No Joy in Mudsville

Another week... another collapse. At least this time we didn't get completely embarrased. We only embarrased ourselves a little. Is that progress? I suppose. It is kind of scarry to see this team get absolultely dominated by opponents. There are so many mistakes, poor tackles, bad blocks, and mental errors that its hard to know where to begin when discussing this game. I knew it was going to be a tough, long season but this is really bad.

UCLA hasn't had this bad of a start to a season in 15 years. You have to go all the way back to 1983 to find a Bruin squad that got off to a worse start than 1-2. That 1983 team (coincidently quarterbacked by Rick Neuhiesel) wobbled out the gate with a 0-2-1 start. What's really worisome is that our 1-2 start is one of the worst in terms of point differential.

Point Differential of recent UCLA teams that started off the season with two or more losses:
2008 : 37 - 104 = -67
1983: 44 - 89 = -45
2003 : 44 - 78 = -34
1996: 73 - 73 = 0
1997: 124 - 70 = 54

At least we got something going in the run game. Moline and Coleman finally dragged us from the cellar as the worst rushing offense in college football (thank you SDSU and SMU for running less than us). Sadly, our total offense ranks an abysmal 117th in the nation. Total defense is right up there in the high 90's as well. Of course, if our defense could actually get off the field for more than 3 downs, that would be helpful as well.

What was particularly depressing about this lose was the terrible special teams play in the second half. Arizona had four drives in the fourth quarter. Three of them started off in UCLA territory. Our punt coverage was not good and kick-offs were not much better. I'm not sure what Ganz needs to work on with these guys but something is way off. Either Perez is out punting his coverage, our guys aren't following their lanes, the tackling is bad... or all of the above. In any case, we were giving up huge amounts of field position each time we kicked the football. Punting definately wasn't winning this last week.

Penalties are on the rise as well. The first game against Tenneesee saw only two penalties. The second week, at BYU, we raised that number to four. Against the Widcats, we had six. The total yards on those penalties isn't huge (around 30 yards / game) but its not good to see that number going up each week. You kind expect that with so many young guys in games, so hopefully that decreases as they gain experience.

Losing stinks... plain and simple. What stinks more is when you get trashed about during the game. The BYU debacle was about as bad as it gets. Against Arizona, things were better for three quarters, but got out of control at the end. This team needs a lot of work to improve and that applies to almost every squad. I'm not expecting miracles, but I would love to see some improvement from week to week. It's not there yet. Not by a long shot.

Opponent Spring Practices

Spring practice wrapped up last week and all our opponents have completed their sessions as well. Here is a look at the news stories coming out of those camps and what our boys might expect to face this fall.

Tennessee

The Vols have spent some time retooling their offense as well this April. Like the Bruins, Tennessee heads into the 2008 season with a new coordinator, three other new offensive assistants, a new scheme, new terminology and a new quarterback. Jonathan Crompton, a red-shirt junior, is the likely starter for the fall. He will be out of action for the next month after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his throwing elbow.

There will be more of an emphasis on the running game this time around and the Volunteers have a good one in Arian Foster. The Vols return all five offensive line starters from last season and they will provide a big front for Foster, who's closing in on Tennessee's all-time rushing record.

BYU

The Cougars return a very potent and experienced offense this season. One area to watch is their offensive line. A big and powerful group last season, they've been dinged by the injury bug this spring. BYU returns a lot of players at the skill positions including QB Max Hall who had good games against UCLA last season. Junior wide receiver Austin Collie had a good spring and he'll challenge the Bruin's inexperienced secondary this fall.

On defense, the Cougars lose standouts Kelly Popinga and Bryan Kehl. Following in their footsteps, junior Matt Bauman has asserted himself as the new leader of the linebacking corps. He had a good spring and the BYU defense is starting to gel despite not returning many players from last year's squad. Their secondary is young and there might be an opportunity for our offense to throw on them this year.


