SB Nation User Blog: BlueReign

Westy

BlueReign — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:31:41 -0000

Westy

DC isn't the only PG making a name for himself in the NBA.

UCLA FB Roster moves

BlueReign — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 06:54:31 -0000

UCLA Football: 2010 Recruiting Class Preview

BlueReign — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 04:39:27 -0000

Bumped. GO BRUINS. -N

The 2010 National Signing Day for College Football is 02/03/10. Like in the past 2 Signing Days, CRN and UCLA will be signing a recruiting class ranked in the Top 25 by the major recruiting services:

2010 Rank (Current): Scout Ranking (23rd), Rivals Ranking (18th) and ESPN.com (17th)
2009 Rank: Scout Ranking (5th), Rivals Ranking (14th) and ESPN.com (17th)
2008 Rank: Scout Ranking (10th), Rivals Ranking (13th) and ESPN.com (14th)

You can look at our class ranking and each recruit at the following: Scout.com and Rivals.com. Note: ESPN requires an Insiders subscription.

CRN was able to keep intact the 2008 recruting class built by the prior regime and showed Bruins Nation his recruiting prowess last year in exciting fashion. The talent level at UCLA dropped considerably during KD's time at UCLA. All you have to do is take a peek at NFL rosters and see the lack of impact players from UCLA. Instead of conceding without a fight, CRN has challenged and beat Cheaty in bringing talented Student Athletes to UCLA. With each recruiting class, CRN is building the foundation for UCLA Football to once again be amongst the top programs in the nation.

We currently have 65 rides spoken for leaving 20 for this recruiting class. This includes the early departure of BP, the return of Kia, the additions of Greyshirts Koster & Maka and the exclusion of Hasiak. We currently have 16 verbal commits but there will likely be some additional rides that become available.

Arm Chair QB opinions on our roster and predictions after the jump.

QB: Prince (RS Soph), Brehaut (Soph) and Crissman (RS Soph)

Verbal: Brett Nottingham

Except for Drew Olson's SR year, we have not had a difference making player at the QB position since #18. For a program that produced Schroeder, Bono, Aikman, Maddox and McNown, the QB play has fallen off drastically. CRN has done a good job brining in talented signal callers thus far. From what I've read, Nottingham does not have a Howitzer for an arm but is said to be very accurate which I'd rather have any day of the week. Nottingham will RS and should be ready to compete by the time he is a RS Soph. He should be able to provide depth and compete with future QB recruits to take over for either Prince or Brehaut. We'll see if Brehaut is ready to challenge Prince for the starting job. I'm hoping Prince maintains #1 because the staff has already invested a season in Prince and I would rather not go through another season with a green QB.

TB: Ramirez (RS Sr), Coleman (Jr), Jet Ski (RS Soph), Knox (RS Soph) and Thigpen (Soph)

FB: Umodu (RS Sr) and Allmond (RS Fr)

Verbals: Malcolm Jones and Jordon James

Recruiting: Anthony Barr

Nobody has yet to separate themselves from the pack. People say that a running game is a QB's best friend. Jones (Gatorade HS POY) is the BIG back at 6-1, 215 lbs who runs North/South and breaks tackles with his power. We haven't had a physical presence like this in the backfield since Manny White whom our prior coach forgot to use against Colorado. James is the smaller back who is quicker and can catch the ball out of the backfield. James has some injury issues but if he can build his body and stay healthy, he will be a difference maker in the near future. Both of these guys are highly rated recruits who can bring the Thunder & Lighting element like Oregon has with the Blount/James and like in the NFL. Barr is another big back at 6-4, 225 lbs who missed his Senior year due to injury. If Barr comes to Westwood, he'll be given a shot at TB but I think his future is elsewhere. At 6-4, his height is a detriment IMO resulting in too many direct hits. The RB position is up for grabs and the battle to be #1 should be a very interesting and heated one during the Spring & Fall camps. Jet Ski better fix his fumbling issues and Knox better learn to block because these recruits will challenge them.

