SB Nation - Kahlil Bell

Spaulding Roundup: Jumpstarting The Ground Game, Locker's Readiness & Other Notes

Nestor — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:52:22 -0000

Let's start today's roundup with a focus on our offense. We have talked a lot about Kevin Prince and our passing game getting it going in the fourth quarter of Oregon State game. While we are all anxious to see whether or not Prince can pick up where he left off, we hope the ground game gets back in the groove after having a big day against Cal two weekend ago at the Rose Bowl. For Norm Chow's offense to really get going in Westwood, we will desperately need balance. So far this season we haven't had a game during which both the running and passing game are clicking on all cylinders.

Bruin offense will get that opportunity against the Huskies, who are bringing a defense that is second worst in the conference in stopping the rush and 7th in pass defense. JetSki and his team-mates know that they need to show more consistency. From the Daily News:

"Definitely we need to establish the run; it tires down the (opposing) team, it opens up the pass, it makes the holes a lot bigger in the third and fourth quarter," Franklin said. "Just moving the ball positively is always a good thing, whether it's a long run, short run, whatever."

The problem with the running game hasn't been the long runs.

Last season, behind a shoddy offensive line, the Bruins had just two long runs, one for 44 yards by leading rusher Kahlil Bell and a 40-yard gain by then-freshman Derrick Coleman.

UCLA has four long bursts this year, with Franklin's 74-yard dash against the Bears being the benchmark.

What hurts the Bruins are the difficult short gains, articularly the inability to convert the crucial third-and-short.
"We just have to produce more," senior fullback Chane Moline said. "When our number is called, we have to put confidence in our coaches to call more, especially on third downs and fourth and inches. We can definitely improve on it week to week."

The running game has been an emphasis in practice throughout the week, with coaches trying to get the team to be more physical.

As Neuheisel noted in the same piece it will take a total team effort for our offense to kick start the running game on Saturday:

"Part of it is because of the good defenses we're playing, part is because we've been behind in games and haven't had as many opportunities to run the ball," Neuheisel said. "But also, we have to face the facts that we have to block better and set up the run better. It's a total team effort to correct the running game."

In terms of blocking keep a close eye on our recievers. I don't believe they have given us a consistent effort this season in that department. I am hoping this area will get better in our last four games.

The best thing that can happen for our offense on Saturday is if Prince and co. can come out and get a get in a rhythm early. I think that will soften up the defense, allowing Chow to try stretching them out with the speed of JetSki, Knox and Thigpen. The hopeful part of me thinks that we will be able to pick up where we left off on Sat. We will have to wait and see. More after the jump.

Meanwhile, up in Seattle it looks all but official that Locker is going to be ready on Saturday. From Bob Condotta in the Seattle Times reported that the Washingotn QB "looked just fine" as he "took every snap" during Wednesday's practice. For some reason Sarkasian is still trying to be coy about who is going to start:

UW coach Steve Sarkisian said he was still not ready to say Locker will start or play against UCLA Saturday.

Said Sarkisian: "I thought he moved better today. My big thing with all injuries, especially with something like this, is how they respond. We asked him to move a little more today than we did yesterday. The key for me is how he responds tomorrow. I'll be able to make a better assessment Thursday in how he responded from today.''

Asked about Locker's workload, he said it was "pretty much'' the same as normal. "We put Ronnie in for a few more plays than normal, but for the most part, it was about the same.''

Asked if he was surprised by Jake's ability to move around, he said "No. Like everything, I don't try and make expectations based on hope. I just go with what I see and the facts. I don't try and expect things in hoping for them. I kind of wait and see what they look like.''

Asked how his recovery is going, Sarkisian said: "He got through yesterday fine with a little bit of movement. He came back today and moved better, which was encouraging. We asked him to move more, he moved better. Now the key is going to be tomorrow to see how he responds.''

Asked if he still intends for it to be a game-time decision, he said: "I'd rather it not be. I'd rather, for the sake of our football team, to be able to make that decision so everyone know where we're at, one way or another. If it comes to that, it comes to that.''

Yeah, Ok. Whatever. Obvious no one is going to buy those public comments. I think we can reasonable expect UCLA coaches to totally disregard that kind of coachspeak.

As for other injury related knows Morrell Presley suffered a shoulder sprin after getting lit up free safety Dalton Hillard. Randal Carroll also left the practice with a groin injury. No updates on those guys. It looks like Aaron Hester is going to be out for a while after making his attempt to come back last weekend. From the LA Times:

Hester is expected to have an X-ray today.

"It doesn't feel broken, it's just real tender," Hester said. "I can't do anything explosive off it.

"They told me if I didn't practice [Wednesday] that I wouldn't play this week. It stinks, but I don't want to shatter my leg."

Well at this point I rather have the coaches use as much caution as possible with Hester. They were doing it to begin with yet the beat reporters were playing up the stories about Hester's frustrations from being out and how the coaches were not working him back into the mix. It sure looks like coaches in this case were doing the right thing by taking the cautious route all along.

Lastly, Jon Gold has a a huge story on ATV missing out on a potential game winning interception (potential pick 6) last weekend in Corvallis. Not sure I want to dwell over it. ATV is a great Bruin. I really believe he will have more chances to do something special during the last 4 regular season games of his great Bruin career. He is just one of many reasons to stick with our team during this month of Novermber. Hopefully it will be one we remember (for all the right reason) for a long time.

GO BRUINS.

Roundup From BN Walk: New Commitment For UCLA, Another Football Preview & Other Notes

Nestor — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:39:42 -0000

Let's start the Thursday with some good news from the football front. Looks like Neuheisel picked up another solid recruit securing a commitment from former Birmingham Senior HS grad Marquis Johnson, who is one of the best JUCO DEs in the country. Brian Dohn reports on the committment (HT muircoach):

"It was humbling. It was different," the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Jackson said of the junior college experience. "Although I was a good athlete, it was not just like I was going to go somewhere based on my talent. I had to take care of academics.

"Once I got dropped by Fresno State, things started changing. I wasn't ready to give up. Once I knew in high school I wasn't going anywhere, I had to get on my game."

Jackson and his mother, Robin, met with UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel and defensive line coach Todd Howard on Wednesday and committed.

His twin brother, Malik, plays at USC.

"It's time for us to separate," Marquis Jackson said. "We've been together for 18 years. I think it's a good time to separate. When I first started getting offers, I had no idea where I was going to go. I need to be in California. It's the best place for me. It's home. UCLA came out to be the best option."

As always, we have to see how this all pans out because of our recent history of JUCO commits who weren't able to fulful their academic obligations. Per Dohn Jackson still has "coursework to complete" as he plans to enroll at UCLA for 2010's winter quarter. So good luck to him both off and on the field this fall.

As mentioned above he was a standout at Birmingham High School (also attended by current Bruins such as Milton Knox and Donovan Carter). Here are some highlights from his high school days:

Marquis Jackson (via noseguard59)

He sure looks like a beast and probably explains why he had offers as JUCO recruit from schools such as LSU, ASU, Oregon and others. Anyways, it's key committment given DL is such a huge area of need for the football program. You can see our full committment list here. Roundup down the BN walk continues after the jump ...

Of course UCLA recruiting will be impacted by the kind of season we are going to have on the field this coming year. We have maintained that if Bruins are able to show tangible improvement (record wise) from this past season and show that they are moving in the right direction, recruiting will get even better. Overwhelming majority of the previews we have seen this season have essential set the expectations line around 6 or 7 wins and I think that is just about right. Jake from Oregon State's Building The Dam just wrote up his UCLA season preview this week that hits many of the themes we have been discussing on BN this off season. It will all come down to our OL:

As discussed above, the offensive line is the major area of concern for the Bruins this season, but a lot of players have been able to gain valuable experience. Will they be able to put it to use? Sophomore left guard Jeff Baca, sophomore senior Kia Maiava, and junior left tackle Sean Sheller are the leaders of the group. If the offensive line can be somewhat successful, the Bruins will be able to move the ball easier, which means less reps for the defense, which could go a long way to getting UCLA back to the .500 mark.

That is exactly right. Jake does need to however, update the details re. our RB situation. Jake observes:

The success of the rushing game will have a lot to do with how the offensive line fares. Kahlil Bell is gone, but sophomore Derrick Coleman and fullback Chane Moline return. Coleman averaged just under 30 yards per game last season, and Moline checked in at just under 10 yards per game. Sophomore Raymond Carter, who appeared in seven games last season, figures to also be in the mix.

Of course from what we have heard it will be Christian Ramirez who will most likely come in as the number 1 starter at the RB spot this fall. Coleman will be the number 2 guy at this snap shot of time with Jonathan Franklin (who apparently has shown a lot of promise at Spaulding) at number 3. Carter has transferred out this off seaosn. I am sure Moline will be in the mix as a seasoned veteran and we can't forget about Milton Knox who could break out this August. But for now Ramirez, Coleman and Franklin are going to be the guys getting their shots. Rest of Jake's preview is a solid read, which you should do so by heading over to BTD.

Elswhere, on the Ben Ball front KL has been playing hoops at the UCLA mens gym. His former head coach really appreciates it:

Kevin Love is playing pickup with our current players this week. He likes our young guys. It's good to have him around- such a smart player.

Well I know if I was taking summer classes in Westwood, I'd stop by to see those outlet passes flying towards ML and JA (assuming they are also playing with KL and the gang). That would beat watching the replay of old football games currently on Fox Sports West during this dead off season.

Lastly, UCLA's What's Bruin Blog has a cool update on former baseball alum Tim Murphy putting together dominating performances in the minor leagues. For a full list of former UCLA ballplayers in the minor leagues go here. Late this afternoon rye will continue with his analysis/reflections from his recent meeting with Savage. Today he is going to tackle the facility related questions and concerns about UCLA baseball. So stay tuned.

GO BRUINS.

