya were playing these days (if anywhere). - Bruintx
From what I understand, Shipp is in Turkey and Aboya is in France.

Check this out, pretty good breakdown:

Pac-10 Preview

The news of Colorado running back Darrell Scott's possible transfer to UCLA sent Bruin message boards and chat rooms into a tizzy on Tuesday.

Scott was the consensus top running back recruit in the nation after his senior year at St. Bonaventure of Ventura, after transferring from Moorpark High before the season. He considered attending UCLA out of high school but ultimately went with Colorado, picking the Buffaloes over Texas, Florida and LSU.

The Bruins are mentioned as a possible destination after the transfer of Scott's uncle, wide receiver Josh Smith, from Colorado in early September. Smith has been a standout on the scout team during his redshirt, and is expected to fight for a starting position next year. Smith would not comment on the situation.

Scott was quick to downplay any negative talk about Colorado, stating, "I just needed to get back home," but the sense is that he was frustrated with playing time and his role on the team.

He said his interest in UCLA is high, "really high, really," and said that despite the team's recent struggles, he believes the Bruins can turn it around.

"They started the year off pretty well," Scott said by phone on Tuesday night. "I think they're struggling, but they can turn it around. I played football with most of the guys on that team, and I think they have a lot of potential. A lot of talent."

Scott was rated the No. 1 running back in the country by several publications during his senior year for the Seraphs, when he rushed for 2,433 yards and 34 touchdowns, after gaining 3,194 yards and 45 touchdowns during his junior season for Moorpark.

However, Scott's time at Colorado has been marred by injuries and what fans have considered underutilization. Before having arthroscopic knee surgery on Oct. 22 to correct an injury suffered in Week 2 against Toledo, Scott had just 23 carries for 95 yards this season, after 364 yards on 87 carries in 2008, his freshman season.

He would not discuss his diminished role at Colorado, but he did make it known that he believes he can contribute to any major program.

"I don't want to say anything," Scott said, "I want to show it with my actions."

Four Sports Illustrated writers weighed in on Trevor Ariza's fast start with Houston, and Ron-Ron's slow start for the Lakers.
Pretty interesting takes on the former UCLA and Westchester High product, who I still think had the best dunk in a high school game I've ever seen when Westchester defeated Thousand Oaks in the first round of the 2001-02 State Finals.

Ariza A-rises

I tried to grab Josh Smith quickly before practice to chat about his nephew, Colorado running back Darrell Scott, but to no avail. I'll do my best to get him after practice.

In the meantime, it does appear that Scott has his heart set on UCLA, according to the Denver Post - Great Scott

Scott, you remember, was the No. 2 prospect in the country in 2008, behind Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor after a star-studded career at Moorpark High and St. Bonaventure High.

I chatted with Jerzy Siewierski briefly before practice and he said his foot is feeling a lot better, to the point he can walk on it without discomfort and even roll his ankle. He is still in a walking boot, but he said there's a chance he could be back this week, though that might just be wishful thinking. Expect at least another week.

1) The offense might not be completely ready to take advantage of it but I think or defense will be able to hold usc in the teens and make a game of it. Can you share your thoughts on what's going to happen on November 28th? - Anonymous
I don't think it will be very close. USC by at least 14, I think.

2) How do you think Ryan Taylor performed with the offensive line this past Saturday? - Spencer
Taylor looked OK, but the offensive line as a whole underperformed. Very inconsistent run blocking, and at least two sacks.

3) What do you think about the comment that was posed to CRN about moving Dye to CB and moving Love to SS? Dye seems to miss many assignments at SS and Love plays incredible when he's on the field. CB was Dye's original position, and they are demolishing Price at that postion. What's the problem? - Anonymous
I actually asked that question, and I thought it made a lot of sense, but I was shut down immediately. I think it makes sense to get your four best DBs on the field, especially in light of the short passing game being so effective. Maybe not.

4) What's the best-case scenario for the Pac-10 as far as Bowl appearances? - Anonymous
I think the Pac-10 is going to be hurting in the BCS. Oregon State should get the Poinsettia; Stanford in the Emerald Bowl; Arizona in the Las Vegas Bowl; Cal in the Sun Bowl; USC in the Holiday Bowl and Oregon in the Rose Bowl.

5) What do you think is the most pressing need for this recruiting class? OL and DT? - Anonymous
Absolutely offensive line and it's not even a question to me.

6) Any early predictions for basketball season? Are you thinking 3rd in the pac-10? - Anonymous
Right now, I'd say third, but if the team can start to gel, I wouldn'

7) Do you think Price is gone after this year? - Anonymous
No. I think another year will make his draft stock rise markedly.