WR: Rosario (Jr), Embree (Jr), Smith (RS Jr), Moutra (Jr), Johnson (RS Soph), Carroll (Soph) and Mavray (RS Fr)

Verbal: Paul Richardson

Recruiting: Ryan Murphy

Richardson is a Bruin Legacy that transferred from Los Al to Serra HS and was part of the best HS receiving group in the nation. Richardson does not have world class speed but runs good routes and should be a contributor in the future but I expect him to RS. Murphy is a late bloomer who the staff offered late and is the teammate of DT recruit Fred Thompson. Murphy looks like someone that can either be a WR or S. Our WR corp will be a strength next season as they continue to develop during the offseason. I am expecting Rosario to put it all together and become the physical mismatch that he has frustratingly shown glimpses of. Smith (transfer from Colorado) is a speedster who will immediately contribute on Special Teams as a Kickoff and/or Punt Returner. I'm crossing my fingers that both Smith and Carroll have the playbook down because these guys have the speed to stretch the field vertically and as CRN likes to say, "Get yards in chunks". Interested to see if Mavray will be able to contribute next season as I've read only positive things about him.

TE: Chanlder (RS Jr), Harkey (Jr), Fauria (RS Soph) and Presley (Soph)

Verbal: John Young

Young plays for Loyola HS and is teammates with both Barr and Jerry Neuheisel. Loyola has been very good to UCLA in the past with noted alums Matt Ware and Toby Bailey. Young will RS and may not end up a TE when all is said and done. There have been reports that Fauria has been flourishing on the scout team. TE will be another position of strength with the experience of Harkey, anticipated development of Presley and Fauria. We'll see if Presley can add bulk to be a TE. Either way, I'm excited to see if things click for Presley and what Fauria will bring to the table.

OL: Kia (RS Sr), Savage (RS Sr), Taylor (RS Sr), Williams (RS Sr), Tevaga (RS Sr), Baca (Jr), Harris (RS Jr), Maiava (RS Jr), Abele (RS Fr) and Capella (RS Fr)

Verbals: Chris Ward and Kody Innes

Recruiting: Wade Yandall

We have to give CRN kudos for pulling Ward out of Mater Dei. I honestly did not think I'd see a top prospect from Mater Dei sign with UCLA. Just like Bruins feel as if Crenshaw/Loyola/St. John Bosco/etc is Bruin territory, Mater Dei has been all scum as long as I can remember. The OL and DL are the position groups that I am most concerned about heading into the 2010 season. Connor Bradford came in as a OL recruit but is listed as a DL. Sean Sheller was also switched over to the DL. The loss of X to his Mission (I support his decision, wish him the best and will eagerly await his return) and the unknown status of Hasiak really hurts our depth on the OL. Chandler may be switched back to the OL again (feel bad for the kid). In a healthy program, only the truly elite freshman would play on either side of the line. I would like to see both Ward and Innes be redshirted but CRN and staff may not have the luxury. Ward/Innes/Yandall based on numbers have the size but I doubt that they have the strength to compete against more mature & experience players at this level.

DT: Carter (RS Sr), Sheller (RS Sr), Keane (RS Sr), Edison (RS Jr) and Bradford (RS Soph)

Verbals: Julious Moore and Wesley Flowers

Recruiting: Ricky Heimuli, Brandon Willis, Sealii Epenesa, Ego Ferguson and Fred Thompson

Moore (Washington 3A POY) is said to be a quick, 1 gap type DT in the mold of Mike Patterson from suc. Flowers is undersized at only 255-260 lbs but has the frame at 6-4 to bulk up once Mike Linn gets a hold of him. I like these additions but neither is ready to contribute upon their arrival in Westwood. Losing BP early to the NFL (Go get em' BP!) creates a huge hole at DT where we lack depth and don't have guys who've proven that they can perform on a consistent basis at this level. We didn't pick up any DT's in the last 2 recruiting classes and the prior staff did not recruit this position adequately as well. CRN has been recruiting this position hard but due to various reasons, many of the guys we've targeted did not work out. CRN is continuing to recruit this position hard to find someone that is more prepared to contribute immediately. The guy that CRN is targeting, with CNC being the main recruiter, is Heimuli from Utah. We are also doing very well for Epenesa while we jumped in the Thompson sweepstakes late. Willis is a former commit to Tennessee whom CRN has continued to recruit. Ferguson will be visiting us officially during the next couple of weeks. It is imperative that CRN secure at least 2 of the 5 guys we're recruiting. The staff is looking at switching additional people to DT which I'm sure we'll find out more about during the Spring.

