October 2010 Archives

A day after UCLA's 29-21 loss to No. 15 Arizona at the Rose Bowl, head coach Rick Neuheisel was still lamenting the team's poor tackling.
The Wildcats totaled 583 yards on Saturday, including 374 in the first half against a Bruin defense that had trouble taking players to the ground.
"You can't just get an arm on them and let them spin out and then make a play," Neuheisel said. "I give their quarterback (Matt) Scott a lot of credit. I mean, he spun out and made some plays down the field, some really pivotal plays."
Scott had 390 total yards, including 319 yards passing and a 41-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Juron Criner.
Scott was at his best on the move, even when the Bruins had him pinned down.
"The second touchdown drive after the score was 7-7, it's third down and three and we've got a sack, Sean Westgate has got him sacked," Neuheisel said. "It's going to be a six, seven-yard loss and they're going to punt or kick a long field goal. But he spins out and gets it all the way up to 1-yard, they go for it on fourth and 1 and they make it. That's a huge play."

Filthy again?
The UCLA offensive line, much-maligned after consecutive losses to Cal and Oregon, performed admirably against Arizona.
After allowing just two sacks, it did not go unnoticed, particularly as the defense faced one of the top defenses in they country in the Wildcats.
''I thought the offensive line played pretty well," Neuheisel said. "They were a little less aggressive because of the Pistol, so that played into it a little bit. The ends stayed pretty much on the line of scrimmage, but I thought our offensive line graded out pretty well.''

Bumps and Bruises
Neuheisel got the official word on sophomore wide receiver Jerry Johnson and sophomore f-back Jerry Johnson, and it isn't good.
Both are out for the season after UCLA's 29-21 loss to Arizona at the Rose Bowl on Saturday, Thigpen suffering a broken clavicle, and Johnson breaking his ankle. Thigpen has already had surgery, and Johnson is waiting on a second opinion to determine if he needs surgery.
Junior middle linebacker Steve Sloan, who became starter because of the loss of sophomore Patrick Larimore (shoulder) last week, strained a hamstring and is questionable for next week's matchup with Oregon State.
That leaves UCLA with only freshman Jordan Zumwalt in the middle, with scout-team linebackers Isaiah Bowens and Mike Schmitt backing him up.

RESULT: No. 15 Arizona 29, UCLA 21
RECORD: 3-5
WEEK 8 GPA: C-

QUARTERBACK
Richard Brehaut sure delivers a pretty pass, but lacks in other facets of game. Still, improvement noticed.
B-

RUNNING BACKS
Can't UCLA have its cake and eat it too? Passing game makes strides, running game backtracks with just 71 yards.
D

WIDE RECEIVERS
Alas, the speed is used! UCLA joins the 21st century this season with a downfield passing game.
B+

OFFENSIVE LINE
Pass protection was much improved, but zero traction in the running game. Lacked cohesiveness on the ground.
C

DEFENSIVE LINE
Everyone knew loss of Datone Jones would be costly, but this is getting ridiculous. Almost zero push up front.
D

LINEBACKERS
Anybody seen Akeem Ayers? Just four tackles and no other defensive stats..
C-

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Aaron Hester almost made up for costly pass interference with impressive pick, but Arizona wideouts way too open.
D+

SPECIAL TEAMS
UCLA gets a big return from Damien Thigpen...and he breaks his clavicle. Bruins more and more like Charlie Brown.
B-

COACHING
Maybe coaches seeing something I'm not, but gameplan appears more conservative than GOP Convention.
D+

Fire away with questions for this week's Q&A. Please don't post new questions on the answers section, because I don't always check the comments. Save them for next week.

Thanks
Jon

By Jon Gold
Staff Writer

They had this one, they thought, had it in their eyes, had it in their hearts, had it on their hands.

Nine days after a back-alley whooping at No. 1 Oregon, a 60-13 loss that was worse than the final margin, the UCLA football actually seemed more depressed in the locker room on Saturday afternoon.

Here's the funny thing: The Bruins never led No. 15 Arizona on Saturday. They came in on an embarrassing two-game losing streak while the Wildcats had won six-of-seven.
Yet UCLA felt like it let one slip away, succumbing to the Wildcats, 29-21, on Saturday at the Rose Bowl in front of 53,408.

Only they didn't just let one slip away, but the whole Wildcat offense.

Backup quarterback Matt Scott was the greasiest of the Arizona bunch, a bar of Dial in a waterfall.

Scott accounted for 390 yards of offense and a touchdown, getting the start in a game-time decision over Nick Foles, who was out with a sprained knee.

Scott had 319 yards passing on 24-of-36 attempts, with a 41-yard touchdown to Juron Criner and an interception, and added 71 yards rushing on 12 carries.

Scott had 279 total yards in the first half as the Wildcats built a 19-7 lead.

"He can hurt you with his legs or with his arms, and he made a lot of great passes to compliment his running," Criner said of Scott. "He let us know how bad he wanted to be in there, and he showed it. He played balls to the wall, and he stepped up when we needed him to."

Richard Brehaut dropped a beautiful touch pass to a streaking Josh Smith on a flea flicker for a 49-yard touchdown pass, and the Rose Bowl is erupting.

Drive Time: 8 plays, 87 yards, 3:25

Getting word that Damien Thigpen has a broken clavicle. Will try to find out more after game.

After UCLA scored on a long bomb from Richard Brehaut to Randall Carroll, Arizona answered with yet another long drive, capped of by a Greg Nwoko one-yard touchdown.
Poor tackling continues to haunt the Bruins, who had quarterback Matt Scott stopped behind the line of scrimmage at least three times.

Drive Time: 13 plays, 80 yards, 6:46

Richard Brehaut found a streaking Randall Carroll with a perfect pass for a 68-yard touchdown as the Bruins cut the Wildcats' lead to five.

Drive Time: 4 plays, 79 yards, 1:24

Alex Zendejas' second field goal of the day, for 24 yards, put the Wildcats up 19-17 as time expired to end the first half.

Drive Time: 74 yards, 12 plays, 2:25

Alex Zandejas nailed a 42-yard field goal after missing a PAT, and the Wildcats once again sustained a long drive to score on the reeling UCLA defense.

Drive Time: 44 yards, 11 plays, 4:58

Keola Antolin capped an 85-yard drive for Arizona with a two-yard touchdown run.
UCLA again had the Wildcats on the ropes, facing a 4th-and-1 at the Bruins 34-yard line, but Arizona once again escaped danger and scored shortly after.

Drive Time: 11 plays, 85 yards, 5:05

The Bruins responded quickly to Arizona's opening score.
Derrick Coleman picked up great blocks from Ryan Taylor and Eddie Williams, both pulling to the right, and Coleman hit the hole with authority from 11 yards out.
UCLA came out throwing, with Richard Brehaut hitting Jerry Johnson and Anthony Barr on consecutive passes to start the drive, but turned it over to Johnathan Franklin (19 yards) and Coleman.

Drive Time: 45 yards, 8 plays, 3:52

Matt Scott hit Juron Criner for a 41-yard touchdown pass to put the Wildcats up 7-0 after one drive.
UCLA had Arizona facing a 1st-and-20 from its 35-yard line, but took only four plays to get out of the mess.

Drive Time: 80 yards, 8 plays, 3:36

Norm Chow, do you believe in curses?

"I believe in football gods..." Chow says, shaking his head and exhaling, his mind running through every recent UCLA quarterback folly, whether injury or inefficiency. "Man, I don't know."

With the news dropping last Saturday that sophomore Kevin Prince would miss the rest of the season after knee surgery - both microfracture surgery to rebuild cartilage and the repair of a torn meniscus - the Bruins are once again facing a scary future.

Sophomore quarterback Richard Brehaut, who started in UCLA's 42-28 win over Washington State and 60-13 loss to Oregon in Week 7 with Prince banged up, once again takes the helm, this time against the conference's top defense in No. 15 Arizona, at 12:30 p.m today at the Rose Bowl.

From UCLA:

West Palm Beach, FL. October 29, 2010-- The Palm Beach County Sports Commission has released its 20 semi-finalists for the 2010 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award presented by the Discover Orange Bowl. These twenty place-kickers have all excelled throughout the season in earning their places as semifinalists.

While this year's list of semi-finalists includes seven kickers who earned the honor last season, including 2009 Lou Groza Award winner Kai Forbath of UCLA and finalist Blair Walsh of Georgia, perhaps the most impressive showing is by a newcomer. Oklahoma State senior Dan Bailey is perfect on all 56 of his attempts this season.

At this writing, Bailey's 15 field goals place him just behind fellow semi-finalists Danny Hrapmann of Southern Miss and Aaron Jones of Baylor, each with 16. Bailey is also 41-of-41 on extra points this season. The only kicker with more successful PATs is repeat semi-finalist Joe Phillips of Utah. The senior has connected on 43 of his 44 attempts, while going 9-for-9 on field goals.

In addition to Forbath, Phillips and Walsh, those earning semi-finalist honors for the second consecutive season are Fresno State junior Kevin Goessling, Nebraska senior Alex Henery, Missouri junior Grant Ressel, and Duke junior Will Snyderwine.

Semi-finalists will be voted on by all Division 1 Head Coaches and SIDs, along with national, regional and local football writers and others who will select the three (3) finalists. These finalists will be honored at the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards Banquet on December 7 in West Palm Beach, FL. The winner will be announced live on the nationally televised Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show on the evening of December 9, 2010.

The award is named in honor of one of the all-time great kickers in football history, Lou Groza. Groza played 21 seasons for the Cleveland Browns setting numerous franchise records, including most games played, most points scored, and an amazing 107 consecutive games in which he scored a point. The 1,608 career points he scored is still a Browns' franchise record, and he ranks third all-time in league. Groza was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974.

Past Groza finalists include current NFL kickers, Nate Kaeding, Sebastian Janikowski, Mike Nugent, Jason Elam, Mason Crosby and Graham Gano.

Washington
Coach: Lorenzo Romar (9th year, 264-179 overall record)
Last season: 26-10, Won in Pac-10 Tournament; Lost in Sweet Sixteen, NCAA Tournament
Starters: G Isaiah Thomas (16.9 ppg, 3.2 apg), G Venoy Overton (8.6 ppg, 3.1 apg), F Justin Holiday (5.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg), F Matthew Bryan-Amaning (8.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg), C Aziz N'Diaye (redshirt)
Key Additions: F Terrence Ross, N'Dyiaye, G C.J. Wilcox
Key Losses: F Quincy Pondexter
Head Coach Lorenzo Romar: "There's not a question to me, there's not a clear-cut favorite to win this league. I think there are enough teams out there to challenge for the No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 spot. I don't think there's any doubt. I think it's going to be a wild season."

Arizona
Coach: Sean Miller (2nd year, 136-62 overall record)
Last season: 16-15, lost in first round of Pac-10 Tournament; Did not make postseason tournament
Starters: G Lamont Jones (6.6 ppg, 1.8 rpg), G Kyle Fogg (11.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg), F Jamelle Horne (9.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg), F Derrick Williams (15.7 ppg, 7.1 rpg), C Kyryl Natyazhko (1.9 ppg, 2.0 rpg)
Key Additions: G Daniel Bejarano, G Jordin Mayes, F Jesse Perry
Key Losses: G Nic Wise, F Jamelle Horne
Head Coach Sean Miller: "We had a very low beginning point, even though our season, generally speaking, at 16-15 was one to build on. We didn't establish some great moments. I hope as we return into our second year, we're better comprehensively."

UCLA
Coach: Ben Howland (8th year, 334-171 overall record)
Last season: 14-18, lost in second round, Pac-10 Tournament; Did not make postseason tournament
Starters: G Lazeric Jones (Junior College), G Malcolm Lee (12.1 ppg, 3.1 apg), F Tyler Honeycutt (7.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg), F Reeves Nelson (11.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg), C Joshua Smith (High School)
Key Additions: Jones, Smith, SF Tyler Lamb, SG Matt Carlino
Key Losses: SG Michael Roll, PF Nikola Dragovic
Head Coach Ben Howland: "We expect to be much better than we were a year ago. Having some guys who had some experience, even though it was a tough experience, I like that nucleus. I like our team. The big key for us is to stay healthy, and that's something we have to work to do."

Arizona State
Coach: Herb Sendek (5th year, 330-214 record)
Last season: 22-11, lost in first round, Pac-10 Tournament; Lost In first round, National Invitational Tournament
Starters: G Jamelle McMillan (6.6 ppg, 2.8 apg), G Ty Abbott (12.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg), G Trent Lockett (6.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg), F Rihards Kuksiks (12.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg), C Ruslan Pateev (2.1 ppg, 1.9 rpg)
Key Additions: F Keala King, G Corey Hawkins, G Brandon Dunson
Key Losses: G Derek Glasser, F Eric Boateng
Senior guard Ty Abbott: "Why not? Why can't it be us? And that's how we felt last year, and that's how we'll feel every year. We're a team that will work hard, and at the end of the day, we're going to be right there."

Washington State
Coach: Ken B (2nd year, 351-182 overall record)
Last season: 14-18, lost in first round, Pac-10 Tournament; Did not make postseason tournament
Starters: G Reggie Moore (12.7 ppg, 4.2 apg), G Klay Thompson (19.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg), G Marcus Capers (6.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg), F Abe Lodwick (2.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg), F DeAngelo Casto (10.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg)
Key Additions: G Andre Winston, F Dexter Kernich-Drew
Key Losses: F Nikola Koprivica
Head Coach Ken Bone: "We lost one senior, and we have a lot of guys back who got game experience last year, and good game experience. We finished 10th, but it's not like we were too far out of it. We were two games out of fifth."

USC
Coach: Kevin O'Neill (2nd year, 204-208 overall record)
Last season: 16-14, Ineligible for postseason
Starters: PG Maurice Jones (High School), SG Bryce Jones (High School), SF Marcus Simmons (3.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg), F Alex Stepheson (8.4 ppg, 7.2 rpg), C Nikola Vucevic (10.7 ppg, 9.4 rpg)
Key Additions: M. Jones, B. Jones, G Jio Fontan
Key Losses: F Dwight Lewis, G Mike Gerrity
Head Coach Kevin O'Neill: "The players raised me up every day. They made it easy. They were great. They were positive in their approach, determined in their efforts, stayed together as a group, and although disappointed (about the postseason ban), they weren't deflated totally. It was one of the more gratifying years I've ever had in coaching."

