2010 UCLA Bruins Football Preview

2009 Results: 7-6, Won EagleBank Bowl vs. Temple

Head Coach: Rick Neuheisel (3rd year, 11-14 @ UCLA, 77-44 Overall)

Home Venue: Rose Bowl Stadium (91,500)

Rick Neuheisel’s second season in charge at his alma mater represented a big step forward for the Bruins as UCLA won their first bowl game since 2005. Noticeable strides were made on both sides of the football and the talent level in the program has also been upgraded by Neuheisel’s excellent recruiting. However, the Bruins have a lot of work to do, especially on defense, and a brutal schedule awaits them this fall. Can UCLA compete in the extremely deep Pac Ten?

OFFENSE

Despite some noticeable strides, the Bruins still only scored 22 points per game in ‘09, ranking them 9 th in the Pac Ten. This was the byproduct of an ineffective running game and a passing attack that only ranked 7 th in the conference despite being the primary focus of the offense. I will cut UCLA some slack as they struggled with injury and inexperience at quarterback throughout the season and that certainly hurt their production. Can the Bruins field a much more dangerous offense this fall?

The fact that sophomore quarterback Kevin Prince (2,050 yards, 8 TDs, 8 INT in ‘09) managed to start eleven games last fall is a testament to his toughness. Prince broke his jaw, got a concussion and separated his shoulder at different times last season! Needless to say, we’ll get a much more realistic gauge on his abilities to quarterback this year with better health and the passing game should improve accordingly.

Prince also has two solid receivers in the starting lineup. Juniors Nelson Rosario (42 catches, 723 yards, 2 TDS) and Taylor Embree (45 catches, 608 yards, 2 TDs) were the team’s top pass catchers last fall and they should form a successful tandem again in 2010. However, they’re also the only two receivers on the team with any notable experience, so the Bruins will be looking for some of the highly talented underclassmen that Neuheisel has recruited to contribute this season.

However, the concerns about the passing game pale in comparison to the worries about the ground attack. Sophomore Johnathan Franklin (566 yards, 5 TDs) was the team’s top rusher in 2009 as a true freshman, so he should be better with more experience. However, junior Derrick Coleman (224 yards, 1 TDs) was listed as the starter after an impressive spring. Those two will be supported by a number of highly touted but lightly experienced underclassmen that should make a much larger impact this fall. There is clearly more than enough talent to power a good running game, but the question is whether the offensive line can give them enough room to run after two consecutive ineffective campaigns. With four upperclassmen starters returning, there are high hopes for a significantly better showing on the ground this season.

The final piece to the puzzle is UCLA’s implementation of the pistol offense this season. Frankly, this came as somewhat of a surprise considering that injuries and inexperience at quarterback have played a much larger role in the Bruins’ failures in the last two seasons than their choice of scheme. However, offensive coordinator Norm Chow is one of the best in college football, so he must be confident that a new look is what UCLA needs to take the next step. Unfortunately, I disagree: Prince’s terrible showing in the Spring Game coupled with the issues surrounding debuting a new system against one of the country’s toughest opening schedules seems like a recipe for disaster. Even with a new focus on the running game, the Bruins still appear to be one of the conference’s least dangerous offenses.

DEFENSE

UCLA had a much better season on defense in 2009, finishing 3rd in the Pac Ten in scoring average at a solid 21.2 points per contest. However, the new year brings a lot of turnover to this unit, especially in the front seven. Can the new defense adjust quickly to life in the high-flying Pac Ten?

The Bruins featured a strong defensive line in 2009 that was built around the 2009 Pac Ten Defensive Player of the Year, tackle Brian Price. Unfortunately, he left early for the NFL and was a 2nd round draft pick. To make matters worse, junior defensive end Datone Jones (30 tackles, 4 sacks) is the only returning starter up front! This is going to be a very thin group, as the rest of the DEs that are expected to contribute are all underclassmen and highly touted true freshman Owa Odighizuwa will probably see a ton of playing time. Things look even thinner at defensive tackle, where junior Nate Chandler was listed atop the depth chart despite playing tight end for the last two seasons! This group does not inspire confidence against the run with their lack of size and experience in the middle, though they may generate a decent pass rush from their speedy defensive ends.

The pass rush will also be boosted by linebacker Akeem Ayers (75 tackles, 6 sacks, 4 INT), who is an absolute physical freak. Ayers is a 1st Team All-Conference candidate thanks to his incredible athleticism and he is a great centerpiece to build around. However, he’s also the only returning starter as the Bruins have to replace the top two tacklers from 2009. That’s a lot of production to replace and it magnifies my concerns about the run defense.

The secondary is relatively concern-free compared to the front seven after an impressive season in 2009. Junior safety Rahim Moore (49 tackles, 10 INT) was a 1st Team All-American after leading the NCAA in picks and he has started every single game that he has been in Westwood. He’ll pair with classmate Tony Dye (73 tackles) to form one of the elite safety tandems in the conference. At cornerback, sophomore Sheldon Price (48 tackles) was extremely impressive as a true freshman last year and should grow into a top cover option. While this group will miss departed ballhawk Alterraun Verner, the overall talent (especially at safety) should make UCLA’s secondary one of the best in the conference.

Yet it is impossible to overlook the concerns on the defensive line. There is virtually no depth, many major contributors are underclassmen and their top defensive tackle was a tight end last season! Even with the all-world skills of Ayers in at linebacker, this group looks like they’re going to be extremely vulnerable against the run. That will undermine the skill of their defensive backs as opponents will throw the ball significantly less (why throw when you can run it down a defense’s throat?) and the secondary will have to play up to help cover their inadequacies on the ground. Expect UCLA to struggle against the run and that will cause the Bruins to take a major step back defensively in 2010.

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SCHEDULE

This is one of the most unfavorable schedules in the entire country. UCLA’s non-conference schedule features trips to Kansas State and Texas, two places that are extremely difficult venues for visiting teams. A win at Texas seems downright improbable and K-State will be tough as well. Meanwhile, their final non-Pac Ten game comes at home against high-flying Houston, who is the prohibitive favorite in Conference USA.

The good news is that UCLA has five home Pac Ten games this season, but unfortunately that’s the only good news about their conference schedule. The Bruins have three weeknight road games at Oregon, Washington and Arizona State and their other road game is an always-difficult trip to Cal. With contenders Arizona, Stanford and USC on the home slate, things are going to be very tough for Neuheisel’s team to earn bowl eligibility. UCLA has one of the most difficult schedules in all of college football.

OUTLOOK

Unfortunately for Neuheisel, 2010 looks like a major step backwards for the Bruins. While the overall talent level has definitely been upgraded, Neuheisel’s recruits are still underclassmen. Furthermore, there is a gap in senior leadership this season, especially on defense. UCLA simply isn’t deep enough to match last year’s excellent showing and opponents will be able to run the ball with much great success, neutralizing the strength of the defense in the secondary.

The offense also doesn’t inspire much confidence. The quarterback and running backs are very young and the change to the pistol set will require patience. Unfortunately, that’s a luxury that isn’t available this season because UCLA gets fed to the dogs right away with an extremely difficult September schedule. They’ll be very lucky to start the season 2-2 and if they fail to pull that feat off then the season could quickly fall apart. I’m afraid that this looks like a rebuilding season and a bowl berth seems very unlikely with the difficulty of their schedule.
The UCLA Bruins are my pick to finish 9 th in the Pac Ten Conference in 2010.

PREDICTED RESULT: 3-9 (2-7 Pac Ten)