DE: Stokes (RS Sr), Jones (Jr), Holmes (RS Soph), Tepa (Soph) and Graham (RS Fr)

Verbals: Marquis Jackson (RS Soph) and Derrick Bryant

Recruiting: Owamagbe Odighizuwa

Owa is getting rave reviews from the practice reports in preparation for the HS US Army Game. He is getting complements for his "burst and motor" off the edge. Owais of Nigerian descent from Oregon and during his Official Visit to UCLA, his family hit it off with our LB Verbal, Olaniyan and Uko (suc verbal). Getting pressure off the edge was an issue this season. Jackson should be ready to contribute immediately while Owa has the size and skill set to play as a FR IMO. Bryant had a monster season but I expect him to RS. Hopefully Jones develops some pass rushing moves instead of relying on brute strength during the offseason. I'm eager to see what Graham brings to the table since CRN indicated that Graham would have played as a FR had he not gotten injured. Holmes may be a candidate to bulk up to provide depth at DT. This is a position that CRN has recruited very well during his 2 years at UCLA.

LB: Schmidtt (RS Sr), Ayers (RS Jr), Sloan (RS Jr), Westgate (Jr), Carter (RS Soph), Larimore (RS Soph), Golper (RS Fr), Bowens (RS Fr), Taneila Maka (Fr, 2009 Grayshirt) and Jared Koster (Fr, 2009 Grayshirt)

Verbals: Aramide Olaniyan and Eric Kendricks

Recruiting: Hayes Pullard and Jordan Zumwalt

Olaniyan originally was a verbal to Duke until he stepped foot in Westwood while Kendricks is the younger brother of Cal LB, Mychal Kendricks (who killed us with his INT for TD). There were some out there who weren't too exicited when he verballed because UCLA was recruiting more highly rated players at LB. However, Kendrick had a monster year and I think he'll be a player in the future. Pullard who is from Bruin friendly Crenshaw HS, is being viewed as the future at the MLB position if he commits to UCLA. Zumwalt is a Stanford verbal that both local schools have continue to recruit. The recruits will get their chance to compete but watching Reggie and Akeem's struggle to learn the defense leads me to believe that the LB recurits will have difficulty making a huge impact but I think 1 or 2 will be on the 2 deep roster. Numbers wise, I think we've overrecruited at LB but besides Ayers, we do not have any proven commodities. Sloan played a lot a couple seasons ago when Reggie got injured but the verdict is still out on him. Sloan, Larimore and Golper should have a heated battle for the MLB position. Westgate may be too small to be a starter while Carter may have outgrown the position and is a candidate to be moved. Based on what I've read, Bowens is one to keep an eye on. Just like the TB position, we have talent at this position but they lack experience. This will be another unit to keep an eye on during the Spring and Fall.

CB: Viney (RS Jr), Hester (RS Soph), Price (Soph), Sermons (Soph) and Pollard (RS Fr)

Verbals: Shaquille Richardson

Recruiting: Anthony Jefferson

Shaq is Paul's cousin who will likely RS in order to get stronger and more prepared to compete at this level. We all saw what can happen to a CB who is not physically ready to compete with Price. However, for all the heat that Price has taken from fans, with an offseason to build strength and size, he will be an All Conference CB by the time his career is said and done. Hester getting injured was a damn shame. We could have really used him and Hester getting experience while playing with the veterans would have better positioned him to make bigger contributions in 2010. Jefferson is from Cathedral HS,where we inked Carroll, who played both WR and CB. UCLA is recruiting him for CB who has size at 6-2. Not quite sure what we have with Sermons and Pollard but both were well thought of coming out of HS. We'll see if Viney can compete with these young Bruins.