Cal
Coach: Mike Montgomery (3rd year, 593-266 overall record)
Last season: 24-11, lost in championship game, Pac-10 Tournament; Lost in second round, NCAA Tournament
Starters: G Jorge Gutierrez (5.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg), G Gary Franklin Jr. (High School), F Allen Crabbe (High School), F Harper Kamp (injured), C Markuri Sanders-Frison (3.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg)
Key Additions: Franklin, Crabbe, F Richard Solomon
Key Losses: G Jerome Randle, G Jamal Boykin, F Theo Robertson, F Patrick Christopher
Head Coach Mike Montgomery: "There's a lot of uncertainty for most of us. If you have two juniors or seniors, guys who are proven scorers, that gives you a leg up on most of the people. I like our players, but their freshmen. You don't know what they're going to do. There's a lot of that going on."

Oregon State
Coach: Craig Robinson (3rd year, 62-64 overall record)
Last season: 14-18, lost in first round, Pac-10 Tournament; Lost in first round, CBI Tournament
Starters: G Jared Cunningham (6.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg), G Calvin Haynes (12.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg), G Lathen Wallace (5.3 ppg, 1.5 rpg), F Omari Johnson (4.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg), C Joe Burton (4.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg)
Key Additions: G Ahmad Starks, G Roberto Nelson, F Eric Moreland, F Chris Brown
Key Losses: F Seth Tarver, F Roeland Schaftenaar
Head Coach Craig Robinson: "We're still in a position that we don't know who we are yet. We spend most of our time focused on ourselves. We have four seniors, two of whom have started most of their careers, and now we're bringing in the cavalry, we like to call it."

Stanford
Coach: Johnny Dawkins (3rd year, 34-32 record)
Last season: 14-18, lost in second round, Pac-10 Tournament; Did not make postseason tournament
Starters: G Jarrett Mann (5.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg), G Jeremy Green (16.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg), F Jack Trotter (6.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg), F Andrew Zimmerman (4.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg), F/C Josh Owens (injured)
Key Additions: F Dwight Powell, G/F Anthony Brown
Key Losses: F Landry Fields
Head Coach Johnny Dawkins: "For us there's a lot of newness. We had nine players who did not participate with us last season. ... We feel very excited that we're gaining traction and headed in the right direction."

Oregon
Coach: Dana Altman (1st year, 410-243 overall record)
Last season: 16-16, lost in second round, Pac-10 Tournament; Did not make postseason tournament
Starters: G Malcolm Armstead (10.3 ppg, 4.3 apg), G E.J. Singler (6.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg), G Teondre Williams (6.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg) F Joevan Catron (5.5 pppg, 5.8 rpg), F Jeremy Jacob (7.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
Key Additions: G Jay-R Strowbridge, F Tyrone Nared, G Johnathan Loyd
Key Losses: G TaJuan Porter, F Matt Humphrey, G Jamil Wilson
Head Coach Dana Altman: "I had been at Creighton 16 years. ... Reached the point in my career that I was going to make a move or finish up at Creighton. ... I really thought Oregon had a lot of upside and had an opportunity to be something special."

With NBA defections decimating the conference's talent, last season was supposed to be a down season for the Pac-10, and it was.
Only one team, No. 21 Washington, finished in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top-25 poll, and not one squad received even one vote in the final AP Top-25 poll.
But it was supposed to be an aberration, a momentary dip that was sure to be followed by a quick return to national prominence.
Not so fast.

With only five teams returning even a single senior starter - the lasting effects of several NBA early entries in 2007-08 and 2008-09 - once more the conference is getting little recognition.

"A team that loses four or five seniors, is that program down, or do they just have to rebuild? I think that's where we're at," said Washington coach Lorenzo Romar at Pac-10 Media Day on Thursday at L.A. Live's Nokia Theatre. "We lost a lot of talent to the NBA in a short period of time, and it was difficult to recover in one year. The whole conference was judged in a couple of losses in non-conference, when a lot of teams didn't have their full complement of guys."

Washington, to its credit, remains on top, as league media picked the Huskies first in the preseason media poll with 348 points and 33-of-35 first-place votes.
Though they lost All-Pac-10 first-team forward Quincy Pondexter, the Huskies return four starters, including the conference's current career points leader, point guard Isaiah Thomas, who joined Pondexter on the all-conference first team after averaging 16.9 points per game as a sophomore.

Arizona, which also returns four starters, including 2009-10 Freshman of the Year Derrick Williams, was picked second with 296 points (one first-place), while UCLA was picked third with 281 points and the remaining first-place vote.

The Wildcats and Bruins are in similar, and unenviable positions.

Arizona, which fell to 16-15 last season, missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time in XX years while UCLA, two years removed from three-straight Final Four appearances, collapsed to 14-18.
Opponents aren't expecting them to be down for long.
"Those two programs, of all the teams in the league, are the two that have the most emphasis and support for basketball," Cal coach Mike Montgomery said. "They've been the standards. Yeah, I'd expect that you wouldn't see them stay down for too long."

The Bruins could be the league wild-card, as the chemistry issues that plagued the team throughout last season seem to have disappeared. Head coach Ben Howland shook up the roster - in the process adding junior college point guard Lazeric Jones and freshman center Joshua Smith and guard/forward Tyler Lamb - and though the team does not have a senior on the roster, he believes they have the necessary leadership to right the ship quickly.

"We expect to be much better than we were a year ago," Howland said. "Having some guys who had some experience, even though it was a tough experience, I like that nucleus. I like our team. The big key for us is to stay healthy, and that's something we have to work to do."
UCLA is followed in the poll by Arizona State (215 points), Washington State (191), USC (178), Cal (151), Oregon State (120), Stanford (98) and Oregon (47).

The common consensus amongst league coaches on Thursday, though, was that with such tremendous youth in the conference, the entire league is up for grabs.

Pac-10 coaches will learn quickly, though, that their players have to learn quickly.

"We had a very young team a couple of years ago, and certain things would happen on the road - you're up 10 with two minutes to go and you lose - and I remember coaches around the country calling me, and it wasn't funny to me," Romar said. "They're calling me laughing. 'Man, I saw your game, coach. You're gonna be fine, but doggone, those young guys are somethin' aren't they?'"

*Rick Neuheisel said Thursday's practice was one of the best Thursday's of the year.

* Still no word on whether Jordan Zumwalt or Steve Sloan will be starting at middle linebacker. Zumwalt took most of the snaps with the first team this week, but Neuheisel said he would talk with defensive coaches before they made a decision.

*Defensive back Aaron Hester practiced Thursday, a day after he collided with Dalton Hilliard (who suffered a concussion).

*Defensive back Anthony Jefferson had successful surgery on his broken foot Tuesday, according to Neuheisel.

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Here's a link to my feature today about Richard Brehaut: Stand and Deliver

On going 14-18 last season:
"It was definitely difficult. The previous four years we had a real
nice run there. To have a losing season like we did last year was
very difficult. But that's in the rear view mirror now, we're moving
forward and excited about this years team. I'm excited about our
young group. We're very young, don't have a senior in the program.
"We've got a lot of youth but a lot of exuberance and enthusiasm."

Joshua Smith on where the team goes from here:
"I see us headed in the right direction. In the summer, a lot of the
guys, we put in a lot of work. A lot of us got extra shots, been
working on getting stronger, leaner, faster."

On the Wears
"Our practices are much better having David and Travis Wear. They're
both going to be very good players for us in the future. It's tough
to see them every day and see how good they are and realize we cant
have them right away."

On the conference race:
"With Washington, everybody is coming back with the exception of
Pondexter. You have to look at them. They have a lot coming back.
Arizona is a very talented team with the bulk of their team coming
back. After those two, it could be anybody else. But that's why they
play the game. Should be a very exciting Pac-10 season this year. On
a given night, in our conference, anybody can beat anybody. That's
what makes a conference special."

On the point guards following four NBA point guards:
Would it be fair to put those expectations on our point guards now? I
can't say that. But I'm excited about their future."

On playing zone defense:
"It's going to take quite a while because we're so young. We're
having players learn things for the first time. We did play zone last
year, and it retarded the growth of a couple of the returning
players. We are really committed to playing man, it's something we're
working on every day. Tyler Lamb, for example, is one of our best
defenders coming in as a freshman on the perimeter.
"I like our group there, and the ability to pressure the ball."

On Honeycutt's growth:
"Tyler is a much better shooter than he was. He really worked on his
shot all spring, all summer long. He would go into the gym, late in
the evening into the early morning shooting. He's developed a lot of
confidence too. We need Tyler to score more for us this year. He's
going to need to look to be more aggressive."

UCLA, which finished 14-18 last season, was picked third in the Pac-10 media poll, behind Washington and Arizona.
The Bruins return three full-time starters in Malcolm Lee, Reeves Nelson and Tyler Honeycutt and a fourth part-time starter in Jerime Anderson, while adding freshmen Joshua Smith and Tyler Lamb and junior college transfer Lazeric Jones.
Washington and Arizona, meanwhile, both return four starters.

1. Washington (33) 348
2. Arizona (1) 296
3. UCLA (1) 281
4. Arizona State 215
5. Washington State 191
6. USC 178
7. Cal 151
8. Oregon State 120
9. Stanford 98
10. Oregon 47

In my hurry to get to Pac10 Media Day at LA Live, I left my computer cord on my desk. I'll have to update on Twitter more often (Twitter) than I anticipated. Check back here later for more info if anything comes out of today.

From UCLA:

UCLA sophomore safety Dalton Hilliard suffered a concussion in today's practice. As a precaution, he will be scheduled for xrays of the neck/shoulder area.

* Rick Neuheisel interrupted practice late to bring the team together for a brief pep talk as the beginning of practice lacked a bit of energy. It seemed to work, as the team was much more physical in the last few periods than early on.

* Sophomore quarterback Richard Brehaut continues to progress as the new starter, but the old demons still creep up occasionally. For every pretty deep ball was a confounding pass, either into coverage or forced to a wideout. Timing is improving, though there continue to be some issues.

* Brehaut sat out at the end of practice with cramps and missed the two-minute drill portion, which Darius Bell led with good results. He had a very, very nice pass to Josh Smith deep up the middle.

* UCLA had a scare late in practice as safety Dalton Hilliard crashed into cornerback Aaron Hester on a deep ball, with Hilliard on the ground for a while. UCLA trainers even brought out a stretcher, but Hilliard was able to get up and walk it off, and Neuheisel said after practice that it was just a stinger, and unrelated to his previous shoulder injury.

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

The John Wooden den is open in the Hall of Fame. If you never had a chance to visit with Wooden at his Encino condo, and even if you did, this is worth a look. The family donated all of the contents for the room. It's amazing how quickly UCLA put it together and that everything is as it was in his condo. Here's the story on the den I wrote about for today's paper.

Check out the first batch of weekly answers...

Ricky Marvray:

"It's unfortunate. I decided to make a bad decision - a couple bad decisions - and it's coming back to bite me. I'm really sorry to my parents. They didn't raise me that way. It's not something I'm proud of, but I'm just trying to get this week over with and move on from it. I've learned my lesson, and it for sure won't happen again."

* Richard Brehaut had a good-but-not-great day as he continues forward as UCLA's starting quarterback. Brehaut still continues to hold on to the ball a fraction too long, but he moved very well today in and out of the pocket, particularly on a great mid-range throw in which he retreated three steps, felt backside and frontside pressure and calmly stepped up and delivered the pass.

* The bad side, however, came out at times. Brehaut had a mind-boggling interception late in team drills, and it just didn't even look like there was anyone around. If this was televised, there would've been no offensive player in the frame. To his credit, he shook it off and was pretty solid the rest of the day.

* Brehaut's rapport with Joseph Fauria was evident, as he hit Fauria on a couple of throws outside. All season, I've been surprised by the lack of Fauria in the receiving game, particularly given the great relationship he shares with Kevin Prince, as former high school teammates.

* With Sean Sheller suspended against Arizona, Micah Kia is getting the start at left tackle. Kia looked good in the run game during practice but also had some protection issues. He's a little too bulky at left tackle and while he moves quickly forward, he struggles with quick lateral movement, and Arizona's two great defensive ends should be troubling.

* With Sheldon Price still out, and likely out against Arizona, Andrew Abbott had two straight pass breakups during 7-on-7s. But with his size, he's definitely a liability in run defense. He had a couple issues late in practice, but overall, pretty sound.

* Talk about an efficient practice. In 2.5 hours, they barely had time to breathe, but the conditioning is such that I didn't see too many of the guys really sucking wind. Even the guy with the most wind to suck, Joshua Smith, looked like he was handling the tempo of practice very well.

* Tyler Honeycutt came back with a shot this year, folks. Beautiful release, and he looks very comfortable shooting the ball. Comfort is as much about having the confidence to shoot as it is having good shooting touch, and he looked like he's developed both.

* Reeves Nelson also spent a lot of work during the summer on his outside shot, but after watching him practice, I'm not sure he has the range he thinks he has. He had some beautiful shots, but was often short with the ball, and he still shows some hesitation outside. but he'll definitely get some prettier baskets than last year.

* Tyler Lamb had a so-so practice, but you can see that he is an incredible natural feel for the game. He had a baseline spin move that was deadly, but then he missed the floater. Such is life with a freshman. Above-average defensive tenacity, and he should be a viable option behind both Tyler Honeycutt and Malcolm Lee.

* Jerime Anderson looks noticeably thinner and quicker, but still has his issues finishing in the lane. I've never seen a guy who gets to the basket as well as he does still struggle to convert the layup. I gotta assume its a feel or touch issue, but it's not good.

* Very, very, very impressed by David Wear. Will he ever turn into a major star? Who knows. But he's a basketball player, plain and simple.

* Nice exchange: Brendan Lane comes down on one possession with Lee, Smith, Honeycutt and Jones and drops in a 3-pointer, and then the Bruins get back into transition the other way - Anderson, Stover, Nelson, Lamb and Carlino - and Nelson finishes inside.
That was followed by a Josh Smith bucket on a beautiful post move and a Tyler Lamb outside shot.

* Didn't get a very good look at Matt Carlino, but the good shooting form is as advertised. He had a little problem defending the perimeter, but he's obviously nowhere near as strong or experienced as the guys - Anderson Lee - that he was guarding.

* Lastly, I'm not quite going all-in on Malcolm Lee as a superstar, but his offensive game is looking pretty good right now. I still need to see more consistency from him on a play-to-play basis - some guys look good even when they miss; he's not one of them - but he's definitely got some new moves this year.

From UCLA:

Two members of the Bruin football team have been suspended for one game for violation of team rules, UCLA head football Coach Rick Neuheisel announced today.

Wide receiver Ricky Marvray and offensive tackle Sean Sheller will not play in the Oct. 30 contest against Arizona at the Rose Bowl.

Due to federal and state student privacy laws, UCLA will have no further comment on the matter.

