It was a shorter practice than usual as UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel begins to taper off to keep the Bruins fresh for Monday's game with Tennessee. Also, the seniors had to hurry off the field for a donor dinner.
On the field, Neuheisel said the tempo was ok, but guys had heavy legs.
Neuheisel said he expected Micah Kia to play at left tackle despite a broken hand, but wasn't yet sure if Kia would start.
On the injury front, UCLA was awaiting results of an MRI on freshman quarterback Nick Crissman, but Neuheisel said he believed Crissman suffered a labrum injury in his right shoulder. With Crissman out, Osaar Rasshan returned to practice and quarterbacked the scout team offense.
Backup middle linebacker Steve Sloan wore a red no-hit jersey because of shoulder stingers, and red-shirting center Kai Maiava learned he had torn meniscus and a torn medical collateral ligament in his left knee, but surgery should not be needed, he said.
I spoke to Sylmar High forward Tyler Honeycutt earlier today, and the hoopster said his final four is USC, UCLA, Texas and Memphis. He said he had offers from all four schools, and wanted to take official visits to each one before making his decision.
He said he is tentatively set to visit USC the weekend of Sept. 13, when the Trojans host Ohio State in football.
"I want to go to a school were I can play right away and a place where I feel like I fit in and everyone gets along,'' Honeycutt said. "My mom wants me to stay close (to home). I'd kind of like to, but it depends on the school I chose."
UCLA running back Kahlil Bell is on the watch list for the Doak Walker Award. Here is the release:
Olympic coaches do no receive medals, but the U.S. Olympic Committee came up with a way to give awards to its coaches, and pair of UCLA coaches were honored.
Bruins women's track coach Jeanette Bolden and volunteer coach Bobby Kersee were give The Order of Ikkos Medallion.
Bolden was given the medallion after the women's U.S. 4x400m relay team captured gold, a team which featured former Bruin Monique Henderson. Kersee was given a medallion after another former Bruin, Dawn Harper, captured gold in the 100m hurdles.
Here is a release from UCLA about the game day events for Monday at the Rose Bowl:
UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft is quiet and reserved during interviews, but he is a very good competitor on the field, and not afraid of getting hit, or dishing out hits. He's also a good athlete, which offensive coordinator Norm Chow told me the other day.
Valley Center High in San Diego ran the run-oriented wing-t offense when he was a junior, so he played receiver, safety, tight end, linebacker and cornerback and also returned punts and kicks.
"I was good enough to play wherever they needed to plug me in,'' Craft said. "My senior year, it was a normal offense, so I played quarterback."
Here is a story I wrote on Kevin Craft and his path to UCLA that ran in today's paper. Also, here is the notebook Jill Painter wrote off Wednesday's practice.
One thing Craft told me was that his first day of class at UCLA was in early April, and that was the first day the football team had meetings to get ready for spring practice. The next day spring practice began, and Craft basically knew no one on the team.
"It was kind of a whirlwind," Craft said. "I didn't know anybody, except for Pat (Cowan). I met him on my recruiting trip, and I was trying to figure out who everybody was, and get a handle on the offense. I was pretty behind on all that. It was my first day, and I was trying to figure it all out."
Last year, Tennessee's offensive line allowed a nation's best four sacks all season. Asked about that, DeWayne Walker said: ``Sacks are good. We want to try to just disrupt the quarterback. You don't have to sack the quarterback to disrupt the passing game. We can just try to make him uncomfortable and get our hands up and tip balls and all those kinds of things. Those things are just as good as sacks. It's still part of your pass defense.''
Nick Crissman was wearing a sling and didn't practice today. He tweaked his shoulder, according to Rick Neuheisel, yesterday and is expected to get an MRI. It's unknown if it's serious. He injured the shoulder and came out of Tuesday's practice but then returned.
CU transfer Kai Maiava had an MRI on his left knee. The results aren't in, but it is believed to be an MCL (medial collateral ligament) injury.
Micah Kia had a new cast, a smaller version of the previous one. He could even get a slimmer cast for Monday's game as doctors will take another look this weekend.
Marcus Everett practiced today.