S: Moore (Jr), Love (RS Jr), Dye (Jr), McKay (Soph), Hilliard (Soph) and Mascarenas (RS Fr)

Verbals: Tevin McDonald

Recruiting: Marquis Flowers and Erick Dargan

UCLA just had Earnest Thomas, from Michigan, decommit. I don't think this is a huge loss considering the amount of bodies we have and the talent level in the secondary. Like Jones & Jackson, McDonald has a brother who suits up for the darkside. A bit small for safety IMO and have never seen him play so we'll see if he remains at this position. Rahim is a known commodity while Dye will get competition at SS. Interested to see if McKay and Hilliard can push for a starting position. IMO, Love has been a disappointment considering his measurables. Our secondary lacks a physical enforcer who can punish people in the middle of the field. I like what I've been reading about Dargan while Flowers is a highly rated prospect. Safety was a deep position in the west, especially in CA this year but with the amount of bodies/talent on our roster, we may be better served in using this ride at a position with more pressing need.

Special Teams: Forbath (RS Sr), Yount (RS Sr) and Locke (RS Soph)

Verbals: Kip Smith

We are definitely "Special Teams U" right now. Forbath and Locke have continued the tradition of having excellent kickers and punters at UCLA. I think Smith will be prepared to takeover after learning from Forbath during his redshirt year.

Predictions:

Barr: UCLA (Battle between UCLA and ND with Florida St. making a late push)

Murphy: Other (UCLA if our higher priority targets go elsewhere and additional rides open up)

Yandall: UCLA (only a matter of time IMO)

Heimuli: UCLA (Always worried when we try to pluck a player of Mormon faith from Utah but after getting X, I think CRN and CNC will seal the deal)

Epenesa: UCLA (possible admissions issues?)

Thompson: Other (Our recruiting of him was too late IMO)

Willis: UNC (Said to be down to UNC and UCLA with Tenn still making a push. Read somewhere he wanted to be closer to home. Maybe CRN can surprise us here?)

Ferguson: Other (Will be making an Official Visit but I just don't see him coming across the country)

Owa: UCLA (Owa and Heimuli are the 2 guys that has me a bit nervous. He seems to be leaning UCLA but recruiting is a crazy thing and nobody really knows what will happen)

Pullard: UCLA (suc is making a hard push but I fully expect him to continue the Crenshaw to UCLA pipeline)

Zumwalt: Stanford (Both local schools are making a push but I think he'll ultimately stick with Stanford)

Jefferson: Oregon (Although I would love to have him in Westwood, he is an Oregon lean)

Flowers: Arizona or suc (CRN is trying but I just don't see it)

Dargan: UCLA (He is visiting this weekend and if CRN wants him, he gets him. Dargan wanted to come to UCLA early but we didn't recruit him as hard early. Leaning Oregon at the moment)

NOTE: I didn't list other guys that the staff have offered. These are the guys that I think should be on our radar leading up to Signing Day due to various reasons. Some are more likely than others but if I just listed guys that we'll get, it wouldn't be as much fun. These are just predictions and I have zero inside info so take it for what it is.

Please feel free to make predictions yourself, correct any mistakes I may have made and agree/disagree as well.

GO BRUINS!

Kai Maiava ineligible for Bowl game

BlueReign — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:35:29 -0000

Kai Maiava ineligible for Bowl game

UCLA center Kai Maiava is academically ineligible for the EagleBank Bowl.

Senior Appreciation Post

BlueReign — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:49:52 -0000

Bumped. GO BRUINS. - N

Photo Credit: Francis Specker (AP)

Its been a rough week for all that bleed Blue & Gold. But, I don't think we should forget the young men that laid it on the line on behalf of Bruins Nation, bringing us joy watching them take the field on Saturdays. I'd like to say THANK YOU for representing UCLA with honor and class to our Senior class:

Chinoso Anyanwu, Terrence Austin, Korey Bosworth, Kyle Bosworth, Reggie Carter, Kevin Craft, Nick Ekbatani, Gavin Ketchum, Chane "The Train" Moline, Ryan Moya, Logan Paulsen, Jerzy Siewierski, Trevor "Moose" Theriot, Alterraun "ATV/Old Man" Verner, Jess Ward, Aaron Ware.

Although he is not a Senior, Brian Price must be included.

Honarable Mention: Jake Dean, Brandon Bennett, Jeff Miller and Garrett Rubio.