UCLA will hold its lone open basketball practice today, so I'll get a chance to see these guys for the first time this year. Post-practice interviews and report should be starting at about 6:30 or so.

Things I'm looking out for:

* Who runs the point smoother

* Tyler Honeycutt's assertiveness on offense

* Josh Smith's footwork

* Brendan Lane's bulk

Anything else you guys want me to check out?

Here are some interesting tidbits from the new UCLA depth chart, released today:

* Anthony Barr is listed at starting F-back over Morrell Presley, with no "or" designation.

* Nelson Rosario is still listed under the injured/not available tag, with Ricky Marvray still listed as starting flanker.

* Andrew Abbott and Courtney Viney are both listed at the top cornerback spots, but both have the "or" designation, with Sheldon Price and Aaron Hester, respectively.

* The Bruins are pretty thin at middle linebacker, with only Steve Sloan and Jordan Zumwalt listed.

Just got word that UCLA's Nov. 6 matchup with Oregon State at the Rose Bowl will kick off at 4:00 pm and will be televised nationally by Versus.

Travis Wear, the 6-foot-10 transfer from North Carolina, suffered a sprained ankle a couple of days ago and hasn't practiced the last two days, Ben Howland said during a conference call tonight. He sprained his right ankle, a first for Wear.
``Typically, when you sprain an ankle for the first time it's a little worse,'' Howland said. ``He'll probably be out a minimum of another week. That would be my guess.''

Fire away with questions for this week's Q&A. Please don't post new questions on the answers section, because I don't always check the comments. Save them for next week.

Thanks
Jon

UCLA had a rare Sunday practice, but after the 60-13 loss at Oregon, Rick Neuheisel said the best thing to do was get out there and run around. Neuheisel said the team had a good practice.

Neuheisel praised quarterback Richard Brehaut for a good practice.

Linebackers Steve Sloan (who is playing with a bone fragment in his knee) and Jordan Zumwalt will be counted on, Neuheisel said, to pick up the slack from Patrick Larimore's shoulder injury.

As for Kevin Prince, who's out for the season, Neuheisel said: ``He's disappointed, but he's being a man about it.''

Morrell Presley will compete for time at the F-back spot, Neuheisel said, with A-Barr, Christian Ramirez and Damien Thigpen.

The team did sprints, had a post-practice huddle with Neuheisel, and then did more sprints again.

- From Denise -

I love my dad and have been blessed in life to be his baby daughter of four. Family has been the most important thing in his life and it was family that we all turned to in the days following September 11th, 2001.

UCLA played Ohio State at the Rose Bowl in their first game after that solemn time and I asked my dad to accompany me. I was a bit scared to go anywhere that might be a target and a place like the Rose Bowl is just such a place as one of America's shining "grand daddy of them all" fields. Sports and a lot of things weren't being played and to be there with everyone else was special.

I still have the poster with the American Flag "United We Stand" that we held up during the National Anthem and all throughout the game when our Bruins took the field and won the game against the mighty Buckeyes. But it did feel like we were all one that day as it was so good to see things getting back to normal, college football on a Saturday.

My dad is the hardest worker ever and shared with me his love for all sports, teamwork, and to love one another. He's a truck driver during the week and a barber on the Saturdays, but on this Saturday he took the day off to be with me and watch a beautiful game with the people of Los Angeles who wanted to get out of their house and share shouting AMERICA and BRUIN chants all day long.

My dad doesn't like going to games because he's too busy and it's too expensive. He'd rather sit and watch on tv after work or on his day off after he goes to church on Sundays. But he was with me on this day to help support the Bruins, the school he sent three of his kids to who became an attorney, banker, and me, the teacher. UNITED WE STAND! Every time I look at that poster I have in my room I still get shivers and it juices me up with PRIDE! America, we love you.

I'd so love to get free tickets to the Arizona or OSU game because I love the Rose Bowl and my BRUINS! We're having a great, gut checking, melding as a family type year. BRUINS!

The team I cover, UCLA, and the teams I care about - the Denver Broncos and Thousand Oaks Lancers - are losing a combined 157-27 this weekend, with a little more than half a game left in Denver.

My three fantasy teams are about to go 0-3.

One of my best friends and I are playing in fantasy this week. He has Knowshon Moreno, with two garbage touchdowns, and he's about to be 6-1. I'll be 2-5.

He is a die-hard Raiders fan.

And he went to Westlake.

Like I said, I guess you guys can blame me.

The year 1966 Rose Bowl UCLA v. Michigan State. I had an extra ticket to the game and as I was walking into the Rose Bowl I passed a military command car in the parking lot. A young marine standing there in front of the car watching all the fans walk by.

I asked him if he was going to the game and he said that he didn't have a ticket nor did he have any money. I handed him the ticket and said come on. (The Vietnam War was in full swing).

He had drawn the duty as the regular driver had gone home for the holidays. He said ok but I can afford the program and I said ok, I get to buy the hot dogs. We sat and cheered the Bruins on to win the game. Quicly following the game he had to run back to the command car to be ready to drive away.

I never knew his whole name, but I know that if he survived the war or is still alive he will always remember on New Years Day to think about UCLA that day and that time day as I do. I do not need the tickets as I already have a ticket to the games.

However if this very true story happens to be a winner I want the tickets to go to the U.S. Marine base at Camp Pendelton for a few of those that have served overseas in the war to attend the game and also to shake the hand of coach Neuheisel.

- From Jeff Jackson -

Ever since I can remember. I've been a bruins fan. My dad loved ucla football and so did my grandfather. My grandfather got me at a young age and would buy me ucla shirts and hats etc. "Never go for those guys in red across town he would say", lol. When he first took me to my first ucla game at the rose bowl I was awstruck! The stadium was packed and I couldn't
believe the electicity, the college atmoshphere.

And ofcourse the famous "8 clap". U----C----L----------A! UCLA Fight! Fight! Fight! With thousands of fans there in unison. It gave me chills! This was college football. And as I would soon learn at a young age "the world famous rose bowl". My father went with my grandfather and he also would take my two older bothers and other people from time to time. Anyone who knew my grandfather and dad, knew ucla was our team. The year was 2005. I was at the ucla/cal game. Ucla was ranked, ummm......I believe # 10.

We had maurice drew, marcedes lewis and drew olsen was our qb. It was a back and forth game. Maurice Drew had 3 punt returns and a td for 162 yds. We were trailing cal late in the game. It's 40-35 cal. 3rd and 1 from about the 28. Drew Olsen rolls right and throws a pass to MJD as he runs and dives in the end zone! Showing the heart and determination he always did as a bruin. The stadium was packed and me and my grandfather hugged and cheered and the whole stadium was in absolute pandemonium! I had never seen anything like it. Especially at a ucla football game. People were high 5'ing, hugging, jumping up and down, crying, lol, even pulling their hair in disbelief. It was a moment i'll never forget! My grandfather had trouble with his knees so this was his last ucla game.

The beautiful thing about it was that my father died in 2001 and in that moment, he was there. With me, and my grandfather. I wept for joy as I remembered how my dad would cheer with me and my grandfather and celebrated this glorious touchdown. On the next possession for cal, they got the ball back and threw an interception and the crowd again erupted and we won the game. I know our fans get blasted a lot of times for not being as passionate or faithful as other pograms in the country.

That night, in 2005. I'd put that up with the "big house" "neylan stadium" "autzen" anywhere in the country! For that night and that game, ucla with all it's might and glory and a pcked rose bowl game with all the fans cheering on, won. This is my story. And I just wanna say thanks to my father and grandfather. For making me the "BRUIN" I am today.

- From Paul Bien -

The Road to the Final Four

"... Dude, are we really thinking of going? You realize it's all the way in Indianapolis..."

Famous last words. Looking back on it, my buddies and I were hopelessly hooked on UCLA sports. We had just hurriedly raced through our finals and broke Highway 5 speed limits in our efforts to make tipoff of our 2006 Sweet 16 matchup with Gonzaga. After that unforgettable comeback against the Zags that had us nearly jumping off the upper deck of the Oakland Coliseum, and a subsequent dismantling of Memphis in the Elite 8 game, someone proposed the crazy idea of actually, you know, going to Indianapolis for the Final Four. Our mighty Bruins needed us after all! Pretty soon, a harmless hypothetical suddenly turned into a plausible reality.

Our trip began as most unorganized 19-year-olds would plan it. The Final Four started in four days. Flights were too expensive. Renting cars unfeasible. We even considered a Greyhound that was scheduled to drop us off in Indianapolis roughly four hours before Game 1. Finally we cajoled a sympathetic mother into lending a rusty, and trusty, old Volvo, bid our parents adieu at 4:30 AM, and started our 2,344 mile trek from Menlo Park, CA to Indianapolis, IN.

Were we crazy? Yes, and add "dumb and naive" too. But so began our 36-hour drive to Indianapolis. And while that is a LONG time to spend in a car, we were as excited anyone could be. 8-claps at passerby in rural New Mexico were perfectly acceptable. The LSU fans we saw on the road got honked at (mysteriously, no Bruins on the road... I wonder why). Not even the pair of speeding tickets we received in the two hours we spent in Texas could dampen our spirits. Although we soon realized those speeding tickets would've paid for a flight, and drove 65 miles per hour the rest of the way.

Eventually, we got there. We crammed six people into our Motel 6, screamed our hearts out as UCLA throttled LSU, and gallavanted around Indianapolis enjoying our first unforgettable taste of a major sporting event. Among the crazed Bruins we met (at TGI Fridays, of all places), was a strapping gent sporting a Cameroonian cape who insisted on pointing in all four directions and yelling "Luc... Richard... Mbah... a Moute...," a fitting revision to the UCLA tradition of yelling "U... C... L... A" from all four corners of the gym after a Bruin victory.

Not even the tornado warning the next day could dampen our spirits. After being ushered to a basement during especially strong winds, we stumbled upon a local sports reporter who spotted our Bruin gear and asked us for some help with UCLA facts. His reaction to our story of getting to Indianapolis mirrored everyone else's -- "are you crazy?" -- with the exception that he thought it appropriate to put us on local TV to tell our story. So... we did.

Alas, the magical run did end. Florida dismantled UCLA to capture the national title, leaving our Bruins emptyhanded. Our emotions ran the gamut: frustration, sadness... a desire to punch Joakim Noah in the face. Looking back, of course there is a large measure of satisfaction at the overall success of the season. But at the time? Utter disappointment. For hours, no one said a word. The only thing worse than a 36-hour drive is a 36-hour drive full of depressed, silent Bruins. Speeding tickets be damned, we could not get back to California fast enough.

Ultimately, as an avid UCLA supporter, I've attended more memorable games. I've witnessed more spectacular plays. But in terms of holistic sporting experiences, my trip to Indianapolis will always rank #1. No week better epitomized the college experience. We felt so, so lucky to even have the OPPORTUNITY to attend such an incredible sporting event and support our school. Why wouldn't we do whatever it took to get there? And even though UCLA lost (and I still cringe at the "it's great... to be... a Florrrrrrida Gator!" chant), I couldn't be happier with that unforgettable experience.

- From Aaron Madfes -

Back in 1998 I was playing pick up basketball in the men's gym. Usually I ran hoops in the Wooden center but weekends in Men's gym were interesting games because it was open to non-students and ex-alumni alike. You never knew who would show up. It was in this setting that I found myself in a hoops game playing against (among other people) Jonathan Ogden. I do not know why he was back on campus but he must have been trying to keep in shape for the football-off-season. Needless to say, biggest most athletic freak I have ever played with: 6'8, 300+ lbs, with handles and hops, he was crossing people over as if he were AI breaking down a newly unretired Michael Jordan. An amazing athlete.

In one exchange, and to the meat of my story, on offense my team was running a little pick-and-roll play to try and secure a late game point. Games to 12 by ones, straight-up, no winning by two nonsense. The guy playing the point came to the top of the key, on the rotation Ogden steps up to guard him, and I set a pick for the PG to cut free. Think about that for a moment. Here I am 6 feet tall, maybe 180 lbs setting a screen on a man who is 8 inches taller and maybe 80-100 lbs bigger who is paid in part to run block through 280 lbs linemen who are far more athletic than myself. Back to the game, Ogden turned, saw my set screen before running through me, abruptly stops, looked at me like I was crazy, then patted me on the head for effort and lacking of fear. He just stopped to respect the effort of my screen.

Thank you Mr. Ogden for not killing me and for my "this is UCLA" moment.

- From Chris Riley -

Shortly after moving to California in 2002, my son Ian was diagnosed with a rare immune deficiency called Common Variable Immune Deficiency. Worldwide there are only about 50,000 known cases. We quickly came to find out that UCLA Medical Center has some of the foremost researchers in my son's disease. Over the course of the next 4 years, we spent a full day there every 2-3 weeks. During that time, my son become a fan of everything UCLA, especially UCLA football. The fact that the team wasn't the greatest had no bearing on his love for the Bruins. The time that he spent in the hospital on campus made UCLA, "his school". Before I ever took Ian to a game I took him to a concert at the Rose Bowl. His eyes lit up when he saw the stadium. At one point in the evening he even begged the security guy to let him on the field so he could touch the grass where UCLA played.

I eventually took Ian to see his first college football game. It was when Maurice Jones-Drew was a Bruin and they were playing Arizona State. We got to the game early and parked on the golf course. It was a televised evening game so we BBQ'd dinner and took in all of the things that make college football tailgating fun. Getting a chance to hang out with, play catch with and talk about the Bruins with other fans is something my son still talks about today. Prior to the game the UCLA Alumni Marching band played and led a large group of the crowd into the Rose Bowl. We went in and watched Jones-Drew put on a clinic of how to run the football. That night UCLA won big, but as a parent I won big as well. My son got to live out a dream he had of seeing his favorite college football team win. The game was really no more than an afterthought as much as it was an opportunity to see my son at one of his truly happiest moments.

As the years have gone by with therapy, my son has grown healthier and we don't spend as much time at UCLA as we once did. Ian spent many years as a travel hockey player and now he is a high school freshmen playing for Quartz Hill High's football team. As a result, we haven't been to many games. But UCLA is still his school and Bruins football is still his passion. When the Bruins are on TV you will find Ian glued to the set regardless of the outcome. I grew up near Seattle, Washington. So I went to a lot of Huskie games growing up. But there was no game more exciting or more special than the time I took Ian to see his first Bruin game. It is a truly awesome memory that I will carry with me to my grave.

Hey guys,

As promised, here are the top six entries from the UCLA Fan Experience contest I ran earlier this month. The winner gets two tickets to either UCLA v. Arizona or UCLA v. Oregon State. They're decent tickets, not 50-yard line, but pretty good.