8) What are your thoughts on our basketball team? Do you think there will be similarites to Howlands first trip to the final 4? - Anonymous
Um, no. I don't think this is a Final Four team.

9) Why does Chow keep telling kids he is going to use them like Reggie Bush. Based on NFL success I would rather be compared to MJD than a bust who dates TV Skanks. - UCLAVES
I think Chow thinks he can use shifty running backs creatively, but he forgets he doesn't have a LenDale White, or a Matt Leinart for that matter.

10) Is there any chance of hope that Brehaut can still petition for a redshirt if he doesn't play the rest of the year? - Anonymous
No. His redshirt is done this year.

1) Why is the Washington game not subject to the tape delay like the Oregon st game was? I thought ABC had the rights to the time slot? - Nicolas
Since ABC is not doing a game at 12:30 pm this Saturday, there is no exclusivity in the 12:30-3:30 window

2) What are the odds that Tony Jefferson actual signs with UCLA? Your update on Mobley was cut off last time, please respost. - UCLAVES
Odds on Jefferson becoming a Bruin, 50 percent. Here's the Mobley story: http://www.dailybreeze.com/sports/ci_13614736

3) Misdirection and cutbacks have been killing the Bruins for years, especially this year. Is staying at home for the DE or OLB a point of emphasis? Are the players being taught this and failing or are the coaches not coaching it? Even James Washington commented on this when James Rodgers scored that last touchdown while Ayers came down the line and tacked the guy without the ball. - Resource Guy
It is definitely a point of emphasis, I just think they're executing it extremely poorly. Good college football players want to be great college football players, and when they try to do too much, sometimes they become bad college football players.

4) Is Brehaut the clear cut number 2 quarterback now? If both Brehaut and Prince go down, will Craft come in, or would the staff rather go with a guy that hasn't seen the filed and give Crissman a shot? - Bruinbrian
To be honest, I have no idea what they'll do. They say Brehaut is the second, but Craft goes in first. It doesn't make any sense. I would assume, from this point forward, Brehaut goes in second. I think. With Crissman, I don't think he's an option.

5) Is the deep passing game as successful in practice as it was in the fourth quarter against OSU? - bruinbrian
There are times when things are clicking and times when they are not. At the college level, I don't expect perfection. But progress would be nice.

6) It appears that the Eddie Williams injury has really hurt an already very think UCLA offensive line. Do you agree? - Spencer
Yeah, Williams was a big upgrade over the backups. He was a much more physical presence, though he had some issues, too.

7) After watching Logan Paulson consistently drop passes and miss blocks all season, isn't it time Cory Harkey start over him? - PUSC3
Paulsen has had moments of inconsistency, but I think he's certainly earned his starting spot.

8) From listening, it seemed like Locke was not getting nearly the distance, accuracy, and height on his punts and kickoffs that he normally does. Is he hurt or did he just have a bad day? - Alex18
I think he just had a bad day. He looked normal in practice all week.

9) Has Rosario finally beaten out Terrence Austin for the starting spot? - Anonymous
No. Austin is still the starter.

10) When Jerime Anderson is on the bench and Malcolm Lee is at the point, who plays the two guard? Mike Roll? Others? - Spencer.
Michael Roll primarily, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Mustafa Abdul-Hamid for a few minutes a game at the two.

Less than a week after securing an offer from UCLA, Fresno Hoover linebacker Eric Kendricks committed to the Bruins.
With offers from Washington State, Nevada and Fresno State, Kendricks told Scout.com's Brandon Huffman that he was just waiting on UCLA - where his father, Marv, played in the '70s.
"I have been wanting a UCLA offer for a while," Kendricks told Scout.com. "I went to their camp this summer so they could see me. They said they just wanted to watch me a little more this year. Then they offered me last Wednesday."
The 6-foot-1, 213-pound middle linebacker said UCLA coaches wanted him to play either linebacker spot, like his older brother Mychal, who plays for Cal and had a 68-yard interception return for touchdown against the Bruins this year.
"They want me as a linebacker, but they'll figure outside or inside later," Kendricks told Scout.com.

I have a phone call into Hoover myself, so I'll try to reach Kendricks as soon as possible.

1) If an NFL team had several high draft picks the last two years, and if the team played their first- and second-year men at the same rate that UCLA is playing their freshmen and sophomores, would that NFL team do any better than UCLA is doing right now? - Tim Warren
Absolutely not. Football is so much more about experience and know-how than anything else. I'll take a good veteran over a very good rookie, a very good vet over a great rookie, every day of the week. With age and experience comes consistency.

