Maiava suffers fractured ankle in scrimmage
There are no winners and losers in an intermural scrimmage, but the UCLA football team suffered a crushing loss in the team's fall scrimmage at Drake Stadium on Saturday night.
Junior center Kai Maiava, who started 12 games last season after transferring from Colorado, suffered a fractured left ankle on the third play from scrimmage and will require surgery, with his return for the season in question.
Maiava's injury leaves an already depleted line in shambles. With right tackle Mike Harris suspended for the season opener at Kansas State on Sept. 4 for a violation of team rules, UCLA will start the season with only one lineman in the starting lineup who started at least six games last season, right guard Eddie Williams.
"This is really upsetting, to be honest with you," sophomore quarterback Kevin Prince said. "Kai is the anchor of the offensive line. Without him, we'll be OK, but it wont be the same. He brought the mentality you like to have, that dominating mentality. He's experienced. We're going to miss him."
With Maiava out, senior left guard Ryan Taylor is expected to move to center with redshirt freshman Greg Capella as backup. Backup right guard Darius Savage will likely move to left guard.
While Maiava's ability will be missed, the Bruins will most need to replace his vocal leadership from the center position.
"Sometimes a center is the smallest person of the line, but he is the quarterback of the offensive line," senior offensive tackle Micah Kia said. "He has to make the calls, he has to display the most confidence in the huddle. It's the most important person on the offensive line. This hurts."
This is not Maiava's first brush with adversity.
Before the team's EagleBank Bowl matchup with Temple in December, Maiava was declared academically ineligible for the winter quarter, and he had to miss the Bruins' 30-21 win.
Maiava's ownership of his mistakes went a long way toward re-establishing his presence in the huddle, as he quickly regained his teammates trust during the offseason.
"I know how hard he worked, and more than anything, he was just proud because he was able to come back with us," Prince said. "Initially, he felt so bad because he lets his teammates down. This is going to kill him that he can't be out there with us."
It could kill the Bruins, too.
Taylor has played well at guard during fall camp, but he and Capella struggled with hiking the ball during spring ball, and Capella drew head coach Rick Neuheisel's ire with his porous snapping in the scrimmage.
For a unit that was expected to make strides in Neuheisel and offensive coordinator Norm Chow's third year, it has been a devastating offseason. Left tackle Xavier Su'a-Filo left for his LDS mission after starting as a freshman, junior guard Jeff Baca was deemed academically ineligible by the NCAA, though UCLA is appealing, and is in a walking boot with a stress reaction in his left leg, and backup sophomore guard Stanley Hasiak was declared academically ineligible for the season.
"I am determined to say no, we are not cursed, but, but...this does hurt tremendously," said a distraught Kia. "I don't know. I won't believe it until I see it with my own two eyes, but if it's as serious as I'm hearing, it's an extreme loss. Kai is a tremendous leader, a tremendous football player, a tremendous offensive lineman, a great person, and he is an asset to what we do here."
Of course.
This just blew up my night.
So we lost the best player on the D-line and now the best player on the O-line. Expect prince to get hit by a meteorite within the next two weeks. Another season over before it even began.
I can't believe this...ok I can but I dont want to. It sounded like the line was getting stronger and stronger...now we take a couple steps back again...disappointing
Fantastic! We've lost an entire starting unit from the offensive line. OT Sua-Filo OG Baca C Maiava OG Hasiak OT Abele. With thin depth on the line as it is, this will crush us. Hate to say it, but looks like we'll see another year of pathetic offensive output.
Fantastic! We've lost an entire starting unit from the offensive line. OT Sua-Filo OG Baca C Maiava OG Hasiak OT Abele. With thin depth on the line as it is, this will crush us. Hate to say it, but looks like we'll see another year of pathetic offensive output.
Don't you think you're overblowing this just a little bit Jon?
Saying the line is in shambles when Maiava's backup, Taylor is a senior player who has been getting good reviews from camp.
The offense was still able to shine with the backup QB even without the starting center tonight.
Maybe we should tone down the hyperbole considering our overly sensitive fan base when it comes to pre-season injuries.
