UCLA Preview
by John Berkowitz on Jul 27, 2009 7:06 AM PDT
30 comments
Starting his second year of the UCLA Football reclamation project, Coach Rick Neuheisel is attempting to build on a 2008's marginal four-win campaign. Returning sixteen starters (nine on offensive, seven on defense), UCLA appears to have the makings of a solid nucleus.
UCLA's 2008 offense might well be summed up in one word: terrible. Is the return of nine starters good news or bad? The good news is nine starters return, but that might be the bad news too because the real problem is the offensive line. The group couldn't clear way for any running room and they also allowed nearly three sacks per game.
At quarterback Kevin Craft threw 20 interceptions and just seven touchdowns. Kenin Prince won the starting job this spring and brings little experience to the position. Receivers Terrence Austin and Taylor Embree have rarely gotten the opportunity to do much of anything and replacing the departed Kahlil Bell at TB isn't going to be easy. Sophomore Derrick Coleman had an OK frosh campaign, and Christian Ramirez won the starting job this past spring, but if the offensive line can't provide the running room both are going to have a long season being dumped behind the line of scrimmage. Chane Moline returns to FB. Keep an eye on Fr WR Randy Carroll who has the potential to develop into a big time play maker.
In 2008 the UCLA offensive line was 110th nationally in sacks allowed and paved the way for a ground game that averaged only 2.6 yards a carry. Help arrives in the form of Colorado transfer Kai Maiava who will be the starting center in 2009. At LT 6-4, 305-pound sophomore Jeff Baca who played out of neccesity last season returns for his second season. 6-5, 320-pound senior Micah Kia will line up at LG. 6-5, 295-pound junior Sean Sheller will probably start at RT after recovering from a torn ACL. 6-5, 308-pound senior Nick Ekbatani should win the RG position in fall camp.
The defense has a lot more potential than the offense. If UCLA ends up going anywhere in 2009 it will be because the defense was able to carry the offense. DT Brian Price earned all-conference first team honors. Price has the potetnial to be the best defensive lineman in the country before he graduates. Sr Jerzy Siewierski will line up next to Price. On the ends Korey Bosworth and Reginald Stokes have the potential to be solid. Datone Jones is another DE to keep an eye on. UCLA only averaged 1.75 sacks per game last season so they need to get better pressure in 2009 to have a succesful campaign.
OLB Reggie Carter is a guy that will pay on Sunday's. He led the team with 83 tackles in 2008. Akeem Ayers is another LB to keep an eye on who has star potential.
The secondary is led by CB's Alterraun Verner, Aaron Hester and FS Rahim Moore make up a very good secondary that should continue to improve in 2009. Glen Love should be the starter at SS.
DeWayne Walker who had been the UCLA DC for a number of years has departed to become the head coach at New Mexico State. He is succeeded by Chuck Bullough who was promoted from within.
Consensus
The experts don't expect UCLA to go bowling this season. The Bruins will struggle to get the six wins required to do that. The lack of punch on offense should cancel out what has the potential to develop into a very good defense. Despite the lack of high expectations for 2009 Coach Neuheisel is building a winner in Westwood. Bruins fans need to be patient because Rick has recruited well and will continue to do so. UCLA is located in a hotbed of talent and with a charismatic guy like Rick around you can expect top ten recruiting classes every year.
The problem in 2009 is the bulk of the teams future is young and needs this season to mature. Add a third consecutive strong recruiting class in 2010 and the Bruins will be back in the first division competing for titles once again.
Early Prediction
UCLA was terrible last year and Washington certainly would have beaten them if Jake Locker was in the lineup. When UCLA did roll into town he faced a Husky team led by a lame duck coach and missing its biggest playmaker. Even with all that going on the Huskies had ther chances in 2008 against these guys.
Fast forwarding to 2009 the Huskies play the Bruins late in the season on the road in the Rose Bowl. The UCLA series in the Rose Bowl has not been kind to the Huskies. Despite that I have to give the early nod to Washington because if the Huskies are going to be playing in the .500 neighborhood this is one the squads you have to pencil in to beat. I preface it with the usual discaimer and that is if Jake Locker is healthy Washington will beat UCLA and be only a win or two away from bowl qualification in 2009 at this stage of the season.
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I can't wait to see where these guys land in the preseason media poll
I think you’re right on w/ this assessment of UCLA. Maybe a little better on offense and a little worse on D w/ a new DC. I can’t necessarily see them as favorites against Stanford, Arizona, or ASU. 8th place?
Our leather lungs together...
by attakid117 on Jul 27, 2009 10:45 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Our Defense
will be considerably better and our offense will be considerably better. Defense upgrades at 10/11 positions from 2008. Our lone downgrade (at DT) is barely a downgrade. The concerns about a new coordinator are minimal, since he continues with the same system we’ve successfully for the past few seasons.