Playing the Numbers Game: New Vikings Get Their Numbers

Gonzo — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 22:44:19 -0000

According to Access Vikings, the newest members of the team have all gotten their new numbers. Here they are. . .at least when I get that Harvin jersey in a few weeks, I'll know what number is on it.

Vikings' Draftees

Percy Harvin (WR, Florida) - #12

Phil Loadholt (OT, Oklahoma) - #71

Asher Allen (CB, Georgia) - #30

Jasper Brinkley (LB, South Carolina) - #54

Jamarca Sanford (S, Mississippi) - #33

Vikings' Undrafted Free Agents

Sean Glennon (QB, Virginia Tech) - #6

Nick Moore (WR, Toledo) - #14

Vinny Perretta (WR, Boise State) - #15

Kahlil Bell (RB, UCLA) - #36

Ian Johnson (RB, Boise State) - #42

Devon Hall (S, Utah State) - #44 (Chuck Foreman's number? Really?)

Robert Francois (LB, Boston College) - #57

Tremaine Johnson (DT, Louisiana State) - #67

Jon Cooper (C, Oklahoma) - #68

Bobby Lepori (OT, Fresno State) - #72

Andy Kemp (G, Wisconsin) - #78

Nick Walker (TE, Alabama) - #89

Antoine Holmes (DT, North Carolina State) - #97

Feeling Alright

Nestor — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 16:03:18 -0000

Bruins got a much needed win last night in Seattle. Even though it is clear what Washington is perhaps one of the worst teams in the history of the Pac-10 conference (along with Washington State), I think folks shouldn’t be dismissive of the effort our guys put together last night in Seattle.

Earlier in the day I was watching a Michigan team going through the same rebuilding pains we are experiencing during the first year of a new regime. Seeing the Wolverines struggle against Northwestern (which is having a good season) in the Big House and tumble to a 3-8 record was something that put what we have been going through in perspective.

After beating Washington we now have a record of 4-6, keeping alive a shot at a minor bowl game. As I said during the game threads, I don’t think our team is as mediocre as our 4-6 record indicates, just like we weren’t as good as that 10-2 record from the 2005-06 season. I think if we had either Pat Cowan or Ben Olson healthy for an entire season, I could see our team winning at least 3 games out of Arizona, Fresno State, Oregon, Cal and Oregon State. So, given all we have gone through this year with our injury and personnel issues, I am feeling all right with where we are at this point of this season:

Photo Credit:John Froschauer / Associated Press (via the LA Times)

So with the macro stuff out of the way, here are some the micro issues going through my mind this Sunday

Craft had a good start last night but after a solid first series he reverted back to some of the same habits that have plagued our team all season along. He threw three picks. The first one was not his fault as Dominique Johnson simply dropped a catchable pass. The other two were indefensible (one he threw into traffic trying to thread the needle, the other was a badly overthrown ball). He also gave up a sure TD when instead of running into the endzone, he inexplicably tried a shovel pass dumbfounding the entire Bruin Nation. There is not much to add to the Craft story at this point of the season. The kid is playing his heart out. He is being a warrior. But what is obvious to all of us is a best he is a below average QB. I don’ t think he is the worst QB in UCLA history because I don’t believe QBs like Brett Johnson, Rob Walker, Ryan Fien or Ryan McCann had the moxie and toughness Craft has shown this season. But at the same time Craft hasn’t done much to cement himself as the returning starter for next season.

Still if anyone is clamoring for Forcier, just consider the fact that even after the game was long over late in the fourth quarter, Forcier was nowhere to be seen. It is clear to me that Chow and Neuheisel have concluded based on his observations that Forcier is not a viable option as a UCLA QB. If that is their decision, I am going to defer to their experience as probably the best QB guru tandem in all of college football.

While the Craft is cemented as the starter at QB this season, the running back position is becoming intriguing. Derrick Coleman started last night. Per Dohn’s report he got the start because Bell was disciplined for being late into a team meeting:

"Kahlil was late for a meeting," UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel said.

Bell, who has been bothered by a sprained ankle much of the season, carried 25 times and scored on a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs. His plunge in the second quarter gave the Bruins a 14-7 lead, and his dive over the pile on the first play of the fourth quarter put the Bruins ahead 24-7.

"I think he's gradually getting better, and with another bye (next) week he may be getting fresher," Neuheisel said about Bell. "We'll probably nurse him more and see if we can get him even better for two weeks."

However, what got the Bruins' stagnant running game untracked was Coleman's performance on the first series. He carried four times on it, finishing with an 11-yard run around left end for UCLA's first opening drive touchdown of the season.

"Derrick Coleman came in and gave a huge spark to our offense," Bell said. "That set the tone for the game, especially controlling the line of scrimmage."

Everyone here knows, how much I love Coleman. I love his running style. He is a straight ahead North-South runner, who doesn’t dance around and waste time. He makes his decision fast and just pounds it. The energy and power he brought in that first drive was noticeable. I can only hope the coaches increase his carries even more in last two games. As for Bell, the kid is playing like a warrior. It’s obvious he doesn’t have the full power and menu of moves from last year. However, what was encouraging that he was getting stronger. It was great to see Carter make an appearance and he showed a burst of speed. But I guess I totally missed Aundre Dean’s 3 carries (for 9 yards) late in the fourth. So, you guys will have to fill me in on how he looked.

Hopefully our OL can generate the same kind of holes for our backs in our next game. Last night gave them a much needed confidence boost. Let’s hope they can maintain it.

As for our defense, it was mostly dominant:

With the running game, which averaged just 77.8 yards per game this season, in full swing, UCLA's defense was also dominant. The Bruins allowed a season-low 135 yards and tormented freshman Washington quarterback Ronnie Fouch -- a Redlands East Valley High graduate -- all night.

"We didn't scout them to blitz that much," Fouch said. "They blitzed a lot more than we thought they would."

Fouch was 7 for 22 for 39 yards and threw two interceptions and was sacked twice. Washington (0-10, 0-7) turned the ball over five times and averaged just 3.2 yards per carry against a UCLA defense that blitzed more than it had all season and looked like it had a different mind-set than it had of late.

"We went all four quarters," said safety Rahim Moore, who had an interception and a team-high six tackles. "That was the best defensive game we've played all year. We came out here and got a nice win and it feels really good."

Rahim Moore had a great game. As did Akeem Ayers. Ayers was simply a menace. He was the catalyst in two of Washington’s 5 turnovers while registering 2 sacks for a loss of 15 yards. He terrorized Fouch all night by repeatedly blowing through the Husky OL like a guided missile going straight after the QB. Given the way Ayers has emerged this year and the solid play from Carter and Sloan, the future at our LB is looking great.

In addition to those two ATV and Norris had great games. I can’t remember who it was on, but ATV put on a bone crushing hit on a Husky player that would have made Matt Darby proud.

My only two complaints re. the defense from last night was first, early on they looked a little tentative against the run. Also, I thought they folded a little too easy in giving up the TD when they were put in a short field after Craft’s pick. Still all in all a great effort and I hope they can replicate that for an entire game against Arizona State in about couple of weeks. It would have them peaking going into the biggest game of the season.

In terms of injuries and personnel issues, here are the notes from the LAT:

Quarterback Ben Olson, who is recovering from a broken foot, did not make the trip to Seattle. . . . Olson, who is recovering from a broken foot suffered in the summer, has been trying to get back onto the field before the season ends.

He took snaps in practice during the week but had to back off. Neuheisel said he did not travel with the team because he would not have been ready to play.

UCLA offensive lineman Darius Savage tore a ligament in his left ankle during the first half of Saturday night's game at Washington. Savage will require surgery.

The note re. Savage is a huge bummer, especially considering the great start our OL had last night. Here is to hoping a full and healthy recovery.Glicksberg took over for Savage last night.

As for Olson, I wonder where did the broadcasters last night got the info re. Olson being at the game last night.

Speaking of broadcasters, one side note. I am getting sick and tired of announcers bloviating about CRN and Craft’s sideline discussions. It is pointless and tiresome. Guess what guys? I like the fact that my head coach is coaching his heart out and showing passion and care for his players. That’s how CRN has coached QBs all his life and he has a track record to back him up. The announcers commenting on CRN’s sideline discussions with Craft is just about as tiresome about reading knee jerk, reactionary comments about wanting Forcier, beating a dead horse. It’s boring and pointless.

Lastly, speaking of CRN we will end this Sunday by closing the loop on Washington-Neuheisel-UCLA story line:

"Emotional," Neuheisel said in describing his Montlake return. "Pleasantly, there were a lot of friendly faces. There's a number of great people here at the University of Washington. Contrary to all the articles and stuff, my memories are mostly favorable. I understand the messy ending. I apologized for my role in it. I'm hoping we can put this behind us as both programs look to the future."

CRN didn't mention it ... we will ... that was his 70th win in his 9th year as a head coach in college football.

Washington drama is certainly behind us now and we can now look forward to Arizona State.

Enjoy a feel good Sunday.

GO BRUINS.

Cal Numbers & Notes: v. Bear Defense

Nestor — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:00:06 -0000

So let’s start look through some of the numbers of our next opponent (focusing on their defense). Cal is coming into this game with a record of 4-2 and right in the thick of the race for the Rose Bowl with 1 loss in conference play. Yet there is a sense of discomfort up in Strawberry Canyon. Mario Gomez from CalSportsDigest has a little recap of the “up and down” first half of 2008 season (excerpting here since the article wasn’t behind a subscription firewall at the time I wrote this post):

California’s season has been up and down thus far through the first half of 2008. The win over Michigan State to start the season looked huge until the Spartans were plastered 45-7 by Ohio State this past weekend. They subsequently fell out of the top 25. The opening road loss at Maryland looked very bad on September 13; however, the Terps are now 5-2 and in contention for the ACC Atlantic division title. Nonetheless, last Saturday night’s showing in Tucson was arguably Cal’s worst performance of the year.

