With two-a-days over, here’s a brief rundown on how many of the injured stand. Some on crutches.
Micah Kia, torn ACL, out for season
Nick Ekbatani, sprained knee ligament, 4-6 weeks
Keenan Graham, broken jaw (suffered in scrimmage), no timetable
Christian Ramirez, high ankle sprain (scrimmage), no timetable
Morrell Presley, sore quad, should return soon
Kai Forbath, sore leg, back tomorrow
Some good, some bad.
One 60-yard run in one scrimmage does not a season make.
Johnathan Franklin knows that.
He also knows that a four-yard gain can open just as many eyes as a 100-yard touchdown, and he actually puts more stock in the short gains. Anything but backpedalling.
“Any positive yards are good yards,” Franklin said. “Our coach says we’re in the yard-making business. Any yard is a good yard. And any opportunity I have, I’m taking advantage of it. If it’s on the practice field, game field, whatever. I never know how many opportunities I’m gonna have. I’m never going to know when I might get hurt, God-forbid.”
With Christian Ramirez nursing a high-ankle sprain, after hamstring issues hampered him the previous week, UCLA’s other running backs are having a ball having the ball.
Especially Franklin.
“Now I have people coming after me,” Franklin said. “I need to work hard, keep doing what I’ve been doing. Everything has to go 10 times harder. I’m pretty comfortable right now. This is what I came here for. This is what I’m working for. But hopefully this is just the beginning.”
On Christian Ramirez’s injury:
“Ankles are iffy things, especially when they get into that definition of high ankle. Those things take a little longer to heal.”
On Saturday’s scrimmage:
“As is always the case when you watch a game tape, it’s never quite as good as you thought it was and it’s not as bad. Kevin Prince, I went home thinking inconsistent and a long way to go, and I watched the tape and it wasn’t nearly that case. I saw a lot of good things. He was unfortunate a couple times, a couple balls he wished he could have back.”
On Damien Thigpen’s chances of playing this season, rather than redshirting:
“I’m leaning toward using him. He’s an impact player. (We’ll use him) any way we can use him.”
Running back Christian Ramirez was at practice on crutches and wearing a walking boot. Ramirez said he has not had X-rays and does not know if he will. Johnathan Franklin ran with the first time and performed well.
Kyle and Korey Bosworth missed practice because of a family matter.
Running Backs
Grade: B-
High Marks: After Christian Ramirez was pulled early to protect his hamstrings, Johnathan Franklin took the reins and ran with them. Franklin had a stunning 60-yard touchdown run en route to a six-carry, 99-yard performance. Milton Knox displayed his bouncability – I’m coining that, by the way – and impressed the coaches.
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Low Marks: Derrick Coleman had a rough day behind the starting offensive line and grew frustrated. It seems that Norm Chow only seems comfortable using Ramirez as a receiving threat, as Prince rarely looked into the flats with his other running backs.