2) Whatever happened to Colorado football Josh Smith? - Anonymous
Check it out: http://insidesocal.com/ucla/2009/10/quick-chat-with-fb-josh-smith.html

3) Who among the currently redshirting freshman do you think will have the biggest impact next year?
Josh Smith, Joseph Fauria, Todd Golper come to mind first.

4) Will Derrick Coleman see the field again as a running back? Can't figure out why he has not played recently especially with Franklin hobbled. Is he in the Chow 'Doghouse'? - Bruin911
I don't think he displays enough vision to warrant time over Franklin, but I'm simply shocked that Christian Ramirez got the nod over him or Knox/Thigpen last week.

5) Do the Bruins make a Bowl game this year? - Anonymous
Nope, I don't think so.

6) How did Morrell Presley look after the game? - Dat
I didn't see him, but I assume frustrated.

7) If the NFL actually does move to the Los Angeles area and UCLA football is still not competing for the Pac-10 title, how do you think the average attendance numbers will look for the Bruins? - Anonymous
The NFL stadium would be far enough from UCLA that I can't imagine the numbers changing too drastically. Many college programs have NFL teams nearby and do just fine.

8) Comment and then a question. In general, teams do not do well without quality quarterback play, which we haven't had since Drew Olson. In watching Kevin Prince, he looks lackadaisical/slow in his drops. Is this an issue the coaches are concerned about? - AV Hill
I think they'd be worried if he were a senior. He's a redshirt freshman who only played one year of varsity football without injury. If he continues to show progress, I think they stick with him for four years.

9) Why would someone who didn't want to know what was happening on a tape-delayed game read your blog while the game was going on? - Common Sense
Because they lack...hey, nice name.

10) Which current Bruins will be playing in the NFL next year? - Anonymous
Reggie Carter, Alterraun Verner, Brian Price, with the Bosworths and maybe one more player on a practice squad.

Malcolm Lee, on Monday's practice:
"This was the first practice that we had where everybody felt really good. At one point we only had 10 people practicing, and there were no subs. If one person was about to get hurt, you had to tell them to just suck it up, because we had no more bodies. It felt really good today to have almost everyone out here."

James Keefe, on what he hopes to see Wednesday:
"I just hope we gel well. If you just look player to player, we have a lot of talent. But the season is going to depend on how we gel as a team. How we play team defense, how we run our offense. That's what I'm hoping for on (Wednesday), that we come out as a team."

Reeves Nelson, on his early expectations:
"I'm not going into it expecting to start or get minutes. I know it's going to be a big adjustment; all the freshmen are used to dominating. But I think I'll pick it up pretty easy."

James Keefe, on the importance of exhibition games for the backups:
"It's really important, especially in these exhibition games, for these guys to get experience. That's one thing we're lacking on this team, that experience. We're really going to need those guys to step up who aren't in those roles."

Reeves Nelson, on knowing his teammates' strengths:
"Just from watching the games last year and playing with the freshman class all summer, I think we all have a pretty good of what we everybody does well. Mike Roll and Nik are shooters, so you try to hit them. Malcolm and Jerime are really good at driving. I think we all played enough together to know what everyone can do."

Malcolm Lee, on what he's seen from the younger players:
"One thing I did notice is I see some spectacular plays out of the young guys, but one minute they'll do a nice play and the next minute a turnover. That's just a learning curve for them. When they get more comfortable with this system, they'll become smoother. That's going to play a real big part here, once the games start rolling."

James Keefe, on what he knows about this team:
"I know we have a lot of talent. All these guys have proven in the fall and last summer that we can play. Yeah, injuries have set us back and it's hard to gel as a team when our point guard is out, our shooting guard is out, but I think we made do. We made a lot of progress, and guys have stepped up because of injuries."

Reeves Nelson, on the team's injuries:
"On the court it has been tough with a new person going out every day. But it's not a big deal - there's much of a drop off in between anyone. We're all pretty solid. It's difficult to get really good chemistry, but we're not doing that bad."

Malcolm Lee, on his dedication over the summer:
"I took the time to work out extremely hard - the Santa Monica steps, the Manhattan Beach sand dunes - and I was in the court every day to get a lot of makes up. I took the time to train really hard because big things are expected out of me."