Post whatever comes to mind whether it be a play they've made, an impression upon meeting them, a story read about them, etc.

51: "Heart & Soul" of not only our Defense but UCLA Football. Reggie's personal story has touched many and I'm sure I speak for us all in saying we wish him the best and we'll be watching you on Sundays. P.S. Those sucsters are lucky that the ref got in the way of #51.

ATV: I'll never forget him running towards me in the Rose Bowl against Cal in 2007 for a Pick 6 to save the day for the Blue & Gold. Mathematics-Applied Science major. A true "Student-Athlete" unlike the sucsters in Senorita Ross's class. Competed with Van Wilder for being in school for what seems like forever. :D

KC: I think he cost me a few years of my life but nobody can question KC's heart and unselfishness. How many people would continue to get back up time and again after the pounding he took last year on behalf of the team and UCLA? He will forever have a place in my heart.

BP: The moment I read about how BP handled Cheaty during a In-Home visit, I had a Man Crush. BP has dealt with a lot of tragedy in his life yet found the courage and resolve to continue to move on. I'm going to miss him wearing the Blue & Gold. I hope he destroys every single sucster he encounters in the NFL.

I hope we get to see our boys 1 last time and get to fire up another Game Thread.

GO BRUINS!

Jefferson no longer a Bruin verbal

BlueReign — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:00:40 -0000

Per ESPN:

Five-star athlete Tony Jefferson (Chula Vista, Calif./Eastlake) decommitted from UCLA following an official visit to USC and will now decide for either the Trojans or the Oklahoma Sooners, ESPN's Greg Biggins reports.

"The UCLA players really disrespected me before the game," Jefferson said. "When they saw me, they were all cussing at me, telling me to never come around Westwood again and things like that. These were guys that I had hung out with before and it was a lot of the team. I guess I kind of see it since I was committed there and was wearing USC gear before their big game but I still didn't appreciate it."

If true, I don't condone the cussing that Jefferson had to endure but WTF? I know its an official and all but why the hell is he wearing suc gear in the most heated and biggest game of the year. Did Jefferson expect our guys to show him love wearing their garbage?

I hope this kid picks suc so we beat him his entire career down at Fig Tech. Not losing any sleep over this. Our class will be fine and just like suc, the recruits all saw what a lowlife scum bag Cheaty is and how the gap between the programs got a whole lot closer.

Recruiting/Roster Thoughts

BlueReign — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:43:01 -0000

This is not meant to take BN's focus off of the game in Pullman as our boys continue their fight for Bowl eligibility nor our Ben Ball Warriors and the upcoming season.

We received BIG news tonight with the verbal from Jordon James. I agree with others that Coleman will likely be switched to FB (as he was initially recruited for) and I expect Thigpen to be utilized like Trindon Holliday down in the Bayou. The competition to be the primary back and for carries should be quite entertaining and spark some interesting debates.

What really has me puzzled is mainly the number of recruits we are pursuing. CRN is not just pursuing multiple recruits at a position of need (DT) but across the board. As we currently stand right now, we will have 16 total scholarships (assuming Kia returns using his RS) to hand out to the 2010 recruiting class. BP is the only candidate that I see leaving early. If so, 17 total rides.

Per Scout.com we currently have 13 verbals. This does not include the pending enrollment of Koster and Maka (did he qualify?). Another 3 rides are spoken for by Smith, Fauria and Mobley (if he qualifies, we all need to cross our fingers he gets to Westwood). That brings the total to 18.

Yet, CRN is still out there pursuing a lot of highly touted recruits. The logical explanation is the normal attrition programs have every offseason. However, the numbers to me dictate that there could be a lot of guys that will not be on the roster come next fall. Without singling anyone out, it isn't a secret that the JR class has not panned out the way many envisioned.

So my question to BN is: If UCLA was to politely nudge some guys out, would you be ok with it in order to bring in better talent or is this something UCLA should not engage in?

Bullough & The Defense

BlueReign — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 04:14:52 -0000

Bumped. GO BRUINS. -N

Was able to finally get out to the Rose Bowl for the Cal game. I was hoping to see improvement from the Defense after reading about the "Players Only Meeting" but what I saw was the same concerns we've raised here on BN.