Also, Terrence Austin practiced in a red, no-hit jersey.
Pete Carroll was asked at his weekly press conference what he thought about UCLA's ad that states: ``the football monopoly in Los Angeles is officially over.'' He was asked what he thought about Rick Neuheisel saying this.
``It's like the presidential race,'' Carroll said. ``The guy's got to say I endorse this.''
Asked again if he thought the monopoly was over, Carroll said: ``I never knew there was domination in football.''
From what I understand, true freshman Kevin Prince is gaining quickly on red-shirt freshman Chris Forcier in the competition to be UCLA's No. 2 quarterback. From what I hear, Prince is very good at picking up the offense and making the adjustments the coaching staff wants to see, but Forcier is lagging behind.
Bruins coach Rick Neuheisel said Forcier will be Kevin Craft's backup for the Tennessee game, but by the end of September it could be a different story.
The College GameDay gang for men's hoops will broadcast live from Cal's campus when the Bears host UCLA on Feb. 28. I included the schedule below:
Here is audio from Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer's conference call this morning.
Fulmer audio.mp3
Send in some questions by Friday 8 a.m., and I will post the answers afterward. (Please remember not to make the questions a zillion words.)
Also, as I reported in today's paper, UCLA is expecting 65,000 against Tennessee for the debut of coach Rick Neuheisel and his heralded staff. I'll be honest, I think this game should draw more, but I was curious what everyone else thought.
Athletes with UCLA ties won 15 medals, including four gold, at the Olympics. Here is the release from UCLA about it:
Here is the notebook I wrote for today's paper, which focused on attendance expectations for the first game of coach Rick Neuheisel's tenure.
Scott Mitchell, UCLA's assistant athletic director of marketing, said the Labor Day kickoff is something to consider.
"Labor Day might hurt,'' Mitchell said. "It's the first time we've played at home on a holiday, so you're losing some fans because of that. Being on (national) t.v. is a factor. Traffic could be a factor. The economy might be a factor.''
Mitchell also said knowing USC has sold out its home portion of its schedule creates perception issues.
"Something you have to keep in perspective is we have a lot of seats to fill and we're not where we want to be, and we aren't where the guys across town are,'' Mitchell said. "But the guys across town are doing better than anyone in the history of this town has ever done.
"In some ways, we're up against a tough comparison.''
UCLA left tackle Micah Kia said playing with his broken left hand heavily bandaged was "awkward," but added he was hopeful he could get fitted for a different cast over the weekend and play against Tennessee.
"It felt good, and there was nothing major,'' Kia said. "I'd like to get a new cast, but it's up to the doctor."
Here is the audio of UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel after Tuesday's practice.
Aug. 26 Neuheisel.mp3
UCLA just finished its Tuesday practice, and coach Rick Neuheisel said he was pleased with the way things went, especially since a few more periods were added for Tennessee prep.
Left tackle Micah Kia took reps with the first team offensive line, but with his left hand bandaged heavily and resembling a club. Unless he gets fitted with a cast that allows mobility with some part of his hand, offensive line coach Bob Palcic said it was unlikely Kia would play.
Receiver Marcus Everett did not take part in drills because of knee tendinitis. Neuheisel said it was a coach's decision to rest Everett for the day, but he should be back Wednesday.
Finally, it was a rough day for the scout team offense. Center Kai Maiava, a transfer from Colorado, went down with a left knee injury. He is to undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the injury.
And quarterback Nick Crissman missed some reps after injuring his shoulder. At one point, one of UCLA's graduate assistants was throwing passes as the scout team quarterback.
Mike Patrick will handle the play-by-play, Todd Blackledge will be the analyst and Holly Rowe is the sideline reporter for UCLA's opener against Tennessee on ESPN.
This is an ad that ran in today's Daily News. And for those with placement questions, it ran on the same page as the UCLA and USC football stories.
UCLA middle linebacker Reggie Carter and defensive tackles Brigham Harwell and Brian Price were added to the Lombardi Award watch list. Here is the release:
UCLA remains involved with Rancho Verde of Moreno Valley basketball guard Michael Snaer after both sides had a cooling off period in July. After talking to a few sources on the matter, the consensus was many schools believed Snaer was a secret commit to Missouri.
