Post-Practice Update

* A good practice tonight with good energy, and a pretty good tempo. The passing game looked really sharp, but Rick Neuheisel had some issues with the reads with Richard Brehaut and let him have it. Overall, not bad.

* Brett Hundley got second-string reps as expected and his passing was much-improved over recent weeks as he recovered from knee surgery.

* Big news today was the one-game suspension of Kai Maiava for a violation of team rules. Sophomore Greg Capella will start in his place on Saturday, with freshman Jacob Brendel as backup.

* Other big news: Jeff Baca returned, albeit in relatively light action, and he says he’s still working his way back into football shape, and intimated that he’s a ways away:
“I’m in running shape, not football shape. … It’s six-second bursts. You block for six second and you go all out; running shape, you’re striding here, sprinting the first 10, striding the rest. The only way to get into football shape is to play.”
Bob Palcic, though, insisted Baca can and will play on Saturday, and that we could see Brendel in the game.

* Also, as has been written ad nauseum, Brandon Willis has rejoined UCLA and began practicing today. He said he’s held up in relatively good shape – video on him later – but understands he’s gonna take a while to get back and going.