Here are some stats courtesy of: CFBStats.com

Total Defense Rank: 33

Scoring Defense Rank: 45 (21.6 pts per game)

Passing Defense: 20 (168.3 yds per game)

Rushing Defense: 79 (151.71 yds per game)

Here are the stats for the 1st Quarter:

Passing Defense: 91 (390 yds, 60.5% completion rate)

Rushing Defense: 95 (291 yds, 4.48 avg per carry)

Analysis after the jump.

These are our Pass & Run defense statistics from the season thus far:

San Diego State

Pass: 18-45, 238 yds

Run: 18 carries, 39 yds, 2.2 avg

Tennessee

Pass: 13-26, 93 yds

Run: 44 carries, 115 yds, 2.6 avg

Kansas State

Pass: 21-35, 199 yds

Run: 37 carries, 69 yds, 1.9 avg

Stanford

Pass: 14-20, 198 yds

Run: 44 carries, 174 yds, 4.0 avg

Oregon

Pass: 9-17, 82 yds

Run: 43 carries, 221 yds, 5.1 avg

Cal

Pass: 14-23, 205 yds

Run: 41 carries, 289 yds, 7.0 avg

First off, I personally think its a bunch of crock using the Bullough is/was told to not deviate from the DW defense. This is Bullough's defense and he is 100% responsible for the porous results thus far. I've read the arguments that we're young. Yes, we are young relatively speaking but this team does not lack game experience. Guys like Datone, Akeem, Rahim and Tony got plenty of time on the field last season and have been in the program for at least 2 fall camps. Even if Bullough was told to keep the DW playbook, we all read quotes from guys like Reggie who indicated that Bullough has added his personal touch to the defense.

Second, I have BIG issues with the Game Planning by Bullough. Time after time, we've seen our defense come out in the first quarter and look lost. The first quarter statistics for our defense are pretty telling in my eyes. Why the defense is not ready to fire on all cylinders from the kickoff continues to baffle me. In game adjustments seem to take way too long to happen.

Don't let those passing statistics fool you. We have yet to face a single big time QB this season. We've faced Lindley (new offense), Crompton (Overrated & new offense), Coffman (new offense), Luck (RS FR), Costa (Fill in for Masoli & coming off 2 ACL injuries) and Riley (erratic). We took advantage of the first 3 but failed to do so when we entered conference play. In conference play, teams didn't need to pass a lot since they were moving the ball on the ground. Why take the risk when we can't stop the run?

I'm more critical of the game planning/scheme since conference play has started. I believe that conference games are generally tougher than non-conference games because each team has accurate scouting reports of the other therefore teams don't lack information nor film of their opponents strengths/weaknesses/tendencies. Everybody and their mama knew that we were going to get a heavy dose of Gerhardt. Yet, we still got run over by Stanford in the 1st half. One would think that Bullough would stack the box and make Luck beat us. I saw too much base defense from us instead of changing coverages and blitzing Luck to cause confusion and create pressure. We then faced Oregon starting Costa who is making his 1st career start. Once again, we should have sold out to stop the run considering Costa was making his 1st start. Same goes for Cal who is quarterbacked by an erratic Riley.

We can point out that we were starting a True FR at CB. I can see the logic in protecting him for the Stanford game but if Price was the better option over Viney (still confused as to why he has yet to play considering Pressley & Carroll have gotten into games), then the protecting Price excuse does not work with me. The decision was made to go with Price over Viney so Bullough must be responsible for this decision.

Third, assuming that Bullough's game plans were sound, he is still failing miserably. Players are responsible for executing the game plan. However, it's clear to me that the players lack discipline (penalties & over pursuit) and cannot tackle if their life depended on it. We've seen penalties by the defense at critical times during the games keeping the opponent's drives alive. We've seen players not stay home on the backside leading to Best's TD run. We've seen our failure to tackle manifest itself when James flipped the field from the 1 yd line juking his way to midfield.

Our players are failing miserably in these aspects but the responsibility lies with Bullough. Every single player on our defense has had multiple starts and has been in this system for at least a year except for Price. This is an experienced defense with Mid-Season AA at all 3 levels of the defense. The lack of depth argument doesn't fly either. There aren't many teams that have the talent and experience we have on our defense. So are people going to make the same excuse next season when we lose both Boz's, Ward, Jerzy, Reggie, ATV and potentially BP? I guess people can use the "Youth" excuse next season.