Also, the critics aren’t universal at all about the upcoming season. Nobody has us below 5 wins, and most analysts put us in the 5-7 range in the regular season. The outlier is Phil Steele, who ranked us third in the PAC-10. On the other hand, he is usually the most accurate… but even as a fan of UCLA I find it difficult to believe we’ll get third. Brian Dohn is another outlier. He has us winning 8 in 2009.
by captainqtp on Jul 27, 2009 6:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Steele is pretty accurate
I have you guys in the 4-6 range which isn’t far off from the 5-7.
I watched UCLA quite a bit last season and I don’t think you were much better than 0-12 Washington with a lame duck coach…in fact we would have beaten you with a healthy Locker.
I do think that the program has a lot of upside in the future but I don’t see you as a first division team going into fall camp.
by John Berkowitz on Jul 27, 2009 6:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
We weren't much better but,
we beat you guys by 20 on your home field. How could you say for certain that Locker is a 20 point difference maker in that game? Its cool to be dedicated and all but that seems extreme.
This year, that same QB that we beat you by 20 with is our 3rd string (and was at the start of the season 2008). We get to play you at the Rose Bowl, where for whatever reason, we play MUCH better.
You are also the only one I’ve seen so far that would give us 4 wins on the low side. We are on lots of people’s most improved lists for 2009 because we are either more talented or more experienced at 21 of 22 of our starting positions on offense and defense and we are lot more deep at our biggest trouble spots in 2008.
by captainqtp on Jul 28, 2009 1:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Locker would've helped, but he isn't the biggest difference.
Getting the fraud of a coach off the sideline is.
While I think UCLA is going to be better than four wins, you’re counting on a lot of things breaking right for you. Prince needs to show he’s a player, and by all accounts, didn’t this spring. Four starters on offense that haven’t played any football since 2007, or even longer in Prince’s case. The Bruins are only going to be as good as their offensive line. That’s a fairly big if at this point.
The Dawgs-Bruins game is going to be a lot closer than you think in 2009.
by Sundodger on Jul 28, 2009 4:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
That game was...
…one sided. We got smoked but I realize that without Locker and Losingham basically packing it in for the season, we should be much better next season.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
by dawgfan22 on Jul 28, 2009 5:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
In fairness to Prince
he didn’t have his starters in front of him at the spring scrimmage. He didn’t look good at first but finished strong. Also, he apparently performed well enough in practice to beat out the #2 QB recruit in California for 2009 and our starter from last year.
Also, those four starters are starting because they are better than the guys we had in 2008. There is no way our offense is as ineffective as last season. We added too much talent in the offseason.
by captainqtp on Jul 29, 2009 3:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Your QB
Has zero experience. That’s huge in this league.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
by dawgfan22 on Jul 28, 2009 5:48 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Fair enough
I was just responding to the idea that Locker was the difference between a 20 point loss and a certain victory, like Berkowitz said. That seems like a big stretch in my mind. I’m not guaranteeing victory for UCLA 2009, I’m just saying that we should probably win if we play you guys at home.
by captainqtp on Jul 29, 2009 3:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
20 Point Loss
As absurd as it seem it is true since the team had folded under Willingham after Locker went down. Washington didn’t show up at all for the last half of the season which happens when the coach is going bye bye.
If the injury to Locker never happens the team would have at least stayed competitive.
I agree the Rose Bowl hasn’t been kind to us when we play UCLA.
by John Berkowitz on Jul 30, 2009 10:04 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
fUCLA will be slightly better this year, but I think we have a good shot against them. Can’t think of any real game-changing players on their squad at all…
by ChazzReinhold on Jul 27, 2009 10:48 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Maybe not on offense, but they do on defense.
Price is a total stud. Carter and Verner are both very good.
UCLA has a great offensive coordinator. They add a couple of talented guys to their line, assuming Sheller can come back from injury. If they can gel at all, they could be much improved. Add in the running back coming back from suspension, the tight end coming back from injury, and the fact that their QB play won’t be worse than last season, and UCLA could be solid.
They’re kind of like Washington right now. There’s a lot more talent on their roster than their record would indicate. There always is.
by Sundodger on Jul 27, 2009 11:21 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
on offense
watch for Morrell Presley and Terrance Austin…both can create matchup problems, but a lot of that will depend on Prince and the OL to be serviceable. We can’t be much worse on offense than last year.
Go Bruins.
by hicalliber on Jul 28, 2009 2:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Everytime I see that picture of the ricker,
I think jean jacket, Billy Squier concert t-shirt, black levis, black and white checkered Vans, and a comb handle folded into a denim velcro wallet.
by Sundodger on Jul 27, 2009 4:24 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
No experience at QB
Which means their is a good chance they will struggle offensively. Ben Olsen has been a walking-talking, bible carrying injury casualty since leaving BYU. I thought this kid had the chance to become the next Troy Aikman, but hell the kid can’t stay out of the trainer’s room. Keep the boot on permenently kid- what a major dissappointing college career it has been for Olsen. He went from No.1 QB prospect in the country as a prep recruit, to BYU for one season, off on a mission, and settled in a foot cast since arriving in Westwood.
Ucla might be a tad better then 4 wins this year, but not much more then that.
All I saw was purple
by crazidawg on Jul 27, 2009 4:46 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Do you have a problem with people carrying bibles?