Some stats guys...and this is WITHOUT Maiava and WITHOUT Kevin Prince
-------------------------
Richard Brehaut 11-16--186---3 td-1 int
Malcolm Jones 11-59 yards
Johnathan Franklin 6-10 yards
Nelson Rosario 4--80---1 Td
Anthony Barr 3--27 - 1 Td
Christian Ramirez 3--52- 0 td
Randall Carroll 1--36 - 1 Td
Tayor Embree 1--18- 1 td
Scoring Summary:
Randall Carroll 26 yard pass from Richard Brehaut
Kai Forbath 37-yard field goal
Kai Forbath 42-yard field goal
Taylor Embree 18 yard pass from Richard Brehaut
Nelson Rosario 2-yard pass from Richard Brehaut
Anthony Barr 11-yard pass from Darius Bell
Since 1998 and when Cade McNown left UCLA has been cursed with injuries!!! Un-F'ing believable!!! That just bought Nueheisel a few more yrs!
good job, bruinwin. kai maiava is not the best player on the o-line and the loss while obviously disappointing is not crushing. taylor is a very good center and we have other guards. injuries happen in football, part of the game and the ridiculous hyperbole by jon gold is irritating, at best. At the scrimmage gold implied that ucla's season was basically over because of this. Really, Jon????
What is in the grass at UCLA? Is it handled by USC's yard crew?
I'm really disappointed to read all the doon and gloom comments above. Losing our starting center is a big blow but it's not the end of the world. We have 2 weeks to reload and assemble an offensive line that works. I just got home from the scrimmage and from what I saw, our season is still very promissing. I have attended the last three scrimmages (spring/fall) and this was by far the most productive that our offense has been by far. Ans I'm talking about AFTER Maiava was carted off. Yes, we have some depth issues on the line but this team has enough real athletes to plug the holes. Unlike when Dorrell was the coach.
1Bruin,
I agree. Injuries happen. The doom and gloom crap has to stop!
When we all saw that it was Maiava that went down, I got pissed and felt horrible for the kid. He brought that nasty attitude our linemen so desperately needed. He's a great anchor/leader on the O-Line and I wish him a speedy recovery...
But as the scrimmage went on, I was very impressed by how the rest of the O-Line (1st and 2nd teams) gave the quarterbacks the necessary time to make plays. (Note: Hopefully, Capella improves on his snaps if Taylor goes down! It was getting a little ridiculous out there.) There were even some decent runs by the backs considering our defensive front is pretty darn good.
I've been to a few practices this summer, and I'm glad that the progress I saw during those sessions manifested itself in some production on both sides of the ball in this evening's scrimmage. As the scrimmage ended, we, the fans were very pleased with how our team played and we are anxious for the season to start.
As to be expected, this was by far the best scrimmage I have seen in the last three years...WE WILL BE A VASTLY IMPROVED TEAM. And we're going to get better. We have a brutal non-conference and away schedule. But I got a feeling, based on what I've seen in the last two weeks and from this evening's scrimmage, we are going to be competitive and FINALLY a fun team to watch!!! I believe our Bruins are going to surprise a lot of people this year...
GO BRUINS!!!
Maiava's injury came on the first drive of the scrimmage, and even after the injury, the only negative I saw was the center snaps, they were just a little bit off. The injury for sure hurts our depth, but I for one won't begin to panic anytime soon. of the past 7 Fall scrimmages I've been to, this was by far the best offensive output I've seen...I agree with Blue 1 Gold, the gloom and doom crap must stop.
devastating, this loss is.
like the loss of Qui-Gon Jinn, prior to Clone Wars.
but step up, our padewons will i sense.
like Anakin Skywalker, use The Force they must.
accelerate their training, Master Jedi Palcic can.
meditate on this, i will.
F&%# ME!!
what did we do, build an UCLA Extension building on top of a freakin' indian burial ground??
Here's hoping this kid makes a full and speedy (but doesn't rush it) recovery. He's got character to burn. He'll need and so do we. Now the time for someone to step up. Plenty of quality athletes on the team, time for someone to recognise an opportunity. This is part of what makes it so interesting.
Wow, tough loss for the Bruins but with the great coaches UCLA has, no doubt they will utilize their athletes to fill that void.
Yoda hilarious, he is.
When does basketball start?... oh wait, we'll be mediocre in that too this year. Ho Humm.
Looks like "Yoda" forgot to sign out and sign back in under one of his other handles before adding a second post. Must have been too excited about his Indian burial ground joke!