I have been very critical of Price as well as others. I believe that Price is going to be a very good player in due time but he is clearly over-matched right now. My frustration lies with the fact that we've got Viney on the bench who has proven to be a good tackler for his size and played a very good game at Tennessee yet we fail to play him. Also, the Best run is not on Price. Akeem failed to stay home and Dye from his spot came inside where everybody else was instead of staying home on the outside. Dye would have had an opportunity to tackle Best and would have had help from ATV instead of ATV being on his own. Price came from the other side of the defense and tried to stop Best but there were 2 blockers. Price showed heart/hustle and never gave up on the play. For that, I commend Price.

I've been frustrated by the offense but I cannot deny the improvement no matter how small they may be. The defense on the other hand has been pathetic when considering all factors. As of now, count me in as someone that believes Bullough is in over his head and needs to get his pink slip. I hope he proves me wrong but I have no confidence in him and his coaching abilities.

1 Bruin Finished With "Patience"

BlueReign — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 03:28:07 -0000

Bumped. GO BRUINS. -N

I can't believe how my perception of the FB program has turned a 180 in a matter of 4 weeks. There is no excuse for what has happened or has not happened with this team and program.

I don't know if this is CRN or CNC's doing but our Offense is as vanilla as KD was as a HC. The conservative/limit mistakes offense was appropriate in a hostile environment with a RS FR QB but it's as if we've been playing in Knoxville every week thereafter. They keep on talking about stretching the field vertically but I'm not seeing this done on a consistent basis. Perfect example was the KP pick 6. Yes, KP should not have stared down the receiver and not thrown the ball but IMO, the coaches did not help the situation. All game long, we've been running short routes without threatening the field vertically. Everyone on that play was running a hitch. That CB was just waiting to pounce on that route. Oregon was starting a 3rd string CB yet we could not take advantage of this matchup?!? Just boggles my mind.

The staff is not utilizing the talent on this team appropriately, specifically the WR position. At this point, I cannot tell if Austin and Embree are just not that good or if their lack of production is a product of the playcalling. Either way, Rosario/Pressley/Carroll need more opportunities. These guys have advantages physically and can pose matchup problems. People have mentioned if we have a Fade Route in our playbook. Wouldn't it have been nice to see us use Rosario and Pressley down in the Red Zone instead of trying 2 QB sneaks in a row? Why assist the opposition by not utilizing their size but instead turn them into 5-10 WR's?

Example: In the Ole Miss/Bama game, Bama came out in an empty back field. Single WR to the right and bunch formation to the left (4 WR in a diamond formation). They threw a quick pass to the receiver in the back for 7 yds. Later in the game, they use the same formation but its flipped. The defense adjusts to this but this time, McElroy hits Julio Jones for about 25 yds as he was matched up man to man. Now imagine Rosario/Pressley/Embree in the front of the formation with a guy like Thigpen or Austin in the back or let another WR beat his man 1 on 1. If a defensive minded coach like Saban and his staff can come up with a play like that, I don't see why an offensive HC such as CRN and offensive guru like CNC cannot come up with something imaginative such as this. Frustrating doesn't begin to describe my feelings.

Our defense has been solid but there should be no talk about our defense being dominant. Gerhart ran all over our defense last week and we failed to tackle James all game long. That James run from the 1 yd line is a perfect example and flipped the field. This defense has MAJOR tackling issue. They continue to fail to wrap up time and time again. When we do tackle, the opponent always gets YAC yards or leans forward for another yard or two. In our back seven, we lack guys that just come up and destroy the opponent. We don't make hits like Telemeque (former LB Poly kid at Miami) who attacks the ballcarrier (See his upending of the GT RB) instead of breaking down and getting blown bye (See Sheldon Price).

I'm not privy to what exactly Viney did but he needs to get back on the field over Price. Price is not ready and really needs to get in the weight room. He cannot shed blocks nor is he ready to come up to make sure tackles. Viney may be undersized but he does tackle well for his size.