Fresno State

One of the goals of the spring for Fresno State was to add some depth to a team that returns 10 starters on offense. To help fascilitate that, the veterans didn't see a lot of reps during the scrimmage. QB Tom Brandstater only had 5 pass attempts while his backup took most of the snaps behind center. The Bulldogs have a new offensive coordinator his season in Doug Nussmeier and it will be interesting to see if he opens up an FSU offense mainly known for a strong running game. They have a lot of experience along the line, though many of those starters missed time this spring with nagging injuries.

While the offense is mainly set, the defense has some had some holes to fill this spring. The Bulldogs lost Marcus Riley and Trevor Shamblee, two of their best linebackers. In their place, a host of young players are looking to fill those spots. They also have to fill the shoes of Tyler Clutts, one of their best defensive ends. They don't really have any super stars on this side of the ball and they lack a true leader.

Arizona

The Wildcats remind me a lot of our own team. An inconsistent offense. A defense without any big super stars. They're a work in progress that always seems to be rebuilding each and every season and this team is still struggling to learn the air-raid offense installed last season.

One area where the Wildcats will have some experience is at quarterback. Willie Tuitama is back for his third season and he had a decent spring. He threw for 231 yards on 20 completions out of 36 attempts and one touchdown during the spring game. The running game looks decent and their offense could be exciting if it really gets going.

The defensive side is going to struggle this season. They have a lot of new faces and not a lot of a talent. They lose two of the best corners in the league with Antoine Cason and Wilrey Fontenot departing. They do have some guys stepping up in Devin Ross and sophomore Mike Turner; both had good springs. Highly regarded recruit, Robert Golden, is coming in the fall to add some depth in the secondary.

Arizona State

ASU had a break-out season last year, but will they continue with that success in 2008? RB Shaun DeWitty adds some depth to the Sun Devil's running game. Along with Keegan Herring, this team should continue to perform well on the ground. Carpenter was only able to complete 7-of-21 passes for 88 yards in their spring game. They still have a lot of problems with their offensive line and it doesn't look like they've solved those problems yet.

Erickson looks to add more of a spread-element to his offensive strategy. The team practiced with more four and five-receiver sets and tailback screens this spring. ASU might be making a name for itself as a defensive team this season. The defense was impressive throughout spring and dominated the spring game.

USC

Across town, the Trojans are getting ready for another dominating season. They had a battle at quarterback that everyone knew would end in Mark Sanchez getting the starting job. So it was no surprise when he came out of the spring game as the leader. Mitch Mustain and Aaron Corp held their own, though, and the Trojans look loaded at the position for the foreseeable future.

One big piece of news was that Joe McKnight ended up missing the last week of practice because of eligibility problems. Those likely won't translate into him missing time this fall but it did give the other running backs a chance to shine. The leaders at running back for next season would be C.J. Gable, Staffon Johnson, and Allen Bradford.

On defense, junior cornerback Kevin Thomas, who missed the 2007 season because of a shoulder injury, has played well during the spring. He's already worked his way into the Trojans' third cornerback spot and he has the potential to take the job from starters Cary Harris and Shareece Wright.

California

The Bears had a lot of questions to answer this spring. The biggest one is who will be the starting quarterback? Nate Longshore has a lot of experience but he struggled mightily in Cal's downward spiral last season. Kevin Riley had his fair share of struggles as well, but he impressed in their bowl victory over Air Force. Unfortunately, Longshore missed the entire spring because of a pectoral injury. The decision, according to coach Tedford, could come as late as the week before their home opener.

Injures have also set back other skill positions on offense. Running back Javid Best is out with a hip injury. Which hurts because the Bears lost James Montgomery this off season when he transfered to WSU. Wide receiver Jeremy Ross is also sidelined with a sprained ankle. That leaves a lot of inexperienced guys getting playing time this spring and a lot of unresolved questions on the depth chart.

On defense, the Bears have been using a three man front during the spring. Redshirt freshman Bryan Anger has been wowing onlookers with his punting ability. He should help their special teams unit this fall.