Hey guys,

UCLA had its one and only open practice of the season today, and here are some of the thing I saw:

* When healthy, Jerime Anderson is going to be a true floor leader for UCLA. He had some niced tipped balls and while not going full-speed, displayed some real lateral quickness.
* If BoBo Morgan continues to refine his game in the paint, he could see some major minutes.
* Reeves Nelson has some gigantic hands and displays a tenacity on the boards that UCLA lacked last season. He could be very impressive early in the year.
* UCLA will need to find a way to get Michael Roll and Nikola Dragovic open shots.
* Malcolm Lee could benefit most from Anderson's injury - on Wednesday, he and Mustafa Abdul-Hamid will be UCLA's only two point guards against Concordia.

UCLA's first - and I believe only - open practice of the year today is the first time in training camp that they've had 17 of 18 players practice.
Michael Roll is in no-contact drills with a sprained ankle.
Jerime Anderson is going through a "partial" practice with a groin pull.
Brendan Lane is out with a sprained ankle still, and there is no timetable.

From today's press conference, ctd.:

On what impressed him in the fourth quarter:
"I thought the quarterback in particular settled down, and kind of found himself, in terms of his rhythm, his poise, his ability to stand in there and make throws down the field. Coming up with two two-point conversions is not easy to do. Those are all building blocks. Hopefully we'll use that as great momentum for this week of practice.

On UCLA's tough Pac-10 start:
"The schedule is what the schedule is, I just know we get a chance to play each Saturday. We found out in the month of October when you don't play our best, nothing good is going to happen. We need to correct that and become a much more consistent team in November."

On pressuring the quarterback more:
"You have two ways of playing pas s - you can get pressure on the quarterback and get him to throw it before he wants to or you can drop back into coverage. We have to do a better job of mixing that up. We have to be right when we choose to pressure the quarterback. We have to do a great job in coverage of making sure we do just that, make sure were covering."

On Jake Locker:
"I think he's a complete player. Obviously he's flourished with Coach Sarkisian. I had an opportunity before I got this job at UCLA to spend a few days with him in Louisiana for the Manning passing camp, and I'm very impressed with him.

From today's press conference:

Opening Statement:
"We try again for that elusive first Pac-10 victory. Disappointed in the outcome the other day, but I'm certainly feeling good about the effort, especially in the fourth quarter trying to get back into the game. Obviously the team has been in a dry spell. But the effort is continuing to be there. Now we just have to continue to work to be more consistent on both sides of the ball.
"Sometimes when you're in the skid we're in you can see kids throwing in the towel - nothing can be further from the truth."

On what he's done to temper his own expectations:
"I read a little bit of John Wooden over the last day or so, read again that while winning is important, it's not how you judge yourself. It's important that our players, especially the really young ones in the program, believe that if we're continuing to work hard, the wins will come."

On the defensive struggle:
"We've played some pretty darn good offenses, but yes we have to play better on defense. I don't know that you can point at one thing. Assignments, tackling, just being where we need to be and making plays when they're there to be made."

On Sheldon Price's struggles:
"Until we stop them, we're going to have to face the facts there. Sheldon's going to have to continue to improve and we'll have to try to create competition there. We're going to play the guy who plays the best in practice. We're not down on Sheldon, he's a young player trying to help the team and he's playing hard.
"But we certainly understand we have to play better and not give up the easy yards."

1) I was wondering if you could give us another injury report on the basketball team. Is everyone back to practice yet? Or is Brendan Lane the only hold out? - Spencer
From what I've been told, everyone is supposed to be back today. I'd be surprised if Jerime Anderson was 100 percent, based on what I've been told.

2) I have not heard much about Jayson Allmond. Is he redshirting? Also, will he stay at FB, there was rumors of him moving to DT? - Matt
He is redshirting, but with Moline and Theriot and graduating, I'd be surprised to see him moved to DT. However, I am 100 percent for switching running backs to the D-Line, a la TCU, which churns out lightning-quick ends every year.

3) It looked like Prince had more time to throw in the last quarter. What did you notice that was different? - lompocjr
Oregon State was blitzing less and Prince was finding his way around the pocket; the biggest difference, though, was his willingness to throw into coverage.

4) Have you heard of any recruits changing their minds about attending Ucla? if so who? - theuclan
I have yet to hear of any flip-flops, and with the kids UCLA is getting - the ones already committed - I don't think the five-game losing streak is changing any minds. I think these kids want to play and play early, and they see the ability to at UCLA.

5) Have you heard about any possible transfers out of the football program due to non-playing times? - bruincheerleader
The only rumors I heard were about Milton Knox, but he squashed those quickly. If the lack of PT keeps up for some guys, though, I wouldn't be surprised to hear more grumbling.

6) Who are the most important football recruits for the Bruins to grab this season? - hicalliber
Malcolm Jones was huge for making in-roads into Oaks Christian; Chris Ward was a big get for the same reason at Mater Dei; if they can somehow land one more impact player on defense, it's a very good class.