The Bears built a solid 10-point halftime lead only to be outscored 28-3 in the third quarter to lose 42-27. The loss not only knocked Cal out of the top 25, but also it came against a Pac-10 foe, a foe the Bears should have beaten. Now, at 4-2 and 2-1 in conference, the Bears face an uphill battle to secure one of the conference's top three bowl slots. Cal should be able to lock up a bowl berth regardless with three of the four remaining home games coming against Pac-10 teams with records at .500 or below. Yet just one week ago, it looked like Cal had a great shot to be in the top 15 heading into its matchup with USC on November 8.

With goals readjusted, quarterbacks issues still unresolved, no proven wide receivers, and the lack of an effective game plan, Cal must regroup midway and not fold as it did last season.

I wouldn’t get too giddy about Cal’s roller coaster ride though. Jon Wilner from the San Jose Mercury News gives us another perspective on Cal’s 2008 season:

On the whole, the Bears have played well this season. But they’ve had two miserable quarters: The first at Maryland and the third at Arizona.

In those 30 minutes, they’ve been outscored 42-6. In the other 330 minutes, the tally is 218-90 in their favor.

So can the Bruins count on Cal imploding for a quarter next Saturday? Well the odds are overwhelmingly against us (not a shocker that we are 18 point dogs) at this point. Cal is also looking at UCLA as the “perfect opponent” to rebound from last weekend’s loss. From Mario again:

UCLA is a perfect opponent for the Bears to rebound and get back in the win column. The Bruins are fresh off a 23-20 win over Stanford at the Rose Bowl, but they have struggled on the road. UCLA is averaging just 307.7 yards of total offense per game, including less than 100 yards rushing per game. Cal’s stout rush defense was exploited by Arizona, but UCLA should not be able to have the same success. True freshman running back Derrick Coleman has rushed for 191 yards this season for the UCLA. Khalil Bell has added 187 – only averaging 2.5 yard per carry – through an injury-riddled season. Quarterback Kevin Craft has been effective at times, but he can be mistake prone. He has thrown for 1,518 yards and seven touchdowns, but has completed just 58.5% of his passes.

So with those notes in the background here are the statistics matching up the Bruin offense v. the Bear defense:

Bruin Offense	07 Rank	Per Game	Bear Defense	07 Rank	Per Game
Rushing Offense	9	90.86	Rushing Defense	3	109.00
Pass Offense	6	216.86	Pass Defense	7	200.50
Pass Eff. Offense	7	111.68	Pass Eff. Defense	3	102.43
Total Offense	9	307.71	Total Defense	4	309.50
Scoring Offense	7	20.43	Scoring Defense	3	22.00

This is a better Bear defensive unit than the one against which we pulled of a Dorrellian upset win last season. The Bears changed up their defensive scheme to 3-4 after running a base 4-3 set in previous seasons. One of the main reasons behind this change was to take advantage of good linebackers on the Bear’s roster (or another way to look at it would be to mask shortage of good “linemen”). From Rivals.com’s pre season preview:

STRONGEST AREA: The move to the 3-4 wouldn't be possible if Cal didn't have four potential starting linebackers. The Bears' three starting linebackers from last year return. Two 100-plus tacklers, Worrell Williams and Anthony Felder, will play inside. Mike Mohamed, who had 46 tackles as a true freshman in a backup role, will team with Follett at outside linebacker.

BIGGEST PROBLEM: Cal is attempting to mask its troubles by using three down linemen. End Tyson Alualu, tackle Mika Kane and tackle/end Cody Jones are returning starters, but lackluster line play was a big reason the Bears were last in the Pac-10 in sacks and tackles for loss. Davis can be a playmaker at the other end spot, but he has not played a full season in his career.

OVERVIEW: Cal returns enough experience and talent to be competitive, especially if the transition to the 3-4 goes smoothly. The linebacker corps isn't quite as good as USC's, but Cal can make a strong case for No. 2 in the league at the position. Junior Syd'Quan Thompson and sophomore Chris Conte form a solid cornerback tandem, but the secondary needs a replacement for free safety Thomas DeCoud - last season's leading tackler. The new free safety is expected to be Marcus Ezeff, who started four times at strong safety last season. Bernard Hicks is back, and he started the bulk of the games at strong safety.

Well so far this season the Bear rush defense had done pretty well until it was mauled for 140 yards by Arizona’s back up freshman running back. The tackling from Cal's secondary was also pretty sloppy. I don't expect that to be the case this weekend in Berkeley. I think it will be a huge challenge for the Bruin offense to get a running game going against a ticked off Bear’s defense.

As we have mentioned ad nausea one thing I would really like to see is coaches increasing the reps for Coleman at Bell’s expense. I think we will be better served by going with Bell’s explosiveness right out of the gate.

Also, I am not too sure about whether we want to get into a lot of the same trick packages we have already shown in last few games. I like the combination of Forcier of Craft out there with Forcier running the option. But I think at this point you can bet that Cal’s defense will have that play scouted out pretty well. If any of you can go back through your DVRs and isolate that package, it would be interesting to hear whether there were any one open for a short pass underneath. I think that package will work better if Forcier can show he has the ability to throw it, otherwise the defense will tee off him whenever they line up in that formation again. Just my 2 cents.

As for Craft, he must get off to a good start. We can probably expect him to be under duress from the Cal front-7 as they are current 3rd in the conference in terms of sacks (and I don’t need to go over our troubles in terms of giving up sacks). It will be imperative for Craft to make quick, smart decisions and have a better pocket presence than what we saw from him in that first half of the Stanford game. Also, I imagine Chow might put together a scheme moving him away from the pressure in designed rollouts, so that he can be situated from a better launch point to throw at his targets.

Again, the Bruin offense cannot afford to make any mistakes. To echo what CRN said during half time of Stanford game, our guys can’t try to make plays they don’t practice. We will move on to notes re. Cal’s offense tomorrow am. That will follow my notes on expectations/predictions re. this upcoming Ben Ball season in about couple of hours.

GO BRUINS.

Inside The Numbers: UCLA Edition

TwistNHook — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:46:01 -0000

via www.impawards.com

If John Cusak's turn in "The Sure Thing" taught us anything (tho I'm pretty sure it didn't) it's that UCLA girls are incredibly loose and you need to travel across the country for one. Even when there is a perfectly better girl right there, just STARING you in the back of the head in a slightly disapproving manner while wearing the world's ugliest sweater.

This is the choice many high school students face when they apply to UCLA and Cal. They think they want to go to UCLA. They think that UCLA is the "Sure Thing." It will give you whatever you want. But then they get down there and realize that Cal is the slightly disapproving one in the world's ugliest sweater. Cal is the "Right Thing."

Or so I coulda figured out if UCLA had accepted me for undergrad. Coulda gone down there and found out why I should have gone to Cal instead. Or if they had accepted for law school, too. Coulda gone down there a second time and found out why I should have gone to Boalt instead. Had they accepted me!

Basically, my point is this "WTF, UCLA??? Was I not GOOD enough for you? Look at these cheek bones. Just look at them! Was it because I'm Jewish? Is that it? Is it anti-semitism?"

Yep, I'm pretty sure it was anti-semitism. I, for one, can see no other explanation.

Is that the same reason why SBN turned down my original request to start a UCLA sports blog in 2004. They claimed that The applicant seemingly doesn't know really anything about sports, UCLA sports, or even UCLA." That didn't stop them from giving me this Cal blog, did it? What's it going to be, Blez? Why didn't my stupidity preclude me running a Cal blog?

Wait, don't answer that. Instead,let's go inside the numbers of the school that rejected me twice. Woulda been a third time if I ever lived the dream of applying to Clown College.

All numbers are from here.

                            The Automated ScoreBook
               UCLA Overall Team Statistics (as of Oct 18, 2008)
                                   All games

TEAM STATISTICS                        UCLA          OPP
--------------------------------------------------------
SCORING.......................          143          204
  Points Per Game.............         20.4         29.1
FIRST DOWNS...................          123          136
  Rushing.....................           34           61
  Passing.....................           74           67
  Penalty.....................           15            8
RUSHING YARDAGE...............          636         1278
  Yards gained rushing........          825         1445
  Yards lost rushing..........          189          167
  Rushing Attempts............          224          269
  Average Per Rush............          2.8          4.8
  Average Per Game............         90.9        182.6
  TDs Rushing.................            7           11
PASSING YARDAGE...............         1518         1228
  Att-Comp-Int................    254-147-7    205-112-5
  Average Per Pass............          6.0          6.0
  Average Per Catch...........         10.3         11.0
  Average Per Game............        216.9        175.4
  TDs Passing.................            7           13
TOTAL OFFENSE.................         2154         2506
  Total Plays.................          478          474
  Average Per Play............          4.5          5.3
  Average Per Game............        307.7        358.0
KICK RETURNS: #-Yards.........       31-734       26-607
PUNT RETURNS: #-Yards.........       18-188       22-356
INT RETURNS: #-Yards..........          5-6         7-81
KICK RETURN AVERAGE...........         23.7         23.3
PUNT RETURN AVERAGE...........         10.4         16.2
INT RETURN AVERAGE............          1.2         11.6
FUMBLES-LOST..................         10-6         12-4
PENALTIES-Yards...............       36-308       51-416
  Average Per Game............         44.0         59.4
PUNTS-Yards...................      45-1963      39-1566
  Average Per Punt............         43.6         40.2
  Net punt average............         33.9         33.8
TIME OF POSSESSION/Game.......        30:42        29:18
3RD-DOWN Conversions..........       45/111       39/101
  3rd-Down Pct................          41%          39%
4TH-DOWN Conversions..........          2/6          2/4
  4th-Down Pct................          33%          50%
SACKS BY-Yards................        12-81       21-127
MISC YARDS....................            0           37
TOUCHDOWNS SCORED.............           16           26
FIELD GOALS-ATTEMPTS..........        10-13         8-13
ON-SIDE KICKS.................          0-1          0-0
RED-ZONE SCORES...............    22-27 81%    23-27 85%
RED-ZONE TOUCHDOWNS...........    14-27 52%    18-27 67%
PAT-ATTEMPTS..................    15-16 94%    24-25 96%
ATTENDANCE....................       338295       122881
  Games/Avg Per Game..........      5/67659      2/61440
  Neutral Site Games..........                       0/0

SCORE BY QUARTERS     1st  2nd  3rd  4th  OT     Total
--------------------  ---  ---  ---  ---  ---      ---
UCLA................   21   35   36   48    3  -   143
Opponents...........   31   90   43   40    0  -   204

Well, the first thing that jumps out at you is that UCLA has been outscored. Losing 4 quadrillion to nothing to BYU will do that to you. They've given up more first downs than they have gotten.

