Smith punted from duties
Junior wide receiver Josh Smith was expected to jolt some explosiveness into the UCLA return game, but only handled the kick return duties, while junior wide receiver Taylor Embree handled the punts.
Smith was honorable-mention All-Big-12 kick returner as a sophomore at Colorado in 2008, after returning 50 kicks for 1,276 yards and a touchdown, and catching 29 passes for 387 yards and a score, ranking second on the Buffaloes' all-time all-purpose yards list (1,987).
''We just felt like we were asking a lot of him for his first game back with the kickoff return," Neuheisel said of Smith, who missed extensive time in fall camp with a groin injury. "We had some plans for reverses and things like that and I didn't want to put that on him. With the wind and the high sun, I just wanted Taylor (Embree) to be very sure-handed with that.''
Smith finished with two rushes for 52 yards, including a team-high 43-yard run, and had two kick returns for 55 yards against the Wildcats.
Smith didn't return a kickoff till late in the game,kstate kept kicking it out the end zone,sounds like b.s from the coach,embrue is too slow for punt return,he gives us no chance for a big return.Coach neuheisel is coaching very conservative.
anon, STFU you obviously are a coward troll from the other blog and a Bruin hater...at least when we Bruins post on Wolff's blog we don't post "anonymous" wuss!
Smith is faster than any condom on your pathetic team that gave up 600 yards to Hawaii.
Most of the kickoffs in the whole game were kicked out of the endzone because of the strong wind in one direction. Josh Smith only had a chance to return two kickoff in the end from the opposite direction. It was in hindsight, a missed opportunity not to have Josh Smith returning punts to increase scoring chances instead of relying on Embree's sure handedness to avoid turnover.
UCLA must stop relying on Defense, Special Teams, and field position to win games in year 3 because that is actually a self defeating crutch and debilitates the development of the offense. UCLA must attack aggressively on offense and try to score a TD on every drive like in the Toledo years.
sure handed Embree was anything but on offense
Come on UCLA, Taylor Embree on punt return?!?!? Dude is too slow. Are you serious?!?!? We need to have our playmakers out there!!! Josh Smith
Im glad John put emphasis on Josh Smith and his playing time. That guy is a beast. He is so quick he would do wonders for UCLA if he had the ball more often. I hope/am sure the coaches see that. GO Josh!
you didn't want to put that on him?? the guy's a game changer. what are we saving him for? get. him. the. ball.
I was at the game....and the ONE thing K-state fans thought about UCLA that we had great speed every place RN use it or lose it.........
Either Thigpen or Smith should return kicks
Especially, Thigpen. We need to get that kid on the field! Plain and simple. Speed Kills!