Over the next few hours, you can read the stories, then vote at the end.

Thanks to everyone who participated, there were some pretty cool stories.

UCLA sophomore quarterback Kevin Prince is out for the rest of the season after arthroscopic surgery on Saturday  to determine the extent of a torn meniscus in his right knee, likely injured during the second quarter of the Bruins' 34-12 win over Texas in Week 4.
In addition to the repair of the meniscus, doctors performed microfracture surgery to stimulate the growth of new cartilage on the former Crespi quarterback.
Prince, who has dealt with numerous injuries in his two seasons as starting quarterback, missed the Bruins' 60-13 loss at No. 1 Oregon on Thursday, as well as the team's 42-28 win over Washington State in Week 5.
Backup sophomore Richard Brehaut took over in both and, and against the Ducks, completed 16-of-23 passes for 159 yards and an interception, particularly costly, as it came as the Bruins were driving toward the red zone on the first drive.
"We moved the ball great all day long, but when it came down to stick it in  red zone or finish a drive out, we couldn't find ways," Brehaut said. "We have to go in and watch that film and we have to figure out why we can't do that." 

Larimore Out
An MRI on Saturday confirmed middle linebacker Patrick Larimore's dislocated left shoulder, separated during the second series against Oregon. 
A UCLA official said that Larimore would likely be sidelined for three weeks for "rest and rehab."

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

I am a beat reporter and not a columnist, so typically I don't like to opine that often.

But last night was my 20th UCLA game, and I think that's a large enough sample size for comparative measure.

Quite simply, it was the worst game plan I've seen out of the UCLA coaching staff in my short tenure, and I'm not sure where they go from here.

Look, everyone knows that Oregon is going to score points. You do not shut down this offense. In its worst game this season, it scored 42 points on a pretty good Arizona State defense. It combines good-but-not-great players with a great-but-maybe-fantastic scheme and fantastic-but-maybe-phenomenal coaching.

Simply put, UCLA was not going to contain the Ducks. No way, no how. With the misdirection - an ESPN commentator called it three-card monty - and the team speed, they are GOING to break off big plays. It is simply unrealistic to expect 11 18-to-22-year-old kids to stay gap responsible for 70 plays.

You go into the game knowing that. You prepare for the game knowing that, you coach for the game knowing that, you scheme for the game knowing that.

So what you do, or at least should do, is ignore the big plays. They're going to happen. Deal with it, move on. But focus on stopping the eight-yard gain, focus on getting to the quarterback, focus on trying to control the tempo.

A blitz is designed to do all of those things. It is a simple tactic. You send more people than they can block, and you either confuse them, speed them up or cause improvisation. Because don't forget, THEY ARE 18-to-22 ALSO. They are just as young, just as naive, just as scared, just as nervous. They may be more proficient or more experienced, but I can guarantee you, a 20-year old kid rarely has savvy.

You essentially tell them: "Yeah, you'll get your points. But you'll have to scramble the whole time." And yes, they'll adjust with some trickery, and yes, they'll get you a few times because they're just that good. But it at least it won't make them look so damn pretty.

Instead, the UCLA coaching staff did nothing.

I don't have official blitz stats - I'm writing notes, following the action, typing, chatting, etc., and I simply can't watch the linebackers all game - but I cannot recall more than three blitzes the entire game.

Last year, UCLA could afford to be conservative at times, because Brian Price was a three-man wrecking crew, Korey Bosworth was a capable run-stopping defensive end, Reggie Carter and Kyle Bosworth, while slower than others, knew what they were doing, and Alterraun Verner was a star. Oh, and Rahim Moore was Rahim Moore.

Guess what? There is no Brian Price anymore, Chuck. There is no dominant defensive tackle on this roster - yet, I'll add, because I think Cassius Marsh can become a monster - and for that matter, there is no seasoned fifth-year defensive end, no fifth-year middle linebacker and outside linebacker, no sensational cornerback. They are not here anymore, Chuck.

You have what you have, and you have to put them in position to succeed.

Tightening up against one of the most prolific offenses in recent memory - Oregon has more points through seven games than they've ever had through eight - is just about the worst option.

The Ducks were going to score. We all knew that. But it didn't have to be so easy.

* A side note: One of my best friends was in town for the game, as a guest of family friend and Oregon running back Kenjon Barner, who missed the game with a head injury. We went to a party with Barner after the game, and I got a chance to talk to a few of the Oregon players, in particular former Crespi wideout Blake Stanton, whom I covered in high school.

We talked a lot about the Oregon offense, and at one point he just paused, looked me dead in the eye and said, "Man, we have so much to learn." I asked him to explain further, and he basically said that half of that offense is just knowing how every player is supposed to move within it. I said is it the players or the scheme, and he just looked at me and smiled.
"It's the scheme. It's too good."

UCLA REPORT CARD

RESULT: Oregon 60, UCLA 13
RECORD: 3-4
WEEK 7 GPA: F

QUARTERBACK
Richard Brehaut may throw a pretty pass, but he needs to know where to throw them, and when.
F

RUNNING BACKS
Johnathan Franklin and Derrick Coleman broke off a few nice runs, but the overall consistency wasn't there.
F

WIDE RECEIVERS
Someone give the UCLA wideouts a blankie because it sure looks like they have separation anxiety.
F

OFFENSIVE LINE
A few weeks ago, plenty were crowning Bob Palcic assistant coach of the year. Now? Umm. No.
F

DEFENSIVE LINE
Hard to blame the unit for lack of pressure when conservative game plan meant no blitzing, but interior is marshmallowy soft.
F

LINEBACKERS
With heart Patrick Larimore out after two series, soul Akeem Ayers was completely neutralized.
F

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Starting two backup cornerbacks - one a former walk-on - is not exactly what you'd want to see against the best offense in the country.
F

SPECIAL TEAMS
Kai Forbath once again reliable, but you'd think he'd rather not have so much work if it meant a closer game.
B

COACHING
Note to defensive coordinator Chuck Bullough: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blitz_(American_football).
F-

EUGENE -
Step by step, Ricky Marvray spelled it all out.
"At this point, I'm clueless on everything," the UCLA redshirt freshman wide receiver said walking off the Autzen Stadium field.
"It's hard to say what our problem is. It's hard to say what we have to work on," said Marvray, shooing away the Oregon faithful who descended on the turf for a raucous post-game party.
"But something's got to change. This is pathetic."
And it was.
UCLA suffered its worst loss since 2005 and its worst loss ever to the Ducks on Thursday night in front of 59,372 and a national television audience, a 60-13 demolition to a No. 1 Oregon team that simply bullied the Bruins all night.
Perhaps bully is the wrong word.
More like danced around, because the Ducks were not more physical. They were simply faster...and trickier...and more exciting.

Spoke briefly with UCLA sophomore quarterback Kevin Prince in the locker room after the game, and the news isn't good.
Prince told me he has a torn meniscus, and the arthroscopic surgery on Saturday is to determine the extent of the injury.
Will know more on Saturday, and I'll get it up as soon as possible.
Looks like it's Richard Brehaut's ship for a while.

It continues.
Oregon's Darron Thomas found Jeff Maehl in the back of the end zone for a three-yard touchdown pass to finish an 11-play, 67-yard drive.

Drive Time: 11 plays, 67 yards, 3:37

Once more, big plays doomed the Bruins, and Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas' six-yard touchdown pass to tight end David Paulson capped off an 85-yard drive, putting the Ducks up by 26 with more than a half to play.

Drive Time: 11 plays, 85 yards, 3:18

A 22-yard touchdown pass from Darron Thomas to Josh Huff puts the Ducks up 22-3, and this one is getting ugly.
Make that 10 plays of over 10 yards, and six plays of more than 20, in less than 20 minutes.

Drive Time: 3 plays, 55 yards, 27 seconds.

After a long drive stalled at the Oregon 8-yard line, Kai Forbath hit a 25-yard field goal to put UCLA on the board.
Derrick Coleman was great on the drive, churning out several first downs, but Oregon clamped down in the red zone.

Drive Time: 13 plays, 61 yards, 7 minutes.

The Ducks once again marched down the field with ease on a reeling UCLA defense, going up 14-0 after a 77-yard drive.
Oregon had plays of 18, 14, 12 and 10 yards on the drive, after three plays of 20 or more yards on its first drive, and Remene Alston came in for a one-yard touchdown run after LaMichael James went down with an undisclosed injury.
To add insult to injury, Nate Costa ran in a two-point conversion.

Drive Time: 10 plays, 77 yards, 2:35

That was fast.
Oregon banged out plays of 25, 24 and 21 yard on its first drive after a Richard Brehaut interception, and the Ducks capped off a 90-yard drive with an eight-yard LaMichael James touchdown run.
UCLA was moving the ball well, but Brehaut floated a pass to Ricky Marvray that was easily intercepted by Oregon's John Boyett.

Drive Time: 8 plays, 90 yards, 1:56

Just got word from a UCLA official that sophomore quarterback Kevin Prince will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery on Saturday do determine the extent of injury suffered at Texas. Was told they are not concerned about ligament damage, but they are not sure why knee still has swelling.
Prince had two MRIs during the week, but the results have not been made public.

Hey guys,

Just a reminder to follow me on Twitter and Facebook during the game, if interested. I post more often there than on theso you can stay up to date easier.

Twitter: @thecoolsub
Facebook: Inside UCLA page

Kevin Prince is here in Eugene, but he won't be suiting up. Richard Brehaut is starting at quarterback against top-ranked Oregon.

The cat-and-mouse game is finally over.
Richard Brehaut is starting today agaist No. 1 Oregon, and Kevin Prince is not suited up.

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

So here's a look at what UCLA's schedule would be on a four-year rotating basis

2011
Non-conference opponent
NC
NC
At Stanford
Home Cal
At Arizona
Home ASU
At Utah
Home Colorado
At Oregon
Home Washington
At USC

2012
NC
NC
NC
Home Stanford
At Cal
Home Arizona
At ASU
Home Utah
At Colorado
Home Oregon State 
At Washington State
Home USC

2013
NC
NC
NC
At Stanford
Home Cal
At Arizona
Home ASU
At Utah
Home Colorado
At Washington
Home Oregon
At USC

2014
NC
NC
NC
Home Stanford
At Cal
Home Arizona
At ASU
Home Utah
At Colorado
Home Washington State 
At Oregon State 
Home USC

Winner: Rivalries
With the stipulation that the California schools will maintain their existing rivalries, fans of those teams should be happy.

Loser: Washington/Oregon schools
There goes that vaunted Los Angeles recruiting base. Washington/WSU/Oregon/OSU will each travel to L.A. just once every two years, while hosting UCLA/USC every other year.
From my understanding, it'll look something like this for the Northwest schools:

Non-conference opponent
Non-conference opponent
Non-conference opponent
at Stanford
home Cal
at WSU
home Oregon
at OSU
home USC/UCLA
at Utah/Colo
home ASU/UofA
at Utah/Colo/ASU/UofA

For UCLA:
NC
NC
NC
Home Washington
at OSU
Home Colorado
at Utah
Home Cal
at Stanford
Home Arizona
at ASU
Home USC

Winner: Utah
With only USC among recent football powers in the Pac-12 South, Utah will immediately come in as one of the top three teams, if not top two.

Loser: Pac-12 pocketbooks
The decision to have Pac-12 championship at top-seed home field instead of neutral turf will ultimately cost the conference some big money. Of course, the ACC has a neutral-field championship game and that attracts no one, so maybe it's a draw.

Winner: Larry Scott
It might not have been the Pac-16 that he dreamed of, but the Commish comes out roses with this deal. The Pac-12 introduces two new HUGE markets in Salt Lake City and Denver, will make a boatload with the media rights, and with Utah in the mix, strengthens the case for BCS title-game contention. As Yahoo's Dan Wetzel said: "Best freshman year since Carmelo Anthony."

Loser: NW Reporters
Bob Condotta might be the best in the business, but I feel sorry for him. He still has to go to Pullman every other year, but now only gets Tempe/Phoenix, Salt Lake, Denver once every four years. On the flip side...

Winner: Me, Scott Wolf and the other UCLA/USC reporters
Now the UCLA/USC reporters only have to travel to Pullman and Corvallis once every four years, while adding Boulder (Denver) and Salt Lake City to the mix, too. WIN.

Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott just announced the breakdown for the new realignment of the conference, with UCLA, USC, Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado in the Pac-12 South, and Stanford, Cal, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington and Washington State in the Pac-12 North.

Scott said that there will continue to be a nine-game football schedule, with the California teams playing each other every year to maintain long-lasting rivalries, and an 18-game basketball schedule.

The other interesting news items: Contrary to previous reports, the media rights will be shared equally, unless I'm misunderstanding this, and the conference football championship game will be played at the home field of the top seed.

UPDATE: According to the great Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News, USC and UCLA get $2 million more than other schools in any year total revenues are less than $170 million.

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PORTLAND -

In a schizophrenic season with more ups-and-downs than a yo-yo store, only one thing has been certain for the UCLA football team.

The Bruins need to get off on the right foot.

In a Week 1 loss to Kansas State, UCLA opened with a three-play drive, gaining zero yards, taking all of 29 seconds. The Wildcats opened with a 10-play, 54-yard drive, capped by a Daniel Thomas touchdown, and won 31-22.

Against Stanford, more of the same: Three plays, six yards, 1 minute, 30 seconds for the Bruins, followed by a Cardinal seven-play, 61-yard drive, culminated by a Andrew Luck-to-Ryan Whalen touchdown, and Stanford won 35-0.

Then after a three-game winning streak in which the Bruins took early leads in each game, Cal marched 70 yards on its first drive ending in a Shane Vereen 1-yard touchdown, forced a three-and-out of just two yards - sounding familiar? - and caused a fumble on UCLA's next possession, which the Bears followed with another quick touchdown to go up 14-0, ultimately winning, 35-7.

As the Bruins prepared for their Thursday night showdown at Autzen Stadium with the No. 1-ranked Oregon Ducks, they hoped to avoid a similar fate.

"We're trying to hold the emotion to a low, so that we can kind of explode on Thursday," junior safety Tony Dye said. "But it's coming out already. We are well aware that we have to come out on fire."

From UCLA:

Three members of the UCLA football team have been selected to the Phil Steele Mid-Season All-America team.

Junior outside linebacker Akeem Ayers and junior free safety Rahim Moore have been named to the first unit while long snapper Christian Yount has been selected to the second team.

UCLA is one of just seven schools to have two or more members of the first team. The other schools include Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin.
Nine Bruins were named to Steele's All-Pac-10 teams, which were announced yesterday.