Same with rushing yardage. They average 90.9 per game, but allow 182.6. Given our rush-heavy offense, I like those numbers. Now, there are some concerns with the OLine. But if Cal plays to the level we know it can, we should be able to rush against these guys.

But their passing numbers are different. Craft has rebounded from his terrible 1st half performance against Tennessee to become a decent, if cannibalistic QB. And they do have about 300 more passing yards than their opponents. They only give up 175 passing yards per game, so their pass D is for real.

Another reason why we might see a LOT of rushing this weekend. Best. Vereen. Perhaps even Slocum.

Note that they have 111 third downs. I feel like Cal had something like 58 or so. That could be that UCLA is having a lot of 3 and outs or that UCLA is making long drives, it's unclear. I personally have no data to back this up, but cannot imagine that having 111 3rd downs is a good sign. They do convert 41%, which was higher than Cal's 33% (IIRC).

Note that many (myself included) were laughing at how empty the Rose Bowl appeared against Stanford on Saturday. However, they average 67,000+ K per game. I believe we averaged about 61. So, perhaps we shouldn't have been laughing so hard. Ai!

RUSHING              GP-GS  Att Gain Loss  Net   Avg  TD Long Avg/G
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Coleman, Derrick      5-0    32  192    1  191   6.0   1   44  38.2

Bell, Kahlil          5-5    71  209   22  187   2.6   5   13  37.4
Moline, Chane         7-4    28  126    8  118   4.2   0   40  16.9
Craft, Kevin          7-7    58  183  132   51   0.9   0   18   7.3
Austin, Terrence      7-6     5   49    0   49   9.8   0   20   7.0
Carter, Raymond       3-0    19   38   12   26   1.4   1    7   8.7
Forcier, Chris        3-0     6   27    8   19   3.2   0   13   6.3

Dean, Aundre          2-0     2    1    0    1   0.5   0    1   0.5
Team                  5-0     3    0    6   -6  -2.0   0    0  -1.2
Total..........       7     224  825  189  636   2.8   7   44  90.9
Opponents......       7     269 1445  167 1278   4.8  11   69 182.6

Their main man here is Khalil Bell. He has more than twice the number of the next running back. I'm not going to count Craft's 58 run attempts, because he is averaging .9 per attempt. Ai! A lot of that comes from sacks, which account for 132 lost rushing yards. He has rushed for 183 positive yards, which is a sign that he is a mobile QB.

Back to Bell, who is their main guy and is averaging 2.6 yards per carry. But I think Bell has been bothered by injuries and has been in and out of the game. They also have Derrick Coleman, who is running remarkably better. He averages 6 yards a carry and is actually averaging more per game than Bell. These are the guys to keep your eyes on regarding the UCLA running game.

Khalil Bell Via Zoo News

Derrick Coleman Via Zoo News

PASSING              GP-GS   Effic Cmp-Att-Int   Pct  Yds  TD Lng Avg/G
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Craft, Kevin          7-7   112.99  147-251-7   58.6 1518   7  43 216.9
Team                  5-0     0.00    0-2-0      0.0    0   0   0   0.0
Forcier, Chris        3-0     0.00    0-1-0      0.0    0   0   0   0.0
Total..........       7     111.66  147-254-7   57.9 1518   7  43 216.9
Opponents......       7     121.00  112-205-5   54.6 1228  13  52 175.4

Well, here we get to Kevin Craft of the Norwegian Metal Band Dark Crafticka. Again, the QB efficiency ratings always confuse me, but I don't know if 112.99 is all that good. It says he has thrown 7 TDs here. I believe it said he has thrown 7 Ints above. Although to be fair, 4 of those were in the first game.

It notes that he has thrown 251 pass attempts in his first 7 games. That's 35.8 a game! Not a good sign and that stems from being behind so much in many games. Craft is developing into a better QB, for sure, but is still not exactly where many UCLA fans wish him to be.

Kevin Craft via www.gawker.com

RECEIVING            GP-GS  No.  Yds   Avg  TD Long Avg/G
---------------------------------------------------------
Austin, Terrence      7-6    36  363  10.1   1   29  51.9
Moya, Ryan            7-2    29  279   9.6   3   39  39.9
Embree, Taylor        7-5    25  324  13.0   0   43  46.3

Johnson, Dominique    7-2    18  208  11.6   0   24  29.7
Moline, Chane         7-4    10   94   9.4   1   20  13.4
Bell, Kahlil          5-5     6   29   4.8   0   13   5.8
Rosario, Nelson       5-0     5   85  17.0   0   25  17.0
Harkey, Cory          7-3     4   34   8.5   1   13   4.9
Miller, Jeff          5-1     4   27   6.8   1   15   5.4

Ketchum, Gavin        6-1     3   25   8.3   0   15   4.2
Coleman, Derrick      5-0     3    7   2.3   0    5   1.4
Paulsen, Logan        1-1     1   18  18.0   0   18  18.0
Everett, Marcus       2-1     1   17  17.0   0   17   8.5
Theriot, Trevor       3-2     1    5   5.0   0    5   1.7
Chandler, Nate        7-2     1    3   3.0   0    3   0.4
Total..........       7     147 1518  10.3   7   43 216.9
Opponents......       7     112 1228  11.0  13   52 175.4

Terrence Austin is the main man here, but they do spread the ball around. Moya and Embree are all getting a lot of looks. Note that none of their RBs seem to get a lot of receptions. I always thought that Norm Chow's offenses tried to use the RBs out of the backfield a lot, but either a)I was wrong or b)he doesn't really have the talent here to do that. Not really much to see here, just a complement of solid WRs.

Terrence Austin Via Zoo News

Ryan Moya Via Zoo News

Taylor Embree Via Zoo News



                              |--------Tackles--------| |-Sacks-| |---Pass Def---| |-Fumbles-| Blkd
DEFENSIVE LEADERS       GP-GS Solo  Ast Total   TFL/Yds   No-Yds  Int-Yds BrUp QBH Rcv-Yds  FF Kick Saf
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
51 Carter, Reggie         7-7   24   26    50   2.5-3       .        .       .   .    .      2    .   .
1  Verner, Alterraun      7-7   34   13    47   1.5-4       .       2-0      7   .    .      1    .   .
2E Lockett, Bret          6-6   28   17    45   2.0-8       .        .       1   .    .      1    .   .
93 Harwell, Brigham       7-7   22   16    38   3.5-11   1.0-8       .       2   1   1-0     .    .   .
55 Bosworth, Korey        7-7   19   12    31   6.5-23   3.5-17      .       4   .   1-1     .    .   .
0C Moore, Rahim           7-7   18   11    29      .        .       1-5      1   .   1-0     .    .   .
40 Ayers, Akeem           7-2   16    9    25   3.0-28   2.0-23      .       1   .    .      .    1   .
22 Norris, Michael        7-7   19    5    24   1.0-2       .        .       8   .    .      .    .   .
12 Hale, John             7-5   14    7    21      .        .        .       .   .    .      .    .   .
92 Price, Brian           7-7   11    8    19   7.0-27   2.5-14     1-1      1   .    .      .    1   .
56 Blake, Tom             5-5    9    8    17   1.0-6    1.0-6       .       5   .    .      .    .   .
0G Viney, Countney        6-0   13    2    15      .        .        .       .   .    .      .    .   .
43 Sloan, Steve           7-5    7    6    13      .        .        .       .   .    .      .    .   .
91 Stokes, Reggie         7-2    6    6    12   1.0-2       .        .       .   1    .      .    1   .
27 Ware, Aaron            6-1    8    4    12      .        .        .       .   .    .      .    .   .
2A Westgate, Sean         7-0    3    7    10   0.5-2       .        .       .   .    .      .    .   .
54 Bosworth, Kyle         2-2    8    1     9   1.0-3       .        .       1   .    .      1    .   .
2J Love, Glenn            7-0    6    2     8      .        .        .       .   .    .      1    .   .
6  Dye, Tony              6-0    4    2     6      .        .        .       .   .    .      .    .   .
47 Anyanwu, Chinonso      7-0    3    3     6   1.0-7    1.0-7       .       .   .    .      1    .   .
8E Carter, David          7-0    2    4     6      .        .        .       .   1    .      .    .   .
90 Siewierski, Jerzy      6-0    4    .     4   2.0-4       .        .       1   .    .      .    .   .
96 Jones, Datone          5-0    2    1     3      .        .        .       .   .    .      .    .   .
50 Moline, Chase          6-0    2    1     3   0.5-2       .        .       .   .    .      .    .   .
TM Team                   5-0    3    .     3   3.0-6       .        .       .   .    .      .    .   .
74 Skaggs, Nathanial      4-0    2    .     2   1.0-6    1.0-6       .       .   .    .      .    .   .
3  Craft, Kevin           7-7    2    .     2      .        .        .       .   .    .      .    .   .
10 Ketchum, Gavin         6-1    1    1     2      .        .        .       .   .    .      .    .   .
57 Dean, Jake             6-5    1    .     1      .        .        .       .   .    .      .    .   .
5B Yount, Christian       7-0    .    1     1      .        .        .       .   .    .      .    .   .
44 Chandler, Nate         7-2    .    1     1      .        .        .       .   .    .      .    .   .
53 Edwards, Joshua        4-0    .    1     1      .        .        .       .   .    .      .    .   .
82 Embree, Taylor         7-5    1    .     1      .        .        .       .   .    .      .    .   .
52 Ward, Jess             3-0    1    .     1      .        .       1-0      .   .    .      .    .   .
41 Schmitt, Mike          7-0    .    .     .      .        .        .       .   .   1-0     .    .   .
   Total..........        7-0  293  175   468    38-144   12-81     5-6     32   3   4-1     7    3   .
   Opponents......        7-0  316  130   446    46-183   21-127    7-81    46  11   6-0     8    2   .