Ganz needs to get his pink slip. Our Special Teams was actually better under the old regime. The staff needs to take a look at putting more physical guys on ST. During that Kickoff return, you could clearly see Love being manhandled and not able to shed his block. On a side note, Love for all his physical attributes plays a lot smaller and lacks the type of killer instinct one would think he'd have considering his size.

Someone posted that CRN was telling the crowd to come out next week to support the team against Cal. I'll be there but not because of CRN but because of my support for the kids. Last year was understandable considering the transition from the prior regime and the turmoil (injuries) we went through. I did not anticipate us going 10-2 or something ridiculous like that. I do expect us to at least be 6-6 and get to a bowl game. This goal is still attainable but major changes must be made.

Asking for bowl eligibility is not asking too much in today's environment. Fair or not, coaches need to win and win as soon as possible. If Paul Johnson and Rich Rodriguez can instill a new/unorthodox offense without the parts and win, I don't see why CRN and staff can win with the ingredients on this roster. If a Guz Malzahn can turn bring Auburn's offense into the new millenium, I don't see why CRN and staff can't. Many have said that we could arguably have the best staff in the nation, well.....I'm still waiting and I'm pretty damn sure I'm not the only one.

For this Bruin fan, the Honeymoon is over. Players ultimately determine the outcome of the game but this staff has failed miserably in my eyes in putting our kids in positions to succeed thus far.

Tenn Preview

BlueReign — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:18:27 -0000

Bumped. Good primer from BlueReign. GO BRUINS. -N

This game will be our first challenge of the season and a more accurate barometer of how much we really have improved. Nobody on our team has experienced an atmosphere quite like Knoxville. The last time UCLA entered such hostile territory was in 2003 when we went to Norman, OK. Tenn is in a similar situation as ours but the 100K orange clad fans make this a very challenging game.

When Cal went over to Tenn and got blitzed, their True FR CB, Thompson (SR now) made mention of how stunned he was by the atmosphere. He then showed it when Stallworth left him in the dust for a TD. The bulk of our roster lacks extensive game experience so I fully expect the youngsters to have the deer in the headlights look to them.

We've talked about our team's strength being the defense. Our defense must help us weather the initial storm because I expect our offense to have problems initially. They cannot start out slow against Tenn as we did against SD St.

Tenn Offense v UCLA Defense

I expect Tenn to lean on the run game. As documented, Tenn is missing experience at the WR position due to injuries. The left side of their OL (LT - Scott & LG - Richard) consits of 2 seniors with Scott being an All-Sec type of performer. Their backs (Hardesty & Brown) are on the bigger side weighing around 215 lbs. I'm not going to state the obvious (Price having a big game) but Datone will be critical in this game. He'll be matched up against Scott and if he can hold the edge, our LB's should be able to flow to the ball to limit their run game. Dye needs to take proper angles and be a sure tackler in this game because he'll need to support the front 7.

Crompton suffered the same fate like Drew by having multiple coordinators during his career but the kid has talent. Crompton is not very mobile and if we can get pressure on him, he'll make bad decisions. Tenn is playing 2 FR (Teague is starting) in their WR rotation. Every opponent will be picking on whomever is the CB opposite ATV. Viney must be ready for the challenge.

UCLA Offense v Tenn Defense

Tenn like UCLA has playmakers at all 3 levels of their defense (Williams/McCoy/Berry). Not going to mention what our OL will have to do. Prince is going to have his hands full in this environment. Prince must get the offense lined up in plenty of time for the snap and needs to ensure he looks off Berry. Franklin waived on a block early against SD St. I think Chow will use the RB as an extra blocker to help X in addition to picking up the blitzing LB. Whomever is in, must not miss their block.

Special Teams

Tenn's starting CB, Rogan is a decent return man. Hopefully our kicks are long and the coverage teams are sound.

I always respected the Tenn progam. But it is quite clear with the upset we pulled off last year and Kiffin & Orgeron's hatred for us, they'll be coming for blood against us. Asking such a young and inexperienced team to come out of Knoxville with a win may be asking too much. Whether we win or not, if we are competitive in such a hostile environment, it bodes well for this years team and our hopes for the futue of the program.