Stanford

Like so many teams in the conference, the Cardinal are searching for a starting quarterback for the 2008 season. Tavita Pricthard, who lead them to their huge victory over the Trojans in the Coliseum last season, is the front runner at this point. He struggled, however, in their spring scrimmage where he only completed 12 of 28 passes for 106 yards. That leaves an opening for Alex Loukas and transfer Jason Forcier (Chris Forcier's brother).

Oregon

No team in the PAC-10 lost more offensive weapons this past season than the Ducks. The dynamic duo of Dixon and Stewart won't be wearing their Oregon uniforms this season and that has left the Eugene faithful asking a lot of questions about their backfield. They may of gotten at least one answer in LeGarrette Blout. The Duck's running game got a boost from the big, 235 lb running back. He bulldozed his way to 68 yards on just 5 carries during their spring scrimmage and he's drawing high praise and favorable comparisons to Stewart.

Oregon State

Oregon State struggled on offense last year but their defense kept them in a lot of games. Unfortunately for the Beaver Believers, that sturdy defense front seven won't be back this season. They did have some depth at linebacker and it looks like some young talent, including Keaton Kristick, Bryant Cornell, and Dwight Roberson will be an adequate replacement.

On offense, the Orange and Black get back standout receiver and return-man Sammie Stroughter. He'll be a big boost to a passing attack that had it's ups and downs last season under first-year quarterback Sean Canfield. Also back from injury is guard Jeremy Perry who missed all but one game in 2007 because of a broken leg. The rest of the offense was hit pretty hard by graduation, including the loss of running back Yvenson Bernard. They'll have a lot to work out this fall if they want to stay in the top-half of the conference standings.

Washington

The Huskies were delt a tough blow when they lost their best offensive lineman in center Juan Garcia with a foot injury this spring. A 6th year senior, Garcia was a second-team, all-conference selection last year, starting every game at center for the second consecutive year. Their line will be young and inexperienced, so it makes the loss of a seasoned veteran hurt even more.

After missing on hiring DeWayne Walker away from UCLA, the Huskies hired Ed Donatell, who spent 12 of the previous 13 seasons coaching in the NFL. Their defense will likely be a work in progress this season as their defensive line losses many of their starters. The Huskies are hoping to tap into some of their true freshman who enroll this fall at defensive tackle. That's not a good sign for the Dawgs as freshman rarely make an impact on the line.

Washington State

One of the stars of the Cougar's spring scrimmage was Michael Willis. The converted defensive back has been moved to wide receiver for the 2008 season. Willis pulled down 6 receptions for 129 yards and a touchdown during the game and he could be a another big target along with talented receiver Bradnon Gibson. Of course the Cougs still need to find a quarterback who can throw to these guys. Fifth year senior Gary Rodgers is the heir apparent to Alex Brink but he could be challenged by junior Kevin Lopina, who had a solid spring.

Head coach Paul Wulff is also introducing a new no-huddle spread offense this season. He'll run that offense behind a veteran line that returns four starters but no stars at running back. Things are so thin at tail back that when the spring session ended, WSU only had one healthy player available. Chris Ivory missed part of the spring with injury and he has also struggled to stay academically eligible. Dwight Tardy also watched the rest of the team from the sidelines due to injury.

Wulff and his staff switched to a new 4-3 defense moving standout linebacker Andy Mattingly to defensive end. This squad has struggled with depth and injuries in the past and they still need to find players in their two deep after the spring. WSU' returns three returning senior starters at linebacker including Greg Trent but their secondary has a lot of holes.

(Photo Credit: AP Photo/Wade Payne. Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

2007 Preview: Arizona Wildcats

In many ways, the showdown in Tucson this year will be about revenge, retribution, and rebirth. The Bruins will be looking for revenge for losing Ben Olson to a late tackle last year in Pasadena. Arizona will also want a little pay back for losing quarterback Willie Tuitama to a concussion in that same game. UCLA will be seeking retribution for 2005 and the "debacle in the desert" loss that ended their perfect season. The Wildcats are hoping they can finally prove worthy of a bowl game and a position among the conference heavy weights.