From UCLA:

NEWPORT BEACH, Ca. - UCLA junior linebacker Akeem Ayers has bee named to the list of 23 quarter-finalists for the annual Lott IMPACT Trophy, the Pacific Club IMPACT* Foundation has announced today.

Named after Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, the Lott is awarded to college football's Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. Now in its seventh year, the Lott is the first - and only -- college football award to equally recognize athletic performance and the personal character attributes of the player.

Sponsored by The Pacific Club IMPACT* Foundation in Newport Beach, the award is given to the player who exhibits the same characteristics Lott embodied during his distinguished career: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.

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UCLA head coach Ben Howland on Tyler Honeycutt:
"Tyler's one of our best players. He has a really good nose for rebounding the ball. Today we did a drill 5-0 and every time his team shot it, he got every rebound. He's a very good rebounder, great passer, he's improved his outside shot, I think a lot, I think he's going to be a much better perimeter shooter than he was a year ago. He's improving in all aspects."

Howland on a comparison to Honeycutt: "I don't know. Not off the top of my head."

Howland on the point guard battle: "I wouldn't say I made any decisions there. They're both going to play I thought Zeke had a real good week. He's doing a really good job defending, and shooting the ball well."

On Jerime Anderson: "His prep for last year's season, I thought he had a really poor summer. I thought he had a much better summer. He shoots the ball a lot better now than he did a year ago. He went and spent a lot of time on his own working on his game.

On Tyus Edney: "Tyus brings a lot. First of all, he's very bright, intelligent. He knows basketball and he's a good mentor for he's kids. He's an example for hard work and dedication. He's a good example for a lot of the kids we recruit. He played and did a great job, had a long career professionally. This is kind of the first step, so I'm really excited to have Tyus in our program."

Honeycutt on last fall: "I was practicing, but I had just started to practice and then had a stress reaction in my shin. I was just working myself into practice. That put me out about a month. It sucks no matter what sport to be on the sideline. I feel like I'm making a difference now that I'm able to practice, and I'm just taking advantage of it."

Honeycutt on his role: "I'm being a little more aggressive to score. I have to take more of a leader role now that this is such a young team. Trying to make every play, but make it as smart as possible. I'm trying to be a leader out there, someone coach can trust."

Honeycutt on the differences between Jerime Anderson and Lazeric Jones:
"It's kind of different, but it's similar the same way. Jerime is the smarter in terms of turnovers. That's one thing coach doesn't like. Even if he might see a play, he might not react on it. With Zeke, he's getting into it. He's new to everything so he's learning how the bigs are hedging the ball screens, how he's supposed to read it. Once he gets the hang of it, his turnovers in practice will go down."

Honeycutt on the hip flexor injury: "It kind of happened two Fridays ago. I don't know if I planted wrong or if someone ran into me off a screen, but starting Monday I could feel it still bothering me and I finally said something about it."

* Kevin Prince was "rested" for the second straight day, and UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel said that the starting quarterback against Oregon would be a game-time decision, but you have to believe that Richard Brehaut is going to be the guy against the Ducks.

* Neuheisel said Prince actually had two MRIs, one with UCLA and one with a personal doctor - the one who performed surgery on his torn ACL during his senior year of high school - but the results are unavailable.

* Brehaut was still a bit inconsistent, but managed some nice individual throws. I still think he can handle the workload, but he needs all the reps he can get. I'm just not understanding how they didn't realize Prince's knee wasn't healing all that well, and why they just didn't shut him down in the first place. Brehaut could've used the work.

* Cornerback Sheldon Price missed practice as well, and it looks like Courtney Viney and Andrew Abbott will start, with Aaron Hester at backup and in the nickel package.

* The team devoted extra time to special teams work at the end of practice, and with Damien Thigpen returning kicks, they needed the extra work. Thigpen has incredible burst, but has struggled throughout the season with catching the ball on returns. He should handle kickoffs, with Taylor Embree still at punt returner.

* Saw some impressive work from Cassius Marsh and Ricky Marvray. Marsh is using his hands really well on the line, and Marvray catches the ball just so well. It was a lighter day, in shorts and shells and in the rain, so there's not much to take from that, but still a good day for them.

UCLA MIDSEASON REPORT CARD
RECORD: 3-3
SEASON GPA: C

QUARTERBACK
Hard to really judge the passing game because of Kevin Prince's health, or lack thereof, but on-field performance has been brutal.
D+

RUNNING BACKS
Big loss to Cal in Week 6 dampens some of the performance, but can't ignore huge numbers and No. 13 national rushing rank.
B+

WIDE RECEIVERS
Unit that was supposed to have breakout performers has broken out alright. In hives, boils and pox. Nothing going so far.
D

OFFENSIVE LINE
Easy to give "Filthy Five" an A for run blocking, but pass protection isn't up to par.
B-

DEFENSIVE LINE
Surprisingly almost matching last year's big-play production minus Brian Price, but lapses, inconsistency still a plague.
C+

LINERBACKERS
Akeem Ayers and Patrick Larimore have been fantastic at times and Sean Westgate (team-high 50 tackles) is a bright spot.
B-

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Quarterbacks throwing just as often as 2009, but Bruins have only three picks at the halfway mark.
C-

SPECIAL TEAMS
Both of Kai Forbath's misses are from 49 yards, Jeff Locke averaging 46.6 per punt, but return game hasn't been revamped like expected.
B

COACHING
Questionable quarterback decisions and Johnathan Franklin's relative early lack of work brings grade down, but overall, pretty good.
C

From UCLA:

Nine members of the UCLA football team have been selected to the Phil Steele Mid-Season All-Pac-10 team.

Junior linebacker Akeem Ayers and junior free safety Rahim Moore, both pre-season All-America selections, were named to the publication's first team.

Senior place kicker Kai Forbath, sophomore punter Jeff Locke and sophomore running back Johnathan Franklin were selected to the second unit.

Senior center Ryan Taylor, senior defensive tackle David Carter, sophomore linebacker Patrick Larimore and junior strong safety Tony Dye were selected to the All-Pac-10 third team.

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From UCLA:

ESPN 3D makes its first trip to the west coast when it televises UCLA at No. 1 Oregon on Oct. 21. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. ET. This will also mark the first Thursday night college football telecast for the new network.

ESPN 3D will feature approximately 13 college football games this year, including the 2011 BCS National Championship game on Jan. 10. in Glendale, Ariz. Additional dates will be announced as the season progresses; schedule subject to change. Sony is the official sponsor of college football on ESPN 3D, and college football games televised on ESPN 3D will utilize Sony professional cameras.

About ESPN 3D
ESPN was the first to announce in the United States an exclusive 3D network in January 2010 which was the culmination of more than three years of testing 3D television. ESPN has produced several 3D domestic telecasts, including the State Farm Home Run Derby in July 2010, the Masters in April 2010, a Harlem Globetrotters game in February 2010 and in 2009 the USC vs. Ohio State college football game. ESPN has developed best practices for utilizing the technology in live game applications which have provided the ability to streamline workflow operations, adjust 3D camera positioning, perform transmission tests and gauge fan reaction to a 3D telecast versus a traditional telecast. In addition, ESPN utilizes cutting-edge technology located at the ESPN Innovation Lab in Orlando at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Walt Disney World to continue to develop innovative production enhancements. ESPN 3D is available in the United States to approximately 45 million households and has carriage agreements with AT&T U-Verse, Comcast and DIRECTV. It will launch soon on Time Warner Cable. Sony was named the first official sponsor of the network in January 2010.

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* Sophomore quarterback Kevin Prince was given Monday night off to rest his sore knee and had an MRI done, with the results to be discovered shortly. Richard Brehaut got most of the reps with the first team, with Darius Bell in spotty relief.

* Brehaut was fantastic at times and poor at times, but he seemed much more comfortable today than he did last week. He had a great deep fade to Randall Carroll in stride that Prince yelling and clapping from the sidelines, 'There we go!" At the very least, the two quarterbacks seem to be handling the "controversy" or whatever you'd call it pretty well.

* Liked what I saw out of Isaiah Bowens today at scout team linebacker. During 1s vs. scout drills, he had three very nice plays, with two run stuffs and a sack.

* Looks like Malcolm Jones is running really well. He had a nice burst on a couple of runs, and is not running with the tentativeness that he had after his fumbling issues crept up a few weeks ago.

* Working with the 2s, Damien Holmes had a really nice stuff at defensive end, and while Keenan Graham and Owa Odighizuwa have moved ahead of him in the depth chart, I expect him to still get plenty of reps going forward.

* And the bads: Still seeing too much push on the exterior offensive line in pass protection. Expect Oregon to be extremely aggressive after watching that Cal film. Norm Chow will need to have a couple screen passes in the works, though screens have not been this team's strong suit he last couple years.

* Brehaut was not effective in 7-on-7 drills, including red-zone work toward the end of the session. Brehaut completed 2-of-6 passes, including a dump-off to Johnathan Franklin and a touchdown up the middle to Cory Harkey. Courtney Viney had a great pass breakup, Rahim Moore had an interception, Brehaut overthrew Ricky Marvray and was sacked once.

* Receiver Nelson Rosario is still out with a sprained ankle, and his return for Oregon is at best doubtful. Glenn Love, Dalton Hilliard and Anthony Barr are back practicing, as was Keenan Graham (hip flexor) and Jordon James (hip).

* While Rick Neuheisel said in the press conference that Sheldon Price could return, I'd put him at doubtful.

''Cal did a really good job in bringing a defense that we hadn't seen. But that was two weeks ago. We've got to move on and we've got to work on our weaknesses. We've got to be prepared as we can be going into Autzen Stadium and playing the No. 1 team in the nation.''

The Seattle Times' fantastic reporter Bud Withers is reporting that UCLA and USC will initially receive an extra $2 million per year in the Pac-10 (12)'s new TV deal: Big Bump

FROM UCLA:

The UCLA football game on October 30 vs. Arizona at the Rose Bowl will kick off at 12:30 pm and will be televised nationally by Fox Sports Net as part of the Pac-10 Conference package.

Congrats to Backdoor Cut (for the second time this year) for being the closest in our Poll of the Week, picking Cal to win 31-13.

Backdoor Cut - please email me 10 questions for any UCLA football player at jon.gold@dailynews.com.

Readers: Post your final score prediction and vote in the poll. Closest to actual score with correct winning team gets to give me 10 questions to ask a player of their choosing, within reason, for an upcoming video.

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Fire away with questions for this week's Q&A. Please don't post new questions on the answers section, because I don't always check the comments. Save them for next week.

Thanks
Jon

UCLA has a bye week and resumes practice tomorrow, so I'm taking the day off. Enjoy your Saturday, everyone. See you bright and early Sunday. Well, probably not so bright. Maybe not so early. ...See you Sunday.

From UCLA:

DURHAM, N.C. - The UCLA baseball program's incoming group of nine freshmen has been rated No. 3 in the country by Baseball America, the national publication announced Friday. Under seventh-year head coach John Savage, the Bruins' last six classes have earned top-20 acclaim by Baseball America.

UCLA's latest recruiting class was tabbed No. 4 in the nation by Collegiate Baseball last month. The Bruins' 2005-06 incoming group was ranked No. 5 by Baseball America and the 2007-08 class was hailed as the No. 5 group by Collegiate Baseball.

The top five recruiting classes in the nation, as ranked by Baseball America, include Stanford, LSU, UCLA, San Diego and Oregon, respectively. Rounding out the top 10 classes, in order, are Florida, Georgia Tech, Arkansas, Rice and Cal State Fullerton.

The Bruins freshman class features five players who were chosen in the 2010 MLB Draft. Each of the incoming three right-handed pitchers were drafted in June - Adam Plutko in the sixth round by the Houston Astros, Zack Weiss in the 10th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates and Nick Vander Tuig in the 39th round by the Toronto Blue Jays. Outfielder Brenton Allen was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the ninth round and infielder Kevin Williams was taken by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 41st round.

UCLA's incoming group includes first baseman Pat Gallagher, who earned 2010 Nevada Section Player of the Year honors and was a three-year varsity letterwinner at Reno High School. Standout infielder Pat Valaika joins the Bruins from Hart High School, while infielder Jacob Shirley and outfielder Brian Carroll each starred as two-sport varsity athletes (baseball, football) at South Hills High School and Granite Hills High School, respectively.

The Bruins' last five recruiting class have been ranked No. 5, No. 13, No. 7, No. 7 and No. 19, respectively, by Baseball America. UCLA began its fall workouts last week and will conclude its fall schedule with the annual Blue-Gold World Series from Nov. 15-19.

UCLA opens its 2011 season against San Francisco on Friday, Feb. 18 at Steele Field at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

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Just watched this. Seemed appropriate to post.

ESPNLA's Arash Markazi went to Coach Wooden's old joint for breakfast this morning, and wrote this nice story: Wooden's 100th

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UCLA is officially one of 12 teams in the 2011 Maui Invitational, as the prestigious tournament expands to a three-tiered format and from eight-to-12 teams.

Here is the link to the official web site, with information on the new tournament format: Aloha

Guys,

After seeing some comments regarding my assertion that UCLA fans need to stay patient, I wanted to clarify my stance.

First things first: a 35-0 loss, and even a 35-7 loss that goes down in the manner it did last Saturday, should be unacceptable. I get the anger, I get the frustration, I get the simple confusion. How can a team that won at Texas be the same team that goes down 28-0 to an only slightly better-than-average Cal team? Trust me, I don't get it either. If I had the answers, I'd be coaching and not writing.

Like I said, I can appreciate the disappointment-turned-anger.

But when I say patience, I think I'm using the wrong word.

I think UCLA fans need to practice better expectation-management. A brief look at this schedule, given the state of the team coming in and the injuries that have happened since Day 1 of training camp, and I think 3-3 was about right. Maybe even 2-4. The Bruins should have beaten Kansas State. They should have lost to Stanford. They could've beaten Houston. They should've lost to Texas, crushed Washington State and lost to Cal. Any way you slice it, that's pretty much what should have happened before the season.

Of course, things didn't exactly play out like that, but the end result is nearly the same.

Going back to the losses to Cal and Stanford. A few guys have written about how they wouldn't be upset if UCLA had even competed in those games, but lost by a few. You're right. Again: You're right. Those were atrocious performances. But those can pop up every once in a while with young teams, especially young, one-dimensional teams. I think the coaches definitely have some explaining to do, but I also think that bad days sometimes happen in football. There are a 1000 reasons, but they happen. As unhappy as you guys were on Saturday, Texas fans were just as unhappy a couple weeks before.