However, it turned out not to be the case, so other schools are again in the mix for Snaer. That said, I'm hearing UCLA is not tops on Snaer's list at this point, but that could change.
Here is the notebook I wrote in today's paper about the offensive line and the receiver Nelson Rosario. In addition, Rosario said his understanding of the offense is much better than it was in the early going.
"If they gave me a test, I'd be all right," Rosario said. "I know exactly what I'm supposed to do. It's a matter of me being more confident. Sometimes I second guess myself, but I've been getting rid of that and coming along a lot better."
UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel addressed the media after Monday's practice, and begin by talking about a wrist injury to receiver Terrence Austin.
UCLA offensive line coach Bob Palcic told me today after practice he settled on a starting five, although it is contingent on the health of Micah Kia.
It will be: RT Nick Ekbatani, RG Sonny Tevaga, C Micah Reed, LG Scott Glicksberg and LT Kia of Brandon Bennett.
Kia was at practice today with his hand heavily wrapped, with no fingers exposed. It is uncertain when he will return to practice, but coach Rick Neuheisel things it will be this week.
There was also another injury when WR Terrence Austin injured his right wrist while trying to recover a fumble. However, x-rays were negative and Neuheisel said Austin should be ready for Tennessee.
The Pauley Pavilion pod is tentatively set for the first two rounds of the Coaches vs. Cancer basketball tournament. UCLA is set to play Prairie View A&M (as previously reported) in one bracket, and Weber State is going to tangle with Miami, Ohio, in the other game on Nov. 12.
The winner's play the follow day, with the winner of the group heading to Madison Square Garden for the semifinals and finals of the tournament. The other pods hosts are Michigan, Duke and Southern Illinois, with the expectation each of those teams will advance.
And, lest anyone forget, Bruins coach Ben Howland is a Weber State alum.
Here is the audio from UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel's Monday press conference to preview the Tennessee game.
UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel said met the media for his weekly press conference, and he spoke about playing Tennessee in the season opener Monday at the Rose Bowl.
"We're eager to find out where we are,'' Neuheisel said.
A couple other quick hitters --
*Neuheisel said defensive tackle Brigham Harwell (back spasms) should return to practice Tuesday. He hasn't practiced since Thursday.
*Neuheisel added starting left tackle Micah Kia (broken left hand) was being fitted for a custom cast and it was anticipated he would be ready to play.
*"There will be growing pains, but we'll have to weather those,'' Neuheisel said.
*Neuheisel's first career start came against fellow SEC team Georgia, which somebody brought up.
"I knew it was going to be a tough night when Uga threw up on my shoes,'' said Neuheisel, who opined about throwing four interceptions. "I'm not sure which Uga, though.''
UCLA running back Kahlil Bell brought an optimistic attitude to a media session today, stating "anything less than a Pac-10 championship ...that's what our goal would be."
On UCLA's coaching staff, Bell said "We've got the best coaches in the nation."
Bell also said he consulted with doctors and will wear his knee brace all season, but was not experiencing any pain or discomfort with his knee. "The only thing I feel is the knee brace on the knee,'' he said.
UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel will hold his press conference in preparation of the Tennessee opener, so I will have info from that this afternoon.
The Westwood Bruins Touchdown Club is hosting its first breakfast of the season Friday. Here is the information:
La Canada Renaissance Academy center Anthony Stover said he has been on campus a few times this summer, the latest being Thursday when he got to play pickup basketball at the men's gym with a bunch of the NBA guys.
"That was a fun, a good experience,'' Stover said.
In hoops recruiting, La Canada Renaissance Academy center Anthony Stover said he has trimmed his list to four schools, and those are UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State and Washington.
"That's about it,'' Stover said. "Those are my last four schools."
He said he will take official visits to his four finalists before committing in late October or early November, and already has a Sept. 6 visit lined up at Arizona State.
"I'm going to take one to UCLA just to see it,'' Stover said.