It seems like Arizona has been in a perpetual state of rebuilding their program for the last decade. Mike Stoops is entering his 4th year and the program has seen some improvement but not enough to push it into a winning season. This year's team looks to be one of the best in his tenure at Tucson and the Wildcats always seem to pull a big upset victory at home late in the season. The Bruins were the victims of that in 2005 and Cal got bit last year. The Bruins are going to have to stay focused and really come out with guns blazing in this early November matchup.

Offense

One of the biggest changes for the Wildcats is the addition of offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes. Dykes helped design and build Texas Tech’s awesome passing attack the last two seasons and the hope in Tucson is he can inject a little life into a stagnant offense. He'll employ multiple wideout sets in a spread offense and really put a lot of emphasis on the pass this season.

One of the big question marks this season is quarterback Willie Tuitama. He showed signs of brilliance in his career as the Wildcat signal caller but he also struggled mightily at other times. The big question, though, is his health. Can he stay healthy all year long or will a history of concussions end his career? At this point in the season, the Bruins could be facing backup quarterback, Tyler Lyon. Lyon is a prototypical quarterback standing tall at 6'5" with a big arm and bright future. He hasn't played a down yet at the collegiate level and the red-shirt freshman will likely still be pretty raw in Dyke's new spread offense.

The running game suffered a setback when tailback Chris Henry departed early for the NFL. Chris Jennings will get the nod and the big, 220 lb, power back brings some nice speed and good athleticism. He'll have to adjust to being a receiving target in the spread offense. UCLA's aggresive run defense held the Cats to negative yards last year in Pasadena. I'm sure the results will be better this time around, but don't expect Arizona to run the ball at will over the Bruins. This will likely force more pressure on the quarterback and the passing game.

The Wildcats lose go-to receiver Sedric Steptoe but Mike Thomas is back and the sure-handed target will be asked to play a big role in the new offense. The other receivers are new and untested and the experienced and deep Bruin secondary shouldn't have too many problems with this group. With a multiple receiver set, expect Alteraun Verner and Brett Lockett to find time in nickel packages.

The Arizona offensive line was complete garbage last year in the Rose Bowl. They left Tuitama scrambling for his life on most downs and would often miss blocks outright. They gave up 31 sacks for the season and the Arizona offense struggled because of it. The silver lining to last year's campaign is this group gained some much needed experience and they do return all five lineman this season. This squad is going to have to grow by leaps and bounds if Arizona is going to move the ball against the Bruins. UCLA's D-line matches up very well and the speedy defensive ends should wreck havoc in the wildcat backfield.

Defense

Like UCLA, the strength of this team is on the defensive side of the ball. This looks to be one of the strongest defenses in the conference with an excellent back seven and one of the best corners in the country. This is a group that has steadily improved under Stoops and now this senior laden squad is ready to really dominate opponents. The Wildcats run a traditional 4-3.

The secondary for Arizona is anchored by All American corner Antoine Cason. He'll lock down his side of the field and the Bruins will likely try and pick on senior Wilrey Fontenot. He's very experienced but only reaches the 5'9" mark. He's a lot like Trey Brown and the chiseled veteran knows how to play bigger than his size. Still, expect Joe Cowan and Dominque Johnson to try and exploit the 8 inch height advantage. Senior Dominic Patrick is back at free safety and he was a tackling machine last season.

The linebacking corps at Tucson is very solid. Spencer Larsen headlines the unit and he'll fill holes quickly against UCLA. Ronnie Palmer had a great spring and he's poised to have a huge year. Senior Dane Krogstand doesn't set the world on fire but he brings a lot of experience to help round out this squad. The Wildcats got almost no pressure on Olson or Cowan last year, so I think we might see some more blitzing from this group.

The big boys up front return all four starters from last season and they'll be asked to take-on the Bruin's revamped offensive line. This group under achieved last year so I'm sure the coaches are working them hard to improve their performance. Louis Holmes, who was the nation