The first name to note here is Alterraun Verner. He is a stud DB. 47 totals is great, although having your #2 guy and leading solo tackler be a DB might not always be the best. 2 interceptions, leading the team. And 7 pass break ups, only 1 less than SydGOD. He's clearly a guy to watch for.

Reggie Carter, the leading tackler, is a LB, so that is a more reassuring sign to UCLA fans. But Bret Lockett, 3rd on the team in tackles is a safety. Brigham Harwell, 4th on the team, is, stunningly, a DT. Maybe I'm the only one, but I always look to see how many LBs are at the top of their tackles list. Here it is not many. Not a great sign.

Note that Korey Bosworth has 3.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss. He may or may not be related to former NFL star Kate Bosworth. He is completemented on the DLine by Brian Price who has 2.5 sacks and 7 tackles for loss. They clearly have a fierce DLine.

Another player to note is DB Michael Norris, who has 8 pass break ups. They have some ball hawking and ball blocking DBs out there.

Alterraun Verner Via Zoo News

Korey Bosworth Via Zoo News

Reggie Carter Via Zoo News

So, there are some players to keep an eye out for on UCLA. And some numbers to occupy your time. Who do you think will step up and have a big game for UCLA against us? Who do you think will be a key player to neutralize? And how many times did UCLA reject you? Go Bears!

Poll

How many times did UCLA reject you?

Never

45 votes

Once

28 votes

Twice

1 votes

Thrice

3 votes

I rejected them!

122 votes

199 votes | Poll has closed

More Than Words

Nestor — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:21:39 -0000

Before getting into some of my specific impressions from yesterday’s thrilling win let’s quickly reset the big picture here a bit. We now have a record of 3-4 with a conference record of 2-2. Looking back at last 7 games, the loss that really hurts right now is the one against Fresno State. Given what we have now seen from Kevin Craft (more on his clutch second half below of course), I think we would have had a good shot at winning that game if we hadn’t turned the ball over in that last drive. If we had won that game we could have probably looked at a record of 4-3 (and if we had gotten lucky at Oregon) perhaps 5-2.

Given what we have been through in terms of injury situation that pretty much wiped away an entire starting offense from last spring, lack of experienced talent in our roster , what the coaches have done is nothing short of remarkable. I am still not sure whether we are going to get to a bowl game this season. My brain tells me it’s a tall order since every game for this team will be a challenge. But it’s obvious now that when CRN and his players and coaches talk about "relentless optimism" and not giving up on this season, we are hearing more than just words:

Photo Credit: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Time

So with that here are some thoughts from yesterday’s afternoon hear stopper. For today though, I will start with the portion from yesterday’s notes that are disconcerting before going on to the positive/inspiring moments from yesterday’s resilient win.

I will break up my negative notes in two sections. First, talking about personnel related issues then raising question about decisions (just for discussion’s sake).

So let's start with the personnel issues. Here is my question that I think is on lot of people’s mind: can we afford to stick with Kahlil Bell as our starting tailback?

Let’s first look at the numbers from yesterday: Bell had 28 yards in 11 carries (2.5 avg), while Coleman rushed for 20 yards in 4 carries (5.0 avg). For the season now Bell has rushed for 187 yards in 71 carries (2.6 avg) and 5 TDs. While Coleman to date has rushed for 191 yards in 32 carries (6.0 avg) and 1 TD.

In terms of number, right now I think it is pretty clear who has been the more productive back at least when it comes to sustaining drives and getting us into more manageable 2nd and 3rd down situations at a more consistent level. From what my eyes are seeing, it appears that Bell is playing injured. He still has the power to go straight up, but he is not as effective as he was before getting injured, when he tries to make his cuts. I have nothing but admiration and respect for the effort this kid is giving for this team and the leadership he brings to the table. But at the same time, I think we have to ask the question whether the coaches need to lessen his load a bit so that we can look at more productive options.

I think based on numbers at least it makes sense to increase the work load of Coleman a bit and also give Aundre Dean some good looks so that perhaps we can take advantage of the speed and power he brings to the table. Am I off here? One explanation I can think of about why Bell is getting more time is perhaps Chow and Palcic think he is a better option when it comes to providing Craft a little extra protection as he is more familiar with blocking schemes and in sync with our OL. They see the tapes lot more than I do and I will not question their eyes given their proven track record. However, I am still a little perplexed.

Staying on the theme of personnel issues, Bret Lockett was getting lit up against yesterday. I am sure you have seen the highlights Tele posted below and saw the block Gerhart made on the poor kid. Lockett at times looked helpless when it comes to providing help against the Stanford rushing attack. But Walker stayed with him yesterday:

After playing poorly last week at Oregon and nearly losing his job, Bruins senior strong safety Bret Lockett played so well Walker scrapped plans to use redshirt freshman Glenn Love to spell Lockett.

"It was probably the toughest week, this and the Tennessee week when I did not play (because of suspension)," Lockett said. "All the criticism and the people doubting me, but I just used it as motivation."

Lockett finished with three tackles and also forced a first-quarter fumble.

"I felt like he was playing well enough to where it was like, `OK, let's not break the rhythm,' because he's been ridiculed the whole season," Walker said. "For him to be having a little bit of success, in terms of doing his job, I thought that was important for his confidence."

I actually thought Walker had a good game scheme wise yesterday. Our tackling looked much better than it did against Oregon (and previous game) and he seemed to put our two monster DTs in best position to contain the Stanford running attack. Moreover, I think he deserves credit for the coverage our secondary provided the whole game, which completely shut down the Stanford passing game. Still that said, I would have love to see a little bit of Glenn Love at SS and see what the kid could do. It’s obvious Love can hit, as he showed in that hit during Stanford punt return leading to turnover. He is a physical player. I think it would be good to see him in there in the coming weeks and see what he can do. Again just my 2 cents because whenever I see an opposing TB bowling towards Lockett, I think I am not the only one with a lump in my throat.

Those are the two personnel issues that stick out to me for now. Now let’s get to one specific decision from yesterday’s game. Here was the sequence after UCLA had a 1st and goal on the Stanford 6 yard line towards the end of 3^rd leading to a Forbath FG:

1st and Goal at STAN 6: Chris Forcier rush for a loss of 1 yard to the Stanf 7.
2nd and Goal at STAN 7: Kevin Craft sacked for a loss of 3 yards to the Stanf 10.
3rd and Goal at STAN 10: Kevin Craft rush for a loss of 1 yard to the Stanf 11.

I will never question Chow’s over all game scheme just like I have never called out Coach Howland’s game schemes. Chow had no peer when it comes to devising schemes. None (at least in college football). But honestly just in this specific case, those three plays left me confused. Perhaps it showed he is merely human. :-) I would have loved to hear his explanation for those calls and find out what his thought process was behind those calls. I don’t write that to be snarky at all. I am genuinely curious behind what he was thinking.

So those were the negatives. Let’s pivot from the negatives to yesterday’s heroes and great storylines, and the perfect transition is this guy:

Photo Credit: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times

Uh yeah … count me in as one of those who got excited when Forcier was warming up on the sidelines. I have been supportive of Kevin Craft all season and I more than understand how at this point it is probably the best decision on RN and Chow’s part to stick with this kid. But at the same time while watching the first half, the question kept popping in my head: could Forcier be any worse?

After KC fumbled in the first half, I don’t think I was the only one somewhat excited in reading CRN’s lips saying something like, "that’s it. We are going with Forcier." From CRN in today’s DN:

"There was a point in the game where I did consider it, and sometimes it gets the better of me because I'm an old quarterback and an old quarterback coach," Neuheisel said. " It was probably a little irrational on my part, but the kid, God bless him, he responded. His resiliency is one of the reasons why we're standing here with a victory. Norm calmed me down."

Two things here. First, and 66 already noted this in his as usual brilliant observations, note how CRN had no problem checking his ego and deferring to Chow. For those who have been involved in leadership positions or observing effective executive decisions, that is pretty much perfect example of how an effective CiC takes in the feedback of his trusted advisors and has the instincts to overrule himself after careful insta-analysis. That’s good stuff. Second, going back to Chow, given how KC has his trust, I think rest of Bruin Nation should have the same faith in this kid who is doing as much as he can within his athletic ability to listen to his coaches.

The last play Craft made up was a scrambling throw to backup tight end Cory Harkey, a freshman who has had a bum ankle.

It came with 10 seconds left, it was for a seven-yard touchdown, and Chow said that if Craft hadn't trusted his instincts he might have settled for a receiver who was open on the one- or two-yard line.

"The initial read Kevin wasn't real patient with," Chow said. "The initial read would have gotten us four or five yards, and we needed seven. Kevin scrambled around and made that play. If he would always trust that instinct, he's a really good player."

And it’s not just Chow, who are believing in the Bruin QB:

"He's clutch," UCLA offensive lineman Nick Ekbatani said. "I really believe he's a clutch player. When it comes down to it and it's on the line, he's going to make plays. I love blocking for him."