So when I preach patience, I'm not saying don't get upset after losses like the Cal and Stanford game. I'm simply saying that the idea that "It hasn't happened since 2005, so it needs to happen NOW!" is flawed. Yes, you were told to practice patience under Karl Dorrell. Yes, the Neuheisel era hasn't exactly been the quick turnaround that you desire. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't take a step back and really analyze the direction of the program. UCLA could go 1-5 the rest of the way - no really, it could - and still, I'd think that 2011 was the year things should come together. At least from my perspective, that hasn't changed.

WHAT:
Legendary UCLA men's basketball coach John Wooden, who died June 4, would have been 100 years old Thursday, Oct. 14. In celebration of his life and the inspiration he was to UCLA and the nation, UCLA's Undergraduate Students Association Council (USAC) is staging a commemorative day to honor Wooden.

WHEN | WHERE:
All events will take place Thursday, Oct. 14:

11:40 a.m.-1:10 p.m.
Photo and video opportunities will be available when UCLA students visit two Los Angeles Unified School District campuses to speak with students about the values championed by Coach Wooden, including his renowned Pyramid of Success.

• UCLA Community School (3201 W. 8th St., Los Angeles CA 90005)
• University Senior High School (11800 Texas Ave, Los Angeles CA 90025)

5 p.m.
A reception at UCLA's John Wooden Center will feature an exhibit of Coach Wooden memorabilia, cake and the unveiling of a portrait of Coach Wooden by artist Tom Pinch, which is being given to the university for display in the Wooden Center. More information available here.

6 p.m.-approx. 7:30 p.m.
Jasmine Hill, UCLA's undergraduate student body president, will be master of ceremonies at a program in the Wooden Center's Collins Court. The program will feature:

• Highlights from the morning's school visits and the screening of a 19-minute memorial video on Coach Wooden's life.
• The receipt of a City of Los Angeles resolution honoring Coach Wooden.
• A speech by UCLA alumnus and former NBA star Keith Erickson about Coach Wooden's inspiration to others.
• A speech by UCLA Director of Athletics Dan Guerrero about Coach Wooden's legacy and Pauley Pavilion.
• The presentation of the 2010-11 men's and women's basketball teams by UCLA basketball coaches Ben Howland and Nikki Caldwell.
• Appearances by the UCLA Bruin Marching Band and mascots Joe and Josephine Bruin.

Please note: Wooden family members will be present but will not be available for media interviews, per their request.

BACKGROUND:
The Undergraduate Students Association Council is organizing this centennial tribute in recognition of Coach Wooden as an acclaimed leader, mentor and educator who was a living representation of "true Bruin" values and whose impact at the university is everlasting.

* The most surprising revelation from UCLA basketball media day on Wednesday was Ben Howland's assertion that the starting point guard battle is completely open. I thought that Jerime Anderson would have an edge, simply by virtue of starting last season, but Howland said quite clearly that both Anderson and Lazeric Jones were on even footing. I've heard some good things about Anderson's offseason, that he rededicated himself to basketball and conditioning, but I've also heard glowing reviews of Zeke. I'll be interested to see how this works out, but if UCLA can get a 50 percent improvement at the position - and no injuries - they'll be good enough to contend.

* Joshua Smith is absolutely massive, despite all the weight he's lost. I heard the number fifty tossed around, as in 50 pounds, but I really doubt that. I would be shocked if he had 50 pounds to lose when he came to Westwood, but what I can say now is: Wow. His post presence alone should be a factor. If he couldn't even dribble a basketball, he is big enough to strike fear in the eyes of penetrating guards. If Reeves Nelson, who worked extensively on his outside shot and his post defense during the offseason, can make a smooth transition to power forward, this is the best front line in the conference.

* Brendan Lane got a heck of a lot thicker over the offseason, and he told me he put on 20 pounds. As crazy as this might sound, in a season like this in which the Pac-10 has not one dominant team, a guy like Lane could be a huge factor. If he can stay healthy and deliver a solid 10+ minutes per game, this team has the depth to do damage, despite only 10 scholarship players.

* I'm interested to see Tyler Honeycutt's role within the offense. When I covered him in high school, he got points by being way more athletic, and much taller, than most opponents. I saw him put up 42 points and 25 rebounds in a game, and I swear, I don't know if I saw him take, or need to take, one actual shot. It really seemed like all 42 points were cleanup points and easy buckets. Last season, he was so tentative early that he just sorta got lost in the offense, not many plays run for him, and he was frustrated by his role. I don't see that happening this year, but I do want to see how he's improved his offensive game.

* Had a great chat with Reeves Nelson, and he said something that intrigues me, basically telling me that the role he played last season - nasty, gritty, ugly post grunt - was not really him.
""Last year, I did what I had to do at first to get playing time. I thought our team needed that, and I got forced into that. Maybe not forced, but pushed into the role. I was a 6-8 guys playing center against 6-11 guys. I had to do that. This year, I'm going to try to go back to what I did in high school. That's a lot more on the wing, skill stuff. I was very comfortable doing it, but last year, I did what I had do to. Now, I'm going to do a lot of different stuff, and I think it will surprise some people."
With practices closed, I don't get a chance to actually see him play until Nov. 4, but he'll definitely be someone I focus my attention on early in the season.

* With a weak non-conference schedule, but one that can be boosted depending on the preseason NIT performance, I think Howland has set himself up nicely to get the team on a roll early. Besides Kansas and a couple games in the NIT, there really are no stumbling blocks - and Fullerton and Long Beach are not on the schedule - so for a team that will be predicated on chemistry and youth, a hot start could be very beneficial.

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Check out this really great piece of commentary on the state of UCLA football from ESPN's Ed Cunningham

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In all the ruckus of the last few days, going back to Saturday's carnage, I forgot to put a reminder up that today is basketball media day. I'll be there for the first real interview sessions of the season. Definitely going to try to spend some time with Tyler Honeycutt, and also, given the apparent transformation this summer, with Josh Smith.

Quite clearly, I'm going to be asking many questions about last season, and why things should change this year. Anything specific I should look out for? I'll try to work some of your questions in as well, if I can.

With Pac-10 media day coming up soon - and a change of location, too, now that it's at LA Live - I'll be in full-fledged dual-sport mode soon. Should be...fun.

Sorry, didn't see this email and forgot to post a couple days ago, but here's a little more info on the new UCLA jerseys, set to debut against Oregon.

Need to have a little chat here, guys.

Had a big problem yesterday, one that can't and won't happen again.

As the debris started to fall yesterday, UCLA suspending "three" starters, then "six" starters, then, ultimately two, some posters decided to come on the comments section and "name names."

Problem is, it was a joke.

Not a funny joke.

Because I had two hours worth of extra work trying to track all of it down, and that sucks.

But even worse...

Imagine you're a kid's parent - and as much as you'd like to believe that these are grown men, they are not, trust me, I deal with the parents - and you see a joke, not even presented as rumor, but as fact, on a message board. How are you supposed to know it's a joke?

One of the guys named was Rahim Moore. Now, obviously, I was incredulous to the fact that one of the supposed "six" was Rahim Moore. I couldn't believe it. I spent I don't know how long trying to figure out if it was true.
And that's me, the reporter.

But the stupid "joke" was picked up by about every UCLA message board possible, and run as fact. A fake link that was made was supposedly "shut down." And Moore's name was smeared all over the internet.

In no other words that I can think of: That ain't cool. Just not cool at all. What if Moore's mom read that? His grandfather? Is that fair? This isn't Brett Favre, who gets paid millions of dollars, and slander comes with the territory. This is a college kid. Remember that.

Next time this happens, there will be an unequivocal ban.

Don't do it. It's not funny.

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* With the pall of looming suspensions hovering over practice - and head coach Rick Neuheisel addressed them immediately, but with no detail - it was a rather business-like, serious practice today. Not without its moments - a beautiful deep ball from Kevin Prince to Randall Carroll was met with excitement - but overall, pretty quiet.

* Andrew Abbott and Courtney Viney worked as first-team cornerbacks today, particularly of interest because only Sheldon Price is hurt, so that means Viney leapfrogged Aaron Hester. With Hester's performance, I wouldn't consider it a surprise, but I am a bit surprised that they actually made the move. Viney was great in practice last week, especially on Wednesday, and I've had many tell me they think he's the best cover corner on the team. This is a guy who started Week 2 last season before getting the one-game suspension, and he locked down Tennessee wideouts. This could be a really interesting adjustment.

* In related news, Price was at practice, but on crutches, and is questionable for the Oregon game.

* Datone Jones is out of any boot or cast and appears to be walking quite well.

* Anthony Jefferson is already in a walking boot, but he hasn't had surgery yet.

* Saw Carroll get a beautiful jump on the ball during a special teams burner drill, and I just have the feeling that if he ever puts the football stuff together - route-running, shucking blocks, making blocks, getting open - he'll be dangerous.

* Talked to a few guys about the status of the passing game, and the one good thing is that everyone is doling out and accepting blame. This really is a team-wide issue, and you get the feeling that they ALL feel the heat. I have to say, I'm impressed by the way that Kevin Prince has handled this criticism. I'll have a good interview with him up later.

* Dalton Hilliard (sprained shoulder) and Glenn Love were both in red jerseys, but practicing.

UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel has suspended wide receiver/kick returner Josh Smith and F-back Morrell Presley for the Bruins' game at Oregon on Oct. 21 for a violation of team rules.

Due to federal and state student privacy laws, UCLA will have no further comment on the matter, the UCLA release said.

With Smith out and Nelson Rosario still nursing an ankle injury, it appears that Jerry Johnson and Randall Carroll will continue to see an increased role in the offense. Presley's suspension, however, could be more damaging, if freshman F-back Anthony Barr is limited because of a calf strain.

From what I've been told, reports this morning that six players have been suspended for UCLA's matchup with Oregon are a bit premature. I have confirmed the names of four players with multiple sources, but until more is known, I won't release their names. This is a fluid situation, I've been told, and I just don't think it's as cut-and-dry as it's been made out to be.

There have been several message board "rumors" and "I've-been-hearings" from comments in this blog, and such posts will no longer be tolerated. In the future, any sort of similar post will be immediately deleted, and the poster will be banned. It's not cool, and it's not funny, guys. Please cut it out.

I expect Rick Neuheisel to address the allegations to a certain extent after practice today, and I'll post his response. Earlier today on the Hacksaw Hamilton radio show in San Diego, Neuheisel called the reports "awful fabrications," so we'll see if his stance has changed at all.

I promise that as this situation becomes more clear, I'll keep you informed.

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UCLA has reportedly suspended anywhere from three to six starters for its Oct. 21 matchup with Oregon. A Los Angeles Times report last night said at least three were suspended, and an Orange Country Register report this morning said six would not be available against the Ducks.
The names of the players has not been released as of yet. Obviously, for a team reeling after a 35-7 loss to Cal, the loss of any starters would be devastating, but this is particularly damaging.
There were reports that some players broke curfew before the team's meeting with Cal on Saturday, but they were unconfirmed.

UCLA sports information director Marc Dellins could not provide comment.

I've been pounding my sources all morning, and as soon as I get more concrete information, you'll know.

Check it out, Michael B. Jordan from Friday Night Lights, my favorite actor on my favorite show, just happens to be the star of the commercial. Cool.

I'm not sure if I've ever really shared this with you guys, but I am a true sportswriting aficionado. I love great writing. Love it. I try to read at least two long-form features a week - all the flying I do helps with that - and I really care about the craft.

This four-piece feature by Matt Stevens and Maya Sugarman of the Daily Bruin at UCLA is one of the best works of journalism I've ever read. That it came from two college students in their early-20s just astonishes me. I accomplished quite a bit in my college journalism career, and this blows anything I EVER did out of the water, probably tenfold. I know them both, and they deserve this plug. Incredible work.

Supported by a scholarship from the Bridget O'Brien Scholarship Foundation, Matt and Maya traveled to Yaoundé, Cameroon, the hometown of Luc Mbah a Moute and Alfred Aboya, and found some amazing stories. The reporting was phenomenal, the pictures are breathtaking, and I am in awe.

Please read this, and please share your thoughts on this project.

Over and Back

Sorry for the poor audio, it was loud in the locker room.

UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel gave his coaching staff a day off for the first time since the beginning of training camp on Sunday.
They needed the rest to lick their wounds.
Now they must come back on Monday to determine who they're starting quarterback is going to be.
Neuheisel said during a conference call on Sunday that he wasn't going to make a rash decision and pull sophomore quarterback Kevin Prince for sophomore Richard Brehaut, after Prince completed just 13-of-31 passes for 99 yards, with a touchdown and an interception, in the Bruins' 35-7 loss to Cal on Saturday.
However, Neuheisel also said he hasn't ruled out the possibility.
''I'm contemplating everything, but I haven't made any decision on that nor will I any time soon," Neuheisel said. "I think those kind if decisions, based on the emotions of a loss, are usually things that you reconsider and so I'm going to watch practice carefully. I know it's a popular subject when teams are unsuccessful, but there's no need to make that kind of decision any time soon, especially when the game is not for another 11 days.''
Prince is considered the better fit in the Pistol offense because of his running and zone-read abilities, but Brehaut has displayed a better touch in the passing game. In five games this season, Prince has only thrown for more than 100 yards once, in a season-opening loss to Kansas State, while Brehaut had 128 yards passing in a 42-28 win over Washington State in Week 5, which Prince missed with a knee injury.
Neuheisel is not going to place all the blame for UCLA's passing woes on Prince, though.
"The pass protection was subpar yesterday," Neuheisel said. "Kevin (Prince) didn't have enough time to get his feet set and while I know everybody points to the quarterback when the pass game goes awry, you can't put it all on him. There wasn't enough time, and we've got to do a great job of shoring that up."

UCLA REPORT CARD

RESULT: Cal 35, UCLA 7
RECORD: 3-3
WEEK 6 GPA: D-

QUARTERBACK
Can't really fathom how the UCLA passing game has regressed since last season. This is shocking.
D-

RUNNING BACKS
Cal's exposure to Pistol offense in early season loss to Nevada sure paid dividends on Saturday.
D

WIDE RECEIVERS
Not sure if UCLA wideouts need heart transplants or hand transplants.
D

OFFENSIVE LINE
Now fans see difference between the scheme and the talent.
F

DEFENSIVE LINE
All this mixing-and-matching on defensive front can be costly against good running game. See: Shane Vereen.
D

LINERBACKERS
Sean Westgate and Patrick Larimore played well, but Bear gameplan against Ayers was brilliant.
C-

DEFENSIVE BACKS
What happened to Aaron Hester? More importantly, what happened to Rahim Moore?
F

SPECIAL TEAMS
Josh Smith has proven he can handle kickoffs. Let him field punts. Please.
C-

COACHING
So hard to judge this coaching staff - 129-84 in four games, but 7-70 scoring disadvantage against Cal and Stanford.
F+

Freshman cornerback Anthony Jefferson suffered a severe foot injury, and head coach Rick Neuheisel said he would be out for the season after the Bruins' loss to Cal. Jefferson suffered a Lisfranc fracture, which us a fracture and dislocation of joints I'm the midfoot. However, because he played in less than 30% of the team's games, Neuheisel said he'll still be able to redshirt.