Here is the notebook I wrote for today's paper. Also, the feeling along the defensive line is it may be better off, on a whole, than last year because of the size and strength of the starting four. Here is what Korey Bosworth had to say about it:
"All four of us are really strong, physical players,'' Bosworth said. "We work well together. We have two big, really strong tackles, and they're going to be the anchors."
On a side note, I know a lot of new people are coming by the blog and checking in, and even commenting. I appreciate it. However, please keep the language clean. I had to delete more comments in the last week than I had to in the previous six months.
Please, no foul language. Please make your point without the foul language.
I talked to UCLA running back Aundre Dean, one of the standouts of the incoming freshman class, about being frustrated early in training camp at a lack carries. He said at one point he thought the unthinkable would happen -- that he could red-shirt rather than play this season.
"It got a little cloudy,'' Dean said. "I was like, 'Man, really, I am going to red-shirt?' It was starting to turn for a little bit. I got on the phone and talked to my dad, and he said just play ball."
Dean said he started asking questions about his assignments, rather than his stature in the backfield, and his carries in practice increased. And last week UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel said Dean was the only one of the four incoming freshman running backs who would be available for the season-opener against Tennessee.
One of the reasons UCLA center/power forward Alfred Aboya was looking into playing overseas rather than returning to school for his senior season was family related. The thought was if Aboya could make a good salary, he could help his family back in Cameroon financially.
However, it did not materialize, so he is set to enroll in graduate school at UCLA. That said, Aboya filed the paperwork to enroll in graduate school, but still needs to be admitted. In talking to folks close to the situation, that is a formality, but it still must take place.
Finally, in speaking with coach Ben Howland, one thing he said about Aboya's return was it will elevate the level of practice every day. No one works harder or plays harder than Aboya, and his physical nature of playing gets guys ready for the banging within the Pac-10.
Here is the notebook I wrote for today's paper, and from watching the practices throughout training camp is was evident to see UCLA wants to use tight end Logan Paulsen in the offense.
Here is what offensive coordinator Norm Chow said about Paulsen:
"He's a solid player," Chow said. "He's an NFL tight end. He's good at a lot of things. Nothing stands out. He's solid with everything he does."
Yikes, folks. That was a lot of questions, and I thank everyone for it. This is the most popular segment of the blog, so I hope the information is helpful. Now, onto the final set of answers:
UCLA worked out at the Rose Bowl on Saturday, and coach Rick Neuheisel spoke about it afterward. The audio quality isn't the best, but I thought I would give it a try anyway. Here's what he had to say:
UCLA staged a walk-through/practice at the Rose Bowl today, and it was uneventful. Bruins coach Rick Neuheisel said quarterback Kevin Craft looked much better than he did Friday, when he was plagued by interceptions.
Neuheisel also said Kevin Prince, a freshman, took reps with the second team offense, but at this time Chris Forcier remained the backup.
Neuheisel added tailback Kahlil Bell could be expected to take part in 50 to 70 percent of the plays against Tennessee, and that Chane Moline would be his first backup, followed closely by Raymond Carter.
Also, quarterback Osaar Rasshan did not practice today because of a sore knee.
Former UCLA center Frank Cornish died in his sleep yesterday. Here is the release from UCLA:
Here is a story I wrote on Alfred Aboya saying he was returning to UCLA for his senior season. Some folks may think this was always a foregone conclusion, but it was not. As recently as two weeks ago, Aboya was still looking hard for a chance to play overseas.
That opportunity never materialized, so he told me Friday he was going to come back to UCLA.
Here is the next to last batch of answers for this week's Q&A.
Here is the 13th installment of this weeks Q&A:
UCLA offensive coordinator Norm Chow told me after Friday's practice that Kevin Prince was in the running to be the backup to starting quarterback Kevin Craft.
It's an interesting development because the staff has spent the last seven to 10 days saying Chris Forcier needed to work harder off the field. Personally, I think it will be hard for Prince to unseat Forcier, but that UCLA is even considering it says plenty about the situation.
Morning, everyone. The answers are continuing today, and here is the first set of them.
Men's basketball player Alfred Aboya told me today he will return to UCLA for his senior season. As recently as two weeks ago, Aboya, who is graduating after