7) What are the chances of Josh Smith ending up at UCLA? - Anonymous
Very good. But Lorenzo Romar is a hell of a recruiter, and it's not a gimme.

8) Also, do you think McCullum or Zeigler will end up committing to UCLA? - Anonymous
McCallum more so than Zeigler.

9) Is there a rift between Chow and Neuheisel-particularly re. the QB position? It seems like Neuheisel is starting to pull rank over Chow? - Anonymous
This is a tough question. They are both very confident coaches and neither wants to be wrong, but the way they've handled Brehaut is questionable and has been from the start of the season. Either you want him to progress in games or you want him to learn on the bench. Pick a direction and stick with it.

10) How does Bowens look on the scout team? Do you think he will be ready for real game action next year, should his number be called? - Anonymous
He should contribute on special teams at least, as the Bruins lose several important ST contributors.

RESULT: Oregon State 26, UCLA 19
RECORD: 3-5
WEEK 8 GPA: C-

QUARTERBACK
Prince showed some major potential in the fourth quarter.
B-

RUNNING BACKS
Poor performance out of the backs, who weren't able to break free.
D

WIDE RECEIVERS
Came up huge when it mattered, showed Prince what they could do.
B+

OFFENSIVE LINE
Complete breakdowns on several plays, poor run blocking.
C-

DEFENSIVE LINE
Not much pressure on the quarterback, failed to contain the outside.
C-

LINEBACKERS
Looked easily fooled on reverses and trick formations.
D

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Burned once, struggled with tackling throughout and a huge missed opportunity.
D

SPECIAL TEAMS
Solid as usual in the kicking game, not bad in coverage.
B

COACHING
Looser play-calling in the fourth, but needs to be more aggressive early.
C-

You've got questions...
I've got answers...

Fire away, and if there are enough questions by tomorrow, you'll get the dish sooner than later. There were a few answers remaining from last week that I'll tack on first.

Thanks guys
JG

Taylor Embree on the fourth-quarter offense:
"At the end of the game, we were forced into situations where we had to pass deep, and I think honestly that was the biggest thing for us. We can make the plays. We know we have the weapons to make the plays. We just have to be put in the position to make those plays."

Reggie Carter on OSU's last drive:
"They got the ball off fast. They got a screen, a quick flare pass and a fly sweep. I missed a tackle on that quick flare. They knew we were gonna try to pressure them so they just got the ball out quick and get some catch-and-run yards."

Taylor Embree on UCLA's comeback:
"Us being away at Oregon State and being down like that, we could either curl up and hide in a ball or we could just say enough is enough and fight back. We didn't have enough time to do it. But once we figure out how to do it the whole game, we'll be unstoppable."

Norm Chow on Kevin Prince's performance:
"He came back and played pretty well at the end, but I think he still missed a couple of throws that he shouldn't have missed. That's just part of the learning process. The one he really should have made was that third-and-short. He knows better."

Just got back into town, and here's some extras from yesterday...

Norm Chow on the offense being drastically better in the second half:
"You always make halftime adjustments and they always do things to you you're not expecting. They blitzed us a lot more on second down. People don't see that."

Tony Dye on what ails the defense:
"Big plays, man - we give up a deep ball, we drop a pick. Here and there, things are killing us. I think we're doing pretty well when they're just trying to drive the ball on us. We're getting off the field; yeah, OK, they convert here and there, but I think what it comes down to is we're giving up big plays."

Nelson Rosario on Kevin Prince in the fourth quarter:
"He threw all the right passes he should have. He played like we all expect him to. Now we have to get more consistent with it. I wasn't even aware of the whole 260-minute thing, I just knew we hadn't scored a passing touchdown in a minute."

* Neuheisel had a pretty entertaining give-and-take with TJ Simers, who wondered if CRN/CNC were babying Kevin Prince: "We're going to disagree on babying our quarterback. I trust that the playcalls are the appropriate ones."

* Tony Dye: "Every single one of them was a winnable game, and we were all in winnable situations. We just let it slide through our fingers every single time. It's getting old. Two minutes they drove, what, 70 yards? That's the kind of stuff we're giving up that gives them these close wins."

* Nelson Rosario: "That's everything I did in high school. That's natural to me. That's stuff I'm used to doing. Honestly, I just want whatever works. But seeing that it works, we have to put that together."

* Oregon State quarterback Sean Canfield on going short time after time: "It was just a matter of picking away at them. They weren't giving away much deep. We saw that all night, and we saw that in film. It was just a matter of being patient and being smart with the football."