In other news, Sheldon Price will need an MRI to make sure there's no structural damage in his knee. Owamagbe Odighizuwa has a shoulder strain, but it's not expected to be major. Also, Anthony Barr calf strain not major

Fire away with questions for this week's Q&A. Please don't post new questions on the answers section, because I don't always check the comments. Save them for next week.

Thanks
Jon

BERKELEY -

UCLA made it clear it could handle the state of Texas.
Now if only the Bruins can do something about their brethren to the north.
Just four weeks after a 35-0 throttling by Stanford at the Rose Bowl on Sept. 11, UCLA traveled to Cal and was once again smacked around, this time a 35-7 loss in front of 61,664 at Cal's Memorial Stadium.

It was 14-0 less than seven minutes in, and it only got uglier from there.
"(Special teams coach Frank) Gansz talks a lot about the fog of war - when the marines get into war, they lose their minds, and it becomes hard to do the assignment," said UCLA junior safety Tony Dye, who had 10 tackles. "It's hard to get other guys to get on board when they get into the game and their head is spinning. Sometimes it's hard to recover from that, but we have to find a way to stop that."

As openings go, UCLA's first drive went over like the Titanic.

Only the Titanic actually got somewhere before it tanked.

After Cal scored with efficiency and precision, running back Shane Vereen (202 total yards, two touchdowns) capping a long drive with a one-yard touchdown plunge, the Bruins started at their 23-yard line.

This was it, UCLA's phenomenal ground game versus a Cal defense that had both an extra week to prepare, and a sneak preview of the Pistol offense, as Nevada demolished the Bears in Week 3, 52-31.

But a holding penalty on junior right tackle Mike Harris set the Bruins back 10 yards, and UCLA was ultimately forced to punt.

Round 1, Cal.

Rounds two, three, four, five and six? Cal, Cal, Cal, Cal, Cal.

UCLA punted on five of its first six drives, and the other? A Johnathan Franklin fumble at the Bruins' 17-yard line on the second drive that set up a Vereen four-yard touchdown three plays later, making it 14-0.

"We can't beat ourselves," UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel said. "We can't have holding calls, we can't fumble the football. When we play a field position game with people, as we did in the second half, the score was 7-7.
"We can't do it to ourselves."

After the UCLA offense stumbled once more, Cal capitalized, with Marvin Jones taking a reverse for 48 yards and a touchdown.

Drive Time: 4 plays, 68 yards, 1:57

UCLA finally gets on the board on its first drive of the second half, as Kevin Prince finds Christian Ramirez for a six-yard touchdown.
A beautiful kickoff return by Josh Smith for 46 yards put the ball on the Cal 48-yard line to start, and Prince completed 3-of-4 passes for 39 yards while also picking up a pass interference call.

Drive Time: 7 plays, 48 yards, 2:23

A late hit on Cal's punt return by UCLA put the ball at the 50-yard line to start, and the Bears had little trouble taking it the rest of the way, going up 28-0 on a shell-shocked UCLA defense.
Kevin Riley found Shane Vereen on a perfectly designed wheel route for 31 yards, and after a good defensive effort by the Bruins gave Cal a 3rd-and-goal on the 7-yard line, a pass interference call on Aaron Hester gave the Bears a first down.
Two plays later, Kevin Riley stretched over the goal line for a one-yard touchdown run.

Drive Time: 65 yards, 8 plays, 2:53

The Bears' simple execution continues to kill the Bruins, as a Kevin Riley-to-Keenan Allen 10-yard touchdown pass put Cal up 21-0.
The Bears drove 86 yards with four plays of more than 10 yards,

Drive Time: 86 yards, 13 plays, 6:12

After a Johnathan Franklin fumble at the UCLA 17-yard line, Shane Vereen scored from five yards out three plays later, and the Bears went up 14-0.

Drive Time: 3 plays, 17 yards, 56 seconds

Cal pushed UCLA around on the first drive, marching 70 yards before Shane Vereen plugged in the 1-yard touchdown run. Vereen had 37 yards rushing on the drive, and slight backup Isi Sofele had a 24-yard run that put the Bears in scoring position.

Drive time: 70 yards, 10 plays, 4:31

Chuck Bullough is hesitant to label freshman defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa.
But it's not because he doesn't envision big things out of the recently announced starting defensive end.
He just doesn't have the name for it yet.

"Physically, I don't want to use the word freak, because that's already used - Jevon Kearse - but he's physically gifted," Bullough said. "It's obvious. But he has to learn how to play. It comes with experience, and the more you play, the better you get. But physically - man, you give him two or three years, and he's gonna be outstanding."

Bullough sees in Owa the physical tools that show glimpses of his potential greatness, but much like the progression of former UCLA star defensive tackle Brian Price, he's just waiting for the day when it all comes together.

"BYU is when we first saw the real Brian Price come out, the Las Vegas Bowl," Bullough said of Price's first bowl game as a freshman in 2007, when he had three tackles-for-loss. "He made some big plays, and then he progressed from there. Til then, he was good, a good tackle, but he hadn't accelerated himself up. That BYU is what set him on a path to being a star."
Bullough sees a similar path for Owa.

But he's not waiting for one game to envision that breakout potential.

"I was happy on Signing Day," Bullough said, smiling widely. "It didn't take me long."

I have been a bit surprised by the fluctuation of intensity and quality of UCLA's practices from week to week, and apparently it's been noticed by several readers. The practices before the Houston and Texas games, particularly on those Wednesday practices, were great. Loud, energetic, but more importantly, with a sense of purpose. You watched guys who understood their responsibilities, but went above and beyond. You saw practice players, scout-team guys, going all-out to prepare the starters. You even saw starters take on added responsibilities, or at least, do their jobs with increased vigor.

Before the Kansas State, Stanford and Washington State games, I didn't see that level of intensity. More importantly, I didn't hear it. As a (sort of) former (bad) football player (I guess you can call what I did "football"), I know the importance of a loud, energetic practice. We had some bad ones at Thousand Oaks High, and they translated on Friday nights. Same thing here.

So after Wednesday's practice - which was fantastic, probably the second best I've seen this year to the Wednesday before the Texas game - I asked Coach Neuheisel about it.

"I hope you're right, because that means we're going to play well on Saturday. The lesson is to try to bring a great practice every time. Now, it's not always going to be whooping and hollering, and I don't think coaches can ask for that all the time. But you do have to bring a level of - and I know these are college kids - a level of professionalism, an appreciation for the game so that you're going to give your best and you're going to fly around and concentrate and make the right adjustments. You have to, as I like to say, stack another day, in anticipation of when you have to go let it go. There are lots of distractions right now - we've got Pauley Pavilion under siege, we've got weather issues - but I think the way our guys deal with that is impressive."

Well, sometimes.

So, this is more than a lot off topic, but whatever. Don't read on if not interested.

From UCLA:

At midnight on September 30, Dish Network stopped carrying FOX's 19 regional sports networks, including FOX Sports West and PRIME TICKET, because they could not reach an agreement with Fox to carry the networks.

As a result, UCLA fans with Dish Network will need to seek alternatives in order to watch Saturday's nationally televised football game vs. Cal on FSN.

FOX Sports West and PRIME TICKET are offered by a number of other local distributors in our area. To get more information, please call FOX Sports West/PRIME TICKET at 213-743-7800.

AND A SECOND EMAIL I RECEIVED:

Millions of Dish Network customers nationwide will be left in the dark this Saturday as UCLA (3-2, 1-1) looks to extend their three-game winning streak when they take on the Cal Bears at 12:30 p.m. ET on FSN's College Football Saturday. The game, which will be televised nationally on FSN's network of affiliates, including PRIME TICKET locally, will not be available to Dish customers since Dish Network dropped Fox's 19 regional sports networks on October 1. Coming off two back-to-back wins vs. ranked opponents, the Bruins could grab their first victory at Memorial Stadium since 1998.

Fortunately, the game is offered by a number of other distributors. For more information, viewers should call 1-877-99-I-PAID or visit www.GetWhatIPaidFor.com.

UCLA linebacker Steve Sloan returned to practice Thursday after getting an MRI on his knee Wednesday. Rick Neuheisel said there's a bone fragment in there, which he'll play through. There's a chance it won't be a problem, but it's possible he would need to have a medical procedure at some point this season, too.
Neuheisel is unsure if defensive back Dalton Hilliard (shoulder) will make the Cal trip. He's doubtful, and receiver Nelson Rosario (ankle) is doubtful, too.

The Bruins didn't use crowd noise this week in preparation for Cal.

Readers: Post your final score prediction and vote in the poll. Closest to actual score with correct winning team gets to give me 10 questions to ask a player of their choosing, within reason, for an upcoming video.

Check out my feature from the Daily News this morning on Kai Forbath and Kip Smith: They've Got Legs, Know How to Use Them

* When I forget to write about intensity, as has been asked about recently, it's because nothing sticks out. It's neither good nor bad. Today...was great. One of the louder practices in recent memory, and that stems from a really good scout team look. Because of the rain, UCLA pretty much split the artificial turf into two fields, and maybe all of the commotion led to the intensity. But overall, very good practice.

* Junior defensive end Datone Jones, who broke his foot on the second day of fall camp, appears to be about a week away from having the walking boot removed, whereupon he can begin light jogging.

* Junior linebacker Steve Sloan missed practice with a sore right knee and had an MRI, the results of which will be discussed Wednesday night with his doctors. Rick Neuheisel doesn't expect anything serious.

* Quarterback Nick Crissman has a torn labrum, the same injury that sidelined him in 2008, and he's likely shelved for the year. Tough break for a good kid.

* Sophomore safety Dalton Hilliard, who sprained his shoulder against Washington State, missed his second straight day of practice and is doubtful for the Cal matchup.

* Courtney Viney had a great practice, picking off three passes and coming up with a really nice pass break-up in the end zone. Viney, don't forget, started in Week 2 last season after Aaron Hester went down before being suspended for a violation of team rules and losing his starting spot.

* Ricky Marvray just continues to impress me, with both the way he fights to get open and fights for the ball in the air. Tremendous job of finding seams in the defense, but more importantly, he makes the difficult catch. He had a really nice catch on a deep ball from Prince on the sidelines and and another nice grab in traffic later in practice.

* I have to imagine Joseph Fauria is getting frustrated by his role, because his best strength is masked in the Pistol offense. He is a true red-zone threat, but with the way the offense has run the ball, you just have to stick with that. He had a couple catches on 7-on-7, and I think they'll start to feature him more.

* Some good one-on-one matchups on the line during individual work. Cassius Marsh used a nice move to beat Chris Ward, Brett Downey was able to shield Damien Holmes from the backfield, Stan Hasiak got good leverage on Owa Odighizuwa and David Carter won a really physical battle with Kody Innes. Good things in store for the UCLA offensive and defensive lines, in my book.

* A couple people asked me if Owa was going to get the starting nod after working with the ones last week, and I kind of brushed them off. His ascension to the first unit really has been that sudden. Still, given Akeem Ayers' hybrid position, Owa is not getting a true "start." Essentially, if UCLA continues to run the nickel package as often as it has, Ayers really counts as a defensive end. But Owa will definitely get more and more time, and it's deserved. Kid is a freak of nature.

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Ben Wysocki has been sitting on his couch, licking his lips.

As a solid UCLA commit, the No. 43-ranked offensive guard in the nation has followed the Bruins' season intently, and every punishing block and every positive gain has the Los Alamitos senior drooling.

"I've been watching every game, and it's been awesome," Wysocki said. "They've really got the Pistol down. That offensive line, with pretty much all seniors, have all stepped up to run the ball."

UCLA's 437 rushing yards against Washington State in a Week 5 42-28 win might have been the school's biggest rushing total since 1979, but Wysocki doesn't see it ending there.

The Bruins have now rushed for 967 yards in the last three games, and with offensive line coach Bob Palcic teaching the fundamentals of the zone-blocking scheme, the numbers could continue to shock.

"I got to go to a couple camps, and just the way he talks about the little things and explains it to you, he just has so much wisdom on the offensive line," Wysocki said. "I think a lot of it is, overall, the coaching. They came out and got beat up by Stanford, but coming off that week, they saw things needed to change. They got pumped up and intense for Houston, and from here on out, I can see them rolling. They really are running the pistol like a machine. They just have it down.
"I can't see them coming off that groove."

Wysocki just hopes to one day fit into that groove.

And though it doesn't need to be sooner than later, the fact that freshman offensive guard Chris Ward has seen time in recent weeks has made an impression on Wysocki. Not so much that Ward is playing as a true freshman, but rather the idea that a less-experienced lineman can move into the unit and not have a dropoff is what pleases Wysocki.

"I was watching the Texas game, and I got to see a freshman, Chris Ward - who played in the Orange County, a guy I follow a lot, and he got in - and the machine ran the same," Wysocki said. "They have so many guys who've bought into the system. Driving guys downfield and not being individual, not trying to just flatten guys, they're working together as one. The whole thing about the zone is opening the lanes for running backs to pick."

Now a month into his senior year, Wysocki continues to get calls from other programs, but said he's fully committed to UCLA.

"I'm a full-go," Wysocki said. "Last night, Coach (Ed) Orgeron gave me a call, and some schools are trying. (USC) hasn't offered me, but they want to be in the picture. I've told them that I really, really am confident sticking with UCLA. They were the first ones to come to me, only a few weeks into the season, and that's pretty special."
So is watching the Bruins run it down the opposition's throats.
"Every O-linemen, their dream is to be running the ball and not passing all the time," Wysocki said, laughing.

Despite a three-game winning streak in which the defense has held opponents to 88.7 rushing yards per game, UCLA is shaking up its defensive line.

Freshman phenom Owamagbe Odighizuwa, who was rated the No. 2 defensive end in the country by Rivals.com and No. 8 by Scout.com, is slated to move into the starting lineup opposite redshirt freshman Keenan Graham. Former starting defensive end Nate Chandler, who converted from tight end during the offseason, will slide into the starting defensive tackle role next to senior David Carter, and former starter Justin Edison will move to the second unit.

"We're trying to create some more depth there, and some more energy up the field," UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel said. "It's great to have competition, so we're going to continue to compete there and see us who can give us our best four, and spell them as often as we need to."

