Monthly Archives: August 2013

UCLA post-camp position recap

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Jim Mora and the UCLA football team

After 10 grueling days of practice in San Bernardino, plus a few more days back on campus, UCLA has begun game prep for its season opener against Nevada. With less than a week to go until Aug. 31, here’s how each position group looks.

Offensive line: After struggling through 2012 with a patchworked line, the unit was a major target for UCLA on the recruiting trail. Position coach Adrian Klemm came through with a touted seven-man haul that ranked among the best in the nation.

Not everyone will perform right away. A few came into camp out of shape and are headed for redshirt years, while others still need time to adjust to the college level. Coupled with a few solid veterans, however, and UCLA should at least improve on a unit that allowed 52 sacks last season. Continue reading “UCLA post-camp position recap” »

Game prep still puts head coach Jim Mora on edge

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Jim Mora remembers the nerves he had as a first-year defensive coordinator.

In the middle of the 1999 season, he sat in the 49ers office on a Thursday night, the last major day of preparation before gameday. Sitting in the dark alone, he worried about how ill-prepared his San Francisco squad looked. What have I gotten myself into?

Three days later, the 49ers crushed the Atlanta Falcons 26-7, unleashing five sacks and allowing just 144 offensive yards.

Little has changed since those days, even if Mora has already weathered two decades of NFL coaching stress. Now in his second year at the college level, he looks toward UCLA’s season opener on Aug. 31 with similar anxiety.

“I want it to be here quickly and I wish it was another year away at the same time,” he said. “It’s never been anything other than that for me.” Continue reading “Game prep still puts head coach Jim Mora on edge” »

Fabian Moreau earning praise as converted cornerback

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Questions still abound in UCLA’s secondary, a unit that lost all four starters and returns few upperclassmen.

The group does have talent, however, and a starting lineup is nearly solidified: at safety, Anthony Jefferson and Randall Goforth, who have five combined career starts; at corner, Ishmael Adams, who played two games in 2012 before season-ending shoulder surgery.

The most unlikely of the quartet is sophomore Fabian Moreau.

The Florida native had played running back for most of his life. As a senior at Western High, near Ft. Lauderdale, he ran for 889 yards and 11 touchdowns. Tacking an additional seven touchdowns and 416 yards through the air, he was named All-County by both the South Florida Sun Sentinel and the Miami Herald. Continue reading “Fabian Moreau earning praise as converted cornerback” »

Anthony Barr still sidelined

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Linebacker Anthony Barr returned to practice Thursday afternoon, but did not participate two days after suffering an undisclosed head injury. The All-American wore a jersey, wearing shorts without full pads or cleats. He walked to the locker room midway through the session, returning to the field in less than an hour.

After colliding with a teammate Tuesday night, Barr was led to the sideline by a trainer. He vomited on the turf before being taken out of the facility. He was not present at UCLA’s Wednesday practice. Continue reading “Anthony Barr still sidelined” »

Quarterback T.J. Millweard transfers to Kansas

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After securing his release to transfer from UCLA on Monday, quarterback T.J. Millweard has committed to play at Kansas under head coach Charlie Weis. The redshirt freshman will sit out a season due to NCAA rules and be eligible to play in 2014.

Millweard had said he wanted to enroll at a school in the South or Midwest. A graduate of All Saints Episcopal in Fort Worth Texas, he also spent eight years of his childhood in Kansas City. His mother, Cynthia, is a Kansas alum.

JayhawkSlant.com first reported the news.