Craft, the son of former San Diego State coach Tom Craft, could spend the game ripping his offensive linemen for ridiculously poor protection - they allowed seven sacks against Stanford - but he doesn't.

After a roughing-the-passer penalty, lineman Jeff Baca tried to help Craft up and make sure he was OK, and Craft flung his arm away.

Craft can take a hit and bounce back on his own.

What was even more impressive was how Craft handled himself after the game. Instead of being over exuberant, he was ice cold, composed and talked about how he needs to address all the issues from first half. To me that was even more impressive on how didn’t lose perspective despite the great win.

Speaking of instincts perhaps the coaches should think about getting Craft and co in the "hurry up" no-huddle mode all game? The results kind of speak for themselves. No?

In addition to Craft’s clutch turnaround there were other heroes in our offense. From the LA Times:

UCLA wide receiver Nelson Rosario, a freshman from Oceanside who has been slowed by a sore knee, had a career-high four catches for 71 yards. One catch came over the middle where he was unfazed by the hard tackle that came immediately, and another came during UCLA's game-winning touchdown drive.

"It feels so great," Rosario said. "I think I'll get more chances as I'm healthy, and when I make catches the quarterback will have more faith in me."

Another freshman, Taylor Embree, was on the receiving end of a 43-yard pass from Craft in the third quarter -- UCLA's longest gain on a pass play this season.

In addition to Rosario and Embree, huge props go out Terrence Austin. Austin was nothing short of a warrior, leading the team with 5 receptions (for 50 yards) and catching that huge TD of Craft’s shovel pass. There was also Chane Moline’s clutch run in that last drive when he rumbled up for 17 yards on 3rd and 1. Ryan Moya also came up big with not only a huge catch, but also to have the smart instinct to run up and hustle towards the sideline to save time on the clock.

Going back to game winning touchdown the LA Times has some interesting quotes from Micah Reed on what went on in the huddle:

"I told those guys, this was a moment we could look back on down the line," Reed said.

If hindsight is 20-20, Reed's foresight turned out to be 23-20 -- the numbers favoring UCLA on the scoreboard at the end.

Craft scrambled to his right and flipped a pass to Cory Harkey, who was in the back of the end zone.

"Micah told us," guard Scott Glicksberg said. "This was a chance to move forward as a team. This makes it easier to believe in what we're doing and keep doing it."

Reggie Carter had this to say about the same play:

"I had a few tears," UCLA linebacker Reggie Carter said. "After the offense scored that touchdown, my eyes watered up. You get emotional. It's hard to hold all that emotion in. Winning is fun."

I know I am probably not covering number of other details from yesterday’s game (i.e. we still need to see better coverage from our special teams) … but I can’t think of any better way to end on that note for this Sunday, before starting to focus on what will be an incredibly difficult and challenging game next weekend.

I like this team … a lot. They are making football fun (despite the frustrations we experience as fans), which I haven’t had following UCLA football since Cade left Westwood.

GO BRUINS.

Stanford Notes

Nestor — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:00:05 -0000

So let’s open up our notebook for Stanford. Jim Harbaugh’s Stanford is coming into town on a high note. They are still high about their thrilling victory over Arizona which came courtesy or clutch last minute drive. They pulled it off with junior backup QB Alex Loukas, who took over late in the game after starting QB Tavita Prtichard went out with a mild concussion.

Stanford after flailing through the bottom feeding Harrris and Teevens era is coming alive under Harbaugh, who Ted Miller thinks is the mid-season coach of the year:

In his second season, Jim Harbaugh has led Stanford, now 4-3 overall and 3-1 in the conference, back to respectability by emphasizing a blue-collar attitude and a physical style of play. Leaning on a potent running attack that ranks second in the Pac-10 with 184 yards per game, the Cardinal have played their way into bowl contention. Moreover, Harbaugh is proving an effective recruiter as he's expected to sign a class that ranks among the top 25 in the nation.

Can't really argue against that. I like Harbaugh a lot and he would have been my pick to be Lloyd Carr's successor in Ann Arbor. Harbaugh may eventually end up at his alma mater some day, but not any time soon. Still the second year coach is already being talked about a hot coaching commodity for the Forty Niners. Our old friend, Tim Kawakami (former LA Times beat writer for UCLA, who actually knew something about college hoops) is already seeing the future:

Hmmm. The day he was hired at Stanford, Harbaugh honored Bill Walsh's legacy (Walsh was on hand); we all know that Walsh's first tenure at Stanford lasted exactly two years before he left to create the 49ers dynasty.

But I think the Yorks probably would be too scared of Harbaugh's intensity and cockiness to consider him as Mike Nolan's replacement with the 49ers.

Al Davis is a different story. Harbaugh's first NFL coaching job was on the Raiders' offensive staff in 2002-03. Harbaugh was an Al favorite then, and Harbaugh sure brightened up when I asked about the Raiders owner.

"I talk to Mr. Davis now and then," Harbaugh said, adding that the last conversation came around draft time when Davis asked him about his former quarterback at the University of San Diego, Josh Johnson.

"I love talking to him. I consider him a mentor, and it was always special every time he would pull me aside with the Raiders or call me on the phone. He's the best.

"Nobody can talk football like Mr. Davis. Every time I talk to him, I always glean something about football."

So the Raiders have a vacancy at coach, with Tom Cable laboring as the temp. Jim, if Al calls you, what will you do?

"I'll always take a call from Mr. Davis," Harbaugh said.

Well, obviously Tim is joking (kind of?). But then again he was also joking about Pittsburgh head coach Howland coaching in Westwood back in 2002, when Lavin was taking UCLA for his last charade run to Steve-16 (sorry can’t find a good link any more on article Kawakami wrote around March of 2002, when he talked about how Howland could one day coach at UCLA). Anyway, back to the present.

Stanford is coming down to the Rose Bowl with a solid football team led by a very good football coach. I know lot of you believe that this is a must win game for UCLA, but I think we should also appreciate how difficult it is going to be for Bruins to pull out a win.

Let’s go over some numbers and will start by looking at the matchup between UCLA’s offense and Stanford’s defense.

Bruin Offense	08 Rank	Per Game	Cardinal Defense	08 Rank	Per Game
Rushing Offense	9	91.76	Rushing Defense	4	114.29
Pass Offense	6	205.50	Pass Defense	10	271.71
Pass Eff. Offense	8	108.94	Pass Eff. Defense	7	109.28
Total Offense	9	297.17	Total Defense	8	386.00
Scoring Offense	7	20.00	Scoring Defense	7	27.00

There are couple of stats that obviously stand out right away. First, an anemic Bruin rushing attack will be taking on a solid Stanford rush defense, which is barely giving up l15 yards per game. The Stanford is anchored by a defense line, which Jon Wilner (another former UCLA beat writer who used to work at the Daily News) considers to be the best DL in Palo Alto in almost a decade. From a recent post Jon published in the College Sports Hotline (his blog in the San Jose Mercury News):

It’s pretty good relative to other lines in the Pac-10 (fourth in yards-per-carry allowed: 3.4), and it’s very good compared to recent Stanford lines.

The unit is big and experienced, quick off the ball and physical. In fact, several opposing coaches have made note of Stanford’s physicality, with specific mentions of the defensive line and the Toby Gerhart-Owen Marecic backfield.

So … just how good is this line?

My first thought: It’s Stanford’s best since the Willie Howard/Matt Leonard/Riall Johnson-led group in 2000. (I’m counting Johnson as a lineman even though he was listed as an outside linebacker: he played a hybrid DE/OLB position.)

To make sure I wasn’t overlooking any lines from 2001-07, I checked with my ultra-savvy Stanford football source (USSFS).

He noted some of the more talented players over the years (Amon Gordon, Austin Lee, Babatunde Oshinowo, Julian Jenkins) but concluded that, yes, this is probably the best unit since ‘00.

And other than quarterback, there is no important position/unit than defensive line. If you can’t stop the run, you’ve got no chance (see: Oregon State v. USC).

So you can bet these guys just like every other UCLA opponent has done to date, will focus on completely shutting down the Bruin rushing attack, and dare Chow and co to beat them with Craft’s arm.

That’s where it gets very interesting. The second statistic that stands out from the number above is Stanford’s pass defense. It has given up almost 272 yards per game via air, which currently ranks dead last in the conference. So they are going to put pressure on Craft and co. to beat them with our passing game.

What will help UCLA’s case is if they can get a decent running game going against this tough Stanford defense. Obviously we can forget about replicating the rushing performance from last year when the Bruins rolled up 338 yards on the ground, highlighted by Bells 195 yards (in 19 carries). Bruins have basically a completely different offense in place, which is still working its way in developing an identity. Bell is not the same back as he is still working to get back in the same form he was before he went down with his devastating injury. IMHO it will help us if coaches increase the workload of Derrick Coleman, who so far this season has been lot more productive than Bell. I have no problem with giving Bell carries, but I think the coaches have to increase the workload of Coleman.

As for Craft, we have already discussed enough this week what he needs to do. He needs to work on doing a better job not locking down on his primary options, and make smart decisions when he has the option between running for positive yardage or forcing a throw. I think for the Bruins to win this Saturday, they will need 100+ rushing yards and a hot start from Craft. Craft has to figure out a way to get in rhythm early in the game because even though he plays better in the second half, his cold starts have been putting Bruins in tough situation.

Now moving on to the other side of the ball, here are the numbers between UCLA defense and Stanford offense:

Bruin Defense	08 Rank	Per Game	Cardinal Offense	08 Rank	Per Game
Rushing Defense	8	171.33	Rushing Offense	2	184.14
Pass Defense	7	196.17	Pass Offense	10	149.71
Pass Eff. Defense	7	125.37	Pass Eff.	7	109.28
Total Defense	6	367.50	Total Offense	6	333.86
Scoring Defense	8	30.67	Scoring Offense	6	24.29

So what do we have here?