With linebacker Akeem Ayers' pass-rushing abilities affording defensive coordinator Chuck Bullough some flexibility in his front line, the move was seemingly made as much to add Odighizuwa to the outside as Chandler to the inside.

Odighizuwa has freakish size and speed for a freshman but needs to improve his fundamentals and technique, while Chandler's speed as a former tight end is expected to improve the interior pass rush. In a 42-28 win over Washington State on Saturday, the Bruins allowed quarterback Jeff Tuel to complete 20-of-37 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns. However, UCLA's pressure increased throughout the game, and Tuel was sacked five times, including Carter's career-high three sacks.

"Owa is very strong physically, and he can compete - and dominate - at this level," defensive line coach Todd Howard said. "As a freshman coming in, he's still trying to learn the techniques, learn how to read the keys that I'm given him, but he's not there yet."

* Owamagbe Odighizuwa is now starting at defensive end opposite Keenan Graham, with Nate Chandler moved inside to defensive tackle. Given Akeem Ayers' pass-rush abilities, he will often be at end, rotating in with Owa, Graham, Damien Holmes, etc., but for the most part, this looks to be the defensive line of the foreseeable future. Owa has impressed coaches with his raw physical abilities, but his technique and positioning deficiencies have left him sidelined often through five games.

* Saw a few nice connections between Kevin Prince and his receivers, including a nice deep ball on the sidelines to Ricky Marvray, and while UCLA would love to get Nelson Rosario back, I'm not sure it will be a devastating loss if he's out a game or two. Marvray, Josh Smith and Randall Carroll are ready for the work.

* Prince on how he felt: "Felt great, took all the reps I needed to take. All the regular reps I take when I'm fully healthy, and I'm pleased with the way my knee held up. The weather screwed me up - it started pouring during our seven-on-seven session, which was a little unfortunate - a nice little changeup from the 113 degrees we had last week."

* Nelson Rosario was at practice on crutches and Neuheisel said he doesn't expect him to play this week. Neuheisel was quick to say that it wasn't a high ankle sprain, but that it was still significant.

* Christian Ramirez, who was excused from the team last week for personal reasons, was back today.

* Working with the second-team defense, Jordan Zumwalt rang off three good plays in a row, including a very impressive tackle. He's learning the system more and more, and I think the coaching staff needs to get him on the field more often. He has a ton of potential.

* Pass defense was nowhere near perfect, with guys slipping on the rainy turf. Saw at least two egregious pass interference calls, including one on Sheldon Price that was...wow. Just awful.

* With Dalton Hilliard out with a sprained shoulder, there was much less defensive backfield rotation, as the Bruins have done lately, putting Tony Dye at nickel back and Hilliard at strong safety. Hilliard has really come on strong, so you have to feel like the coaches want him back quickly.

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

FROM UCLA:

Los Angeles (October 4, 2010)-- The John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 list was announced today by The Los Angeles Athletic Club. The list is comprised of 50 student-athletes who, based on last year's individual performance and team records, are the early frontrunners for college basketball's most prestigious honor. The Women's Preseason list will be released later this week.

Returning players from past Wooden Award ballots include four seniors: Duke's Kyle Singler (2009, 2010), Robbie Hummel of Purdue (2008, 2010), Kalin Lucas of Michigan State (2009, 2010) and BYU's Jimmer Fredette (2010). Singler was the MVP of the 2010 Final Four, leading the Blue Devils to the NCAA title in averaging 17.7 points and 7.0 rebounds his junior season. Hummel was a 2008 and 2010 All-Big 10 selection, and also a two-time Academic All-Big 10 pick who averaged 15.7 points and 6.9 rebounds in 2010. Lucas is considered among the nation's top point guards after leading the Spartans in scoring (14.8 ppg) and assists (4.0 ast) during their Final Four campaign a year ago. Fredette was his team's top scorer (22.1 ppg) and playmaker (4.7 ast) and was an All-MWC player as a junior.

UCLA's Tyler Honeycutt was named to the list after averaging 7.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists as a true freshman last season.

Transfers, freshmen and medical redshirts are not eligible for the preseason list. These players and others who excel throughout the season will be evaluated and considered for December's Midseason list and the official voting ballot released in March. The National Ballot consists of approximately 20 top players who have proven to their universities that they are also making progress toward graduation and maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA. The Wooden Award All-American Team will be announced the week of the "Elite Eight" round during the NCAA Tournament.

Check out the first batch of weekly answers...

Looks like former UCLA defensive tackle Brian Price is making an impression early in his Tampa Bay career: Price getting more PT

Fire away with questions for this week's Q&A. Please don't post new questions on the answers section, because I don't always check the comments. Save them for next week.

Thanks
Jon

UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel told reporters during a Sunday conference call that if healthy, sophomore Kevin Prince will be the starting quarterback for the Bruins' matchup at Cal on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

"He says he feels good today," Neuheisel said. "We'll wait and see what he looks like on Tuesday. No more (X-rays) or anything, just a basis of how he feels. I just saw him, and he said he felt great."

Sophomore Richard Brehaut led UCLA to a 42-28 win over Washington on Saturday at the Rose Bowl after being told on Friday that he was starting in place of Prince, who suffered a knee injury in a 34-12 Week 4 win over Texas.

Brehaut completed 12-of-23 passes for 128 yards and had a crucial one-yard touchdown run as the Bruins rebounded from a 28-20 deficit. Brehaut's 128 passing yards were the most the offense has had this season.

"I thought he played pretty darn good," Neuheisel said. "He had a couple of really good plays. Some inexperience showed up at times. Ran himself into some problems, didn't realize how to take advantage of some protection issues. But for a first time out, I thought he was terrific."

After the game, Brehaut said he was most pleased with the way he ran the offense, particularly his reads in the zone run of the Pistol offense, which led to 437 rushing yards, the school's highest total since 1979.

"I don't think there was one time where we were in the wrong call," Brehaut said. "That's my job as a quarterback. It's not about hitting every ball. It's not about the great runs. It's about making the sure offense is in the right call every time. We had some audibles; on that last score we were in a zone-read, and I saw that there was two guys coming off the weak side, and I checked it to an inside zone play on the strong side, and we ended up scoring.
"That's what it's about as a quarterback."

UCLA REPORT CARD

RESULT: UCLA 42, Washington State 28
RECORD: 3-2
WEEK 5 GPA: B-

QUARTERBACK
Richard Brehaut wasn't perfect in the air, but he handled his run-reads flawlessly.
B+

RUNNING BACKS
Honestly, where can Johnrick Frankman go from here? One-two (three, four, five) punch combined for 401 yards, four TDs.
A

WIDE RECEIVERS
Tremendous down-field blocking once again, and some key catches at important times.
B+

OFFENSIVE LINE
Not sure if their girlfriends like it, but 'Filthy Five' moniker sure fits this group.
A

DEFENSIVE LINE
David Carter's three sacks makes up for overall unimpressive game for front line.
C+

LINERBACKERS
Stat monster Akeem Ayers (sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery) has to be a shoe-in for Pac-10 Defensive POY, right?
C+

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Burned deep way too many times against pedestrian Cougar offense, but several clutch tackles.
C-

SPECIAL TEAMS
With the way the offense has gone the last three weeks, thankfully Jeff Locke does kickoffs, too. He must be bored.
A-

COACHING
Not aggressive enough defensively, but offensive game plan was fantastic. Who knew Chow secretly liked to run?
C+

Now that I have your attention...

I'm sorry.

Had a rough week last week and forgot to run the Poll of the Week score prediction contest. I enjoy the 10 Questions segments as well - always interesting to read the questions you wackos come up with - and I just plain forgot.

To make it up...

Four tickets to either UCLA v. Arizona or UCLA v. Oregon State for the best personally written UCLA story, for posting on the blog. I've always been curious to hear some of your UCLA-related stories, because I think the fan experience is vastly different from the reporter experience. Take, for example, the Texas game last week. I was in the press box and in the hotel writing all night on Saturday. I have no idea what Austin was like that night. Don't know any cool stories, anything other than my computer screen and the giant cricket that flew in my window.

So send a thoughtful story about your best UCLA fan experience to jon.gold@dailynews.com. If you care to post in the comments section, that's fine, just don't be vulgar. Leave that up to me.

I'll post what I consider the best story on the blog later next week, and like I said, the winner will get four tickets to either UCLA v. Arizona or UCLA v. Oregon State.

The UCLA offensive line isn't looking quite so patchwork anymore.

Heading into the season with more question marks than a keyboard store, the "Filthy Five," as they've been dubbed, has improved drastically week-to-week.

Behind left tackle Sean Sheller, left guard Darius Savage, center Ryan Taylor, right guard Eddie Williams and right tackle Mike Harris, the Bruins have blossomed, particularly in the running game, as they racked up more than 300-yards rushing for the first time since Sept. 18, 2004, against Washington.

With the 437 rushing yards against the Cougars, UCLA is averaging 262.4 rushing yards per game, which should place the Bruins in the top-10 nationally, depending on other results across the country. For measure, UCLA averaged 114.62 yards on the ground last season, good for 97th nationally.

"Our goal was to get 300 (yards), and eventually we look up and (Derrick) Coleman's got 180 and (Johnathan) Franklin's got over 200," Sheller said. "That's why they call us the 'Filthy Five;' we're not just going to absorb blocks, we're gonna be the hammer out there."

Here's an early preview of my game recap. Check it out if interested...

PASADENA -

It's not so often that a defensive coordinator doesn't want his offense to score.

But facing a Washington State Cougars team that is about as scary as two cuddling kittens and half as mean, Chuck Bullough knew his UCLA squad could get complacent.

With two relatively quick scores and more than 160 yards of total offense in the first quarter, the Bruins were feeling pretty good, just as the knot was growing in Bullough's stomach.

For good reason: UCLA allowed Washington State to creep back into the game and eventually take command, the Cougars tallying 10 plays of more than 15 yards and at one point leading 28-20 before the Bruins buckled down.

"We were banging them as a staff - 'This is a Pac-10 team, they're going to come in ready to go' - but we scored twice early, and we kind of let down," Bullough said. "Even though the coaches on the sidelines were ripping them to keep it up, I thought the players kind of said, 'All right, it's over, this is not going to be that hard.'

"Then we had to pick it back up in the second half; 'Oh, yeah, we are in a game.'"

After a huge goal-line stand gave the Bruins the ball at their own 1-yard line, Derrick Coleman came to the rescue.
Coleman's 73-yard run put the ball at the Washington State 18-yard line, and three plays later, Richard Brehaut jogged it in from three yards out, putting the Bruins back on top.

Drive Time: 99 yards, 7 plays, 3:43

Another sustained drive by the Washington State offense has put the Cougars up one, and the Rose Bowl is just about silent. James Montgomery plugged it in from five yards back for his first touchdown.
The Cougars went 68 yards in nine plays, with a 50-yard bomb from Jeff Tuel to Marquess Wilson on third down setting up the score.

Drive Time: 9 plays, 68 yards, 4:01

This one's getting a little too close for Rick Neuheisel's comfort, I'm sure, as Washington State just torched the UCLA pass defense for a long drive, culminated by a Jeff Tuel-to-Daniel Blackledge 18-yard touchdown pass.
Washington State needed only 1 minute, 38 seconds to bring the score to within a touchdown.

Drive Time: 80 yards, 10 plays, 1:38

Kai Forbath's 20-yard field goal - the 80th of his career - puts UCLA up 20-7, capping off a long drive that stalled near the goal line.
After a Johnathan Franklin 25-yard run on the first play of the drive put UCLA near scoring position, and passes to Jerry Johnson (12 yards) and Ricky Marvray (19) gave the Bruins a shot at a touchdown, Franklin was stopped for a loss at the one-yard line, followed by a Richard Brehaut 2-yard loss and incomplete pass.

Drive Time: 10 plays, 54 yards, 4:34

After another long run, this time a 36-yard, twisting, ballet recital by Derrick Coleman put UCLA in scoring position, Kai Forbath's 33-yard field goal put the Bruins up 10.
UCLA had a 14-yard Johnathan Franklin touchdown run called back on a Morrell Presley holding penalty, and two throws to the end zone to Taylor Embree fell to the ground.
The Bruins have 257 total yards and 192 yards rushing midway through the second quarter.

Drive Time: 9 plays, 58 yards, 2:45

Aaron Hester was burnt badly on a 38-yard connection from Jeff Tuel to Jared Karstetter, and Washington State scored two plays later on a Tuel-to-Jeffrey Solomon nine-yard TD as the Cougars have it back within seven.
UCLA had WSU at 2nd-and-15 on its own 23-yard line following a holding penalty, but Logwone Mitz broke off a 24-yard run, and the Cougars continued to roll downfield.

Drive Time: 72 yards, 7 plays, 2:44

Derrick Coleman capped off a 75-yard drive that took just five plays with a 1-yard touchdown run, as the Bruins once again pummeled Washington State up front.
Play 1: Johnathan Franklin, 33-yard run.
Play 2: Josh Smith, 22-yard run.
Play 3: Franklin, 11-yard run.
Play 4, Derrick Coleman, 8-yard run.
Play 5, Coleman, 1-yard TD run.

Drive Time: 75 yards, 5 plays, 2:07

Behind starting quarterback Richard Brehaut, the UCLA offense simply marched down the field on Washington State.
Brehaut completed 5-of-6 passes for 49 yards as UCLA racked up five first downs and converted both third-down chances, and Johnathan Franklin had 10 yards rushing, including a three-yard touchdown run.
UCLA scored on its first drive for the first time this season.

Drive Time: 80 yards, 12 plays, 3:55

Get to know Ilinca Filimon, a rookie on UCLA's yell crew team in thiscolumn. She's been cheering on UCLA via the microphone in front of the student section at games.

UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel has decided to go with Richard Brehaut as starting quarterback today against Washington State, Brehaut's first career start.

Brehaut worked on his snaps with Ryan Taylor during pre-game warmups, while Kevin Prince - nursing a sore knee suffered in a 34-12 Week 4 win at Texas - worked with Kody Innes.

Brehaut has been throwing well, as usual, but we'll see how he leads the offense.

In mop-up duty against Stanford, Brehaut completed 5-of-9 passes for 42 yards and an interception in a little over one quarter. For his career, Brehaut is 16-of-26 for 166 yards and an interception.

Hey guys,

Just a reminder to follow me on Twitter and Facebook during the game, if interested. I post more often there than on theso you can stay up to date easier.

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Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Congrats to ToeJam Slayer for winning the fourth weekly poll, and with it, the 10 questions for any UCLA player.

He chose Ricky Marvray. This one includes road-tripping, death metal and hated mascots.