Last time I checked, so did Tim Tebow!
"Bow Down to Washington"
"Kick the tires and light the fires!"
by Lear Pilot on Jul 28, 2009 10:56 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Do you even know me Lear?
You should know me well enough to know that I am full of sarcasm. It makes for interesting reading and I get sick of the same monologue crap. I want to read stuff that is sarcastic, hilarious, and full of funk and passion.
I am a christian am I bashing his religion? I don’t have a problem sharing the gospel. But I don’t like to be preached to unless I engage in it. With that said, I am sick and tired of hearing Mr. Tebow end all press conferences with the phrase “God bless you”. What the hell is that?
If I want God to bless me, I can ask him for myself- I don’t need some kid, acting like some sort of savior to ask God to bless me. He can spare me all the blessing crap. If you get right down to it, he is using his college football “Heisemen” platform to send a political message. I don’t mind the message once, twice, or even a third time, but the dude always ends with “God bless you”. He really needs to stop because it is becoming an old act. Eventually the media mass is going to grill him on it. Make one minor error in judgement Mr. Tebow. One DUI, one night out on the town frolicking with drunk buddies, one night at a strip club, one night in jail and the media will eat him alive over the God bless you thing. He’s a good kid, but it only takes one time to screw up- ask our Olympic prized swimmer how it felt to screw up just that one time.
All I saw was purple
by crazidawg on Jul 30, 2009 6:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
QB is a problem
UCLA has had trouble keeping QB’s healthy.
by John Berkowitz on Jul 27, 2009 6:57 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
drooling
reading this artical makes me drool. Most every kid you mentioned we tried for and lost out on, Kia, Prince etc. The talent is there at UCLA, plus the Rose jinx that for some inexplicable reason we have muffed our games against UCLA down here in SoCal. I still remember losing to a walk on QB who started second half in 2007, losing to a very patched up UCLA O line in 1999, losing on a freakish penalty on a punt attempt by UCLA which we blocked, and losing in OT as Tui fumbled. I also have seen way too many records set by UCLA against us, JJ STokes, Deshaun Foster etc. Its time to end the streak.
by prrbrr on Jul 27, 2009 10:05 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Agreed...
…we’ve got some seriously bad mojo going with ucla. Hopefully the cards will start to fall our way now. I just remember a couple of games down there recently (2007 and ?) One of them we had a big lead and somehow found a way to let them comeback and win and the other was the one you mentioned where they beat us with a walk-on QB and our defense got blasted on the ground by the ucla running game.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
by dawgfan22 on Jul 28, 2009 11:09 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ucla cont...
I think that was the only Pac-10 program that DJ had a losing record against. I won’t ever forget that game in Husky Stadium in 1990 where if we could have beaten hapless ucla we would have potentially won the NC. I remember listening to the pregame and it was the FIRST game of the season where Don James admitted that “we’re pretty good” That was the second to the last game of the season. Of course later we went to Pullman and pounded the cougs and blasted who ever it was that was in the Rosebowl. I think it might have been Iowa. That was funny too because this guy that I worked with “assured me” that the Hawkeyes were going to manhandle Washington! Too funny!
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
by dawgfan22 on Jul 28, 2009 11:14 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I remember that game
We had clinched the Rose Bowl berth the game before. Speak of a “let down” was whispered from certain corners but the Purple Reign defense was so tough they’d have no problem dealing with UCLA. Then I remember the UCLA taking a long TD run straight through the Defense. It may have been Sharman Shah I can’t remember. The Huskies were flat the whole game and we lost. It was a bummer and made worse by the fact that the ‘91 team didn’t have UCLA on the schedule to get revenge.
The Hawkeyes got crushed pretty easily. Brunell’s tip toe run through the corner of the end zone. Brueners TD catch. We were clearly a superior team.
by murchy on Jul 28, 2009 1:20 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Brunell
He was a true freshman during the NC run. Remember he was huge in the “Whammy in Miami” victory.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
by dawgfan22 on Jul 28, 2009 5:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Brunell or Bruner?
Mark Brunell – QB – was a rs-sophomore
Mark Bruner – TE – was a true freshmen
"Bow Down to Washington"
"Kick the tires and light the fires!"
by Lear Pilot on Jul 29, 2009 3:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ucla vs Washington 1990
They found a way to dink and dunk our defense and although they were beat up (supposedly) they stole one from us AT Husky Stadium! If I’m not mistaken we were huge favorites and that game cost us a NC. James should have stuck to the “we’re not there yet” speak that he’d been using all season. He IS the Dawgfather after all but even he can look back with clairvoyant hindsight!
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
by dawgfan22 on Jul 28, 2009 5:41 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
1992 Rosebowl
Brunell’s tip toe run through the corner of the end zone.
I’m pretty certain that was during the 92 Rosebowl against Michigan. I was at that game and I remember the huge “WOOF!!” sign someone held up after he scored! The place went bonkers!
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
by dawgfan22 on Jul 28, 2009 5:45 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Bad!...
…Hair day!
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
by dawgfan22 on Jul 28, 2009 8:58 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
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