I guess the first question is whether Pritchard is going to be available on Saturday. It sounds like he is a go:

Pritchard has gone through the customary tests for head injuries the past two days — just as running back Toby Gerhart did after suffering a mild concussion Sept. 27 at Washington — and expects to be cleared today for a full practice.

"I feel great," Pritchard said Tuesday. "I'm right on track. They have their protocol for head injuries. You don't do anything the day after. Yesterday I did a bike workout. I did a lift today. If you stay asymptomatic throughout the whole thing, you get cleared."

Before getting his head slammed to the turf while attempting to throw, Pritchard was having one of his best games, completing 13 of 17 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. He also had an interception.

His experience and improved play could be invaluable for a Stanford team whose easiest path to bowl eligibility would be to win Saturday and then beat woeful Washington State at Stanford Stadium on Nov. 1.

"He makes it looks easy, taking the snaps, getting in and out of the huddle, calling the plays," Harbaugh said of Pritchard. "Our terminology is very wordy, so he's got a great ability to set the formation right, get the right play called, audible at the line of scrimmage — all those things you want your quarterback to do when he's leading his ballclub. He's always been very good at it."

Even so, Loukas performed well enough Saturday to merit playing time against the Bruins, Harbaugh said.

For the Bruin defense to be well prepared, they should get ready for both Pritchard and Loukas. Here are Miller’s notes on how a 2 QB system could work out well for Stanford:

Cardinal quarterback Tavita Pritchard has steadily improved this year and was 13 of 17 for 113 yards and a touchdown before he was knocked out against Arizona with a concussion. He's likely to start against UCLA on Saturday. But Alex Loukas' running ability off the bench confused the Wildcats defense and was the key component of the 11-play, 60-yard, game-winning drive. Loukas completed a 21-yard pass and ran four times for 32 yards, and apparently earned more playing time, according to coach Jim Harbaugh. Loukas not only adds a nice change of pace, but he also forces a defense to use valuable practice time preparing for a running quarterback and some spread-option plays.

Whoever is in there will be helped out by the Stanford rushing attack of Gerhart and Kimble, who currently features the second best ground game in the conference. For the Bruins to win on Saturday, it will be imperative for them to hold the Cardinal below 200 yards rushing and force them to win with their passing game. Again here is Miller:

Sure, UCLA's rushing defense ranks eighth in the Pac-10 (171.3), which would seem to bode well for Stanford's potent ground game. But the Bruins have faced the nation's No. 6 (Oregon) and No. 16 (Fresno State) rushing attacks in recent weeks. Moreover, Stanford's more conventional power running scheme matches strength-on-strength as the Bruins defensive tackle combo of Brian Price and Brigham Harwell is as good as any in the conference. It's almost certain that defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker will try to force Stanford quarterback Tavita Pritchard to throw the ball. The Bruins secondary has been terribly inconsistent this year -- strong safety Bret Lockett is fighting to hold onto his job this week -- but Pritchard, while improving, has a tendency to force passes into coverage, see eight interceptions vs. seven TDs. The Bruins secondary has only four interceptions this season, but that has been a point of emphasis in practices this week. Stanford beat Arizona despite losing the turnover battle 0-3. It will be harder to do that on the road.

Well the other point of emphasis should be basic tackling. If we don’t see that from the Bruins early on, it is going to be another rough uphill climb for us at the Rose Bowl this Saturday. Hopefully our coaches have the guys fired up and ready for what should be an all out war against a very well coached, solid football team.

GO BRUINS.

Right Direction

Nestor — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:36:05 -0000

Let’s do a quick reset before getting to extended thoughts on last night’s game. Let’s take a count on what CRN and Norm Chow were working with in one of the toughest venues in college football against one of the more talented teams in the west coast:

A 3rd string JUCO transfer (playing his first year under Chow and CRN)
A hobbled starting tailback and a true freshman in Derrick Coleman
A backup fullback (Theriot out for the season)
Backup TEs (as we lost our starting TE, one of the only players on the offensive side of the ball with experience and NFL potential in first game of the season)
Backup WRs (without our senior WR who went down in the first game of the season and TA who we lost during crunch time)
4 different starters at OL from last spring (after losing three of our most talented starters - Lanis, Sheller and Kia - to an array of injuries ranging from career/season ending to nagging kind impacting effectiveness)

Basically in a sense we were fielding what might have been a scout team from this year's spring ball. And yet after all that the Bruins gave us a game, in which our hearts were beating almost to the closing mins against a team that was favored to win by almost three touchdowns on the road? So does anyone still in their right mind want to call that performance Dorrellian?

So with that out of the way, here are some thoughts on certain aspects from last night’s game. From my jotted down notes from 2 am stream of consciousness (writing down on post-its before going to sleep):

Playing to win: I have absolutely no problem with the call re. that onside kick. I find all the second guessing and Sunday morning quarterbacking of a head coach’s willingness to go for the win, after being subjected to years of timid and playing not to lose mentality that have driven us over the wall here on BN. At least here on BN we are going to appreciate a coach being fearless and going for the win. We are going to appreciate a head showing complete faith on his entire team (including on a defense which might be finding it’s away) in the most crucial moments of the game.

I haven’t seen any specific data points re. success rates on onside kicks. The only statistics I was able to look up this am was from the wiki entry pointing the 2004 success rates in the NFL which was around 24 percent. That is not very high. But it is probably not a reach to assume that success rate is a bit higher when it on side kick comes in a situation when the opposing coaches are least expecting it (would love to see some data points on that).

[UPDATE] silverlakebruin with a solid find re data points re success rates of surprise onside kick:

[T]he success rate of a surprise onside kick, one that happens prior to the fourth quarter, is 71 percent from 1997 through 2006.

Well that certainly gives support to CRN's decision.

Also, couple of more factors to consider in what kind of risk/rewards analysis CRN might have done to make that decision. Until that point of the game (except for that last drive to end the first half and Masoli’s early success in the first quarter), UCLA’s defense was adjusting pretty well. They were throttling the passing attack. I don’t think it was unreasonable for CRN to assume that even if we didn’t recover the onside kick, our defense would be able to contain Oregon’s offense to a 3 point FG (which they did after Craft’s interception resulting from TA’s scary injury). Another factor to consider, given how we have been unable to kick it deep all season routinely giving up great field position, giving up good field possession on a surprise onside kick, wasn’t really the end of the world.

In any event, it didn’t work out due to a bad call (although the bad calls evened out in another badly officiated Pac-10 game). But I am not going to second guess CRN’s decision to be aggressive and play to win by showing his faith in his young team. I love that kind of aggression and eventually balls are going to bounce our way in the coming years. This is what makes football fun.

Sticking with Craft: Speaking of second guessing, after sleeping on it, I am not finding a lot of reason to clamor for a QB change. CRN and Chow are working with what they have right now in Kevin Craft. KC to this point of the season has completed 59 percent of his passes for 1233 yards with 5 TDs and 6 picks. Yes, he had a lot of Vinney Testeverde moments from his Tampa Bay days last night. Yes, we were holding our breath at times when he was throwing it underneath. But we have to ride this out with him (even if he can’t throw deep). The cold fact is that despite being at UCLA for one extra year and having full opportunity to compete for this job since last spring, Chris Forcier hasn’t been able to charge up the depth chart (at times falling behind true freshman Kevin Prince).

Also, I can’t fault the coaches for not wanting to burn up Prince’s redshirt season unless they are totally desperate. Even with Craft’s at times erratic throws, we have been hanging in there except for one and half football games (BYU and late second half against Zona) this season. I don’t mind that all too much.

Moreover, think out loud a little bit before getting frustrated over Craft not being able to go deep last night. The Ducks’ defensive frontline was at times pile driving our OL with a 3 men rush. Jake Dean (who is giving it all he has at center) was getting driven into the turf. Baca was getting terrorized (not too surprisingly) by all Pac-10 DE like Nick Reed. It’s not like Craft had time to settle down and pick apart the Duck’s defense. He got sacked 6 times and hurried countless others. So considering the circumstances, I think he did what he could and at this point, I am going to put my complete faith in the combination of Neuheisel and Chow in their managing of Craft and UCLA’s QB position until it gets settled in next couple of years.

Clock Management at the end of the second quarter: So that brings me to the issue of clock management particularly concerning our second to last possession at the end of the first half. Here is how it went with 1:08 left in the first half and UCLA down 0-7 courtesy of WWL’s playchart:

1st and 10 at UCLA 11Derrick Coleman rush for no gain to the UCLA 11.
2nd and 10 at UCLA 11Timeout OREGON, clock 01:08.
2nd and 10 at UCLA 11Kevin Craft pass incomplete to Taylor Embree.
3rd and 10 at UCLA 11Kevin Craft rush for 1 yard to the UCLA 12.
4th and 9 at UCLA 12Timeout OREGON, clock 00:50.
4th and 9 at UCLA 12Aaron Perez punt for 40 yards out-of-bounds.
DRIVE TOTALS: UCLA drive: 3 plays 1 yards, 00:24 UCLA PUNT

I think the key here was the play on 2nd and 10.

IIRC (haven’t reviewed the tape) KC rolled out to his right and had a little bit of real estate to gain perhaps 3-5 yards. Instead he rolled it and flinged it for an incomplete pass. I think that is where it went wrong. If KC had just tucked it in (similar to a decision he didn’t make against Zona and couple of other occasions last night) and gained 3-5 yards using his feet in that play, he would have made the situation much more manageable on 3rd down. I understand even if he ran, Oregon would have taken a time out, but it still would have made the situation manageable. And I think the roll out is designed to give him the option to make the decision between going up for positive yardage and completing to an open receiver. He made the wrong call in that split second. It happens for a first year QB (Cade made lot more bonehead mistakes in his first two season, not just his first season). But those play calls by no means were bad clock management on the part of UCLA’s coaching staff.

Running back rotation: I think this is where we have some rooms for raising questions re. personnel decisions. No doubt Kahlil Bell is a warrior. The kid is giving everything he has out there but at some point the coaches need to ask the question whether it would be more productive to go with Coleman and even Dean. The only explanation I can think of coaches not trying out Dean as much is probably because he is still learning to pick up blitzes (which right now is essential given the precarious state of protection our QB is getting from the OL). Kevin and his OL need all the help they can get and if that means going with the experience of Bell (despite being wobbly) or Coleman (due to his size) over Dean, that is understandable. But in terms of getting reps, I wouldn’t mind if I see more of Coleman over Bell.

The kid runs with aggression:

Photo Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer / US Presswire (via the LA Times)

Also Moline is really coming into his own at FB and at least to this 49er fan bringing up fond memories of Tom Rathman.

Defensive adjustments: The final score doesn’t show it. The rushing totals for Oregon is cringe worthy. Still, I thought Walker coached one of his better games as UCLA DC last night. I was very impressed with the way our defense adjusted after getting stomped early on by Masoli’s read option play. Ayers finally had his much anticipated coming out party as a starter. I love this kid’s game and I think the way Walker has slowly worked him into the starting rotation is a very encouraging sign.

The question remains around the issue of tackling. Brett Lockett once again had a glaringly tough night (no hiding from the highlights on what Masoli did to him). But what can Walker really do? Replace him with Ware who was not all that effective against Tennessee? There is not a lot of options he has right now except to burn the red shirt years of E.J. Woods or try out someone like Love. But I rather have those kids red shirt and get physically ready for next season, instead of exposing them to D-1 speed and ferocity as a true freshman. Ask any Washington fans about how Willingham has ravaged his depth chart by burning through his freshmen’s redshirt seasons. Again, I don’t really have any answers here except for hoping that somehow Lockett will be able to get it together rest of this season.

Still, give all the adversity this team has gone through (outlined at the very top of this post), I am feeling pretty good about where we are as a team. After the massacre in Provo, I am seeing unmistakable progression on both sides of the ball from game to game. The game to game improvement will still likely not result in a winning season, but now more than ever I am confident we are headed towards the right direction.

Now the challenge remains is to build on the positives. One of the more encouraging aspects from last night’s game was Watson’s sideliner report that the offense was upset even after scoring the final TD to make the game close in the waning mins. I like the fact that the team wasn’t smiling or hamming it up after a moral victory, instead showing the same kind of angst and frustration we kept seeing in the faces of AA and JF in their first season at UCLA. This is going to take a long time but now after few weeks, the signs are there that this team is taking one positive steps after another. Hopefully they will have a chance to take another a big one by flipping the scoreboard in our favor next Saturday.

GO BRUINS.

Hope

Nestor — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 17:59:22 -0000

Let’s build on Class of 66’s post game thoughts because I found myself nodding with most of what he wrote. Now that I have had some time to think about it and replay the two in game situations (call to for it on 4th and 1 and the decision to accept the holding penalty that put Fresno State at a 3rd and 22), I find myself completely as peace with the decisions CRN made on those two situations.

The bottom line here is CRN played to win. That is my kind of head coach who will always go for it based on calculated decisions. As 66 explained, both of those decisions were well calculated given the circumstances at the time. Kicking it on 4t and 1 would have been the Dorrellian thing to do. And we know what it feels like to play it safe during last few years.

However, that said right now unlike lot of fans who are being rough on DeWayne Walker for the defense’s performance from last three games, I am not all that upset with what is going on. I really believe Walker’s hands are kind of tied given what he is working with. Let me see if I can explain what I am seeing, while watching our defense. From what I am seeing Walker is in a very tough situation.

It’s obvious right now that the opposing offenses are having their way with our defense by carving it up underneath. QBs like Max Hall and Tom Brandstater have simply killed our offense in that proverbial "death by thousand cuts" (a feeling that unfortunately we became familiar with during the Donahue era). It seems like right now they have all the time they need to sit back and pick their targets, and pick apart our secondary. But what can Walker really do? Let’s take a look at our front-7 again.

We have two incredible talents in Brian Price and Brigham Harwell. Those two are amazing and are doing what they can to seal up the middle. And backing them at LB Reggie Carter is doing what he can to fly all over the field. But besides those three, Walker is having a difficult time putting together a combination that can generate sustained pressure on the opposing QB or contain the opposing RBs when they go outside. Right now from what I am seeing it seems like Blake (Senior LE), Hale (Senior SLB), and Korey Bosworth (Junior RE) are having a rough time out there. Steve Sloan, a RS Frosh starting his second game at Mike. It’s not because of lack of effort on any of their part. They are playing their hearts out but right now getting out toughed by the opposing offense.

It is clear right now that this defense is sorely lacking the athleticism, experience and toughness of Bruce Davis, Justin Hickman, Christian Taylor, Trey Brown, Dennis Keyes, and Chris Horton. At this point Walker is in a lose-lose proposition. I can sense why he is reluctant to blitz because he is not sure if his young CBS can lock down the opposing receivers, the same way Brown, ATV, Keyes and Horton were doing last couple of years. While up front Blake, Hale, Bosworth et al are not being able to complement the inside toughness of DTs with, the effective speed rush we saw courtesy of Hickman and Davis from last couple of seasons. Remember those guys – Davis, Hickman, Brown, Horton, Keyes, Taylor – they came along in their junior and senior seasons at UCLA. Growing/developing into effective football players take time at D-1 level. It sucks that the defense of last two years were completely wasted because of the total cluelessness on offense. But there is no need to go over that Dorrellian offense again.

We have had some really tough words for Walker here on BN, especially during the toxic times of Dorrell era, and the campaign for the head coach (when things got heated and emotional after a decade of train wreck). However, folks cannot dismiss how Walker improved the defense from the Larry Kerr era (another Dorrell fiasco). I think Walker is a good DC. He has the potential of being an elite DC if he can show in next two years, his ability to figure out the spread/multi dimensional offenses in college football, using the talent he has brought into our program. And I think there is a good chance he will develop into one as he will get more and more support from the developing offense from the other side of the ball (which he didn’t get last two seasons), and the new talent matures by next season (hopefully).

For the short term though, I wouldn’t mind if he gives the news guys more chances. One of the bright spots from yesterday was the play of Akeem Ayers. From what I am seeing, it seems like Ayers brings so much more speed and athleticism at Sam LB than Hale. Seems like every time he was lining up he was in the middle of the action. I think it would also be worth pondering whether any of the new cubs – Dye or Hester – would be better options than Courtney Vinney. Again from what I was seeing, it seemed like Vinney was having a "rough" time. This was not the first time Vinney was struggling. It has been a pattern since the Tennessee game. Same goes for our safeties. I think if Lockett doesn’t step up in next couple of weeks, it might be worth considering starting our other young safeties, getting them ready for next season. We will see how they come out and respond against Washington State next weekend.

On to some of the great positives from yesterday. There were lots of them. Here are just some, I jotted down while watching the game:

It’s obvious how our OL has been improving. However, we should note that yesterday’s performance came against a Fresno State defense that was struggling against ground attacks, and was missing two of their best DLs. Still a tremendous effort by Coach Palcic’s unit. It was especially heartening to see that performance given how the OL so freaking young featuring true frosh such as Baca and sophomore such as Jake Dean. They were terrific.
It was great to see Kahlil Bell back. Hopefully in couple of weeks he will be back in full form. You can sense he needs to get in little more game shape. And I am digging what I am seeing from Derrick Coleman. I don’t really care about that last fumble. That happens. Watch the replay. He had his shoulder down and was taking care of the ball. It was just a great hit by the Fresno defender. I simply love how the kid doesn’t mess around and just explodes forward.
How about that end of the half 2 minute drill? That was a methodical drive upward with 46 seconds left, which didn’t depend on desperation or athletic skills of freaks like MJD. I haven’t seen a Bruin offense march up the field with such composure with clock winding down, since the days of number 18.
Speaking of methodical, the offensive play calling was a delight. I was I enjoying the package Chow put together featuring roll outs, options to Kahlil Bell, reverse, runs to the outside, draw plays. Man … just mouthwatering stuff and gets you even thirstier when you imagine that offense with little more experience and talent.
Speaking of talent, welcome Terrence Austin!!! Now please don’t leave. Stick around, stay steady and play with same kind of swagger and confidence rest of the season.
Taylor Embree is a rock star. I have never cared about glowing practice reports that we read from beat reporters or message boards. But all that hype we read about how this kid doesn’t drop a ball (knock on wood so that we are not jinxing him) is true and then some. This kid is a natural. In some ways he reminds me of Danny Farmer and Sean Lachappelle. Whatever is thrown at his direction, he comes up with it.
Kevin Craft was steady. Except for a play or two he was steady throughout the day and play within himself. And I also think he has more ability than people give him credit for. Let's hope he keep this up.
As for the special teams, it was infuriating to see that first punt return for TD. However, other than that I though the unit was somewhat steady (not including Austin’s spectacular afternoon) and also provided a huge boost courtesy of that extra point block.

So there we are. That’s what I have for now. In some ways this am, I am not as down as I was following the Arizona and BYU game. I still think there is a good chance (a very good one) that this team is going to struggle rest of the season and end up with 3-9 record or something worse, given the situation described re our defense. I am not sure we have the horses to win shootouts after shootouts. However, what I am more than encouraged from last three weeks is that the team overall is moving towards positive direction. Now if it can take care of business against another desperate team (which it has a very tough time with in recent years) next weekend, it will give us more reasons to hope to keep moving towards the positive direction rest of the season.

Here is to HOPE:

Photo Credit: Louis Sinco (Los Angeles Times)

We have seen enough to keep us charged with it rest of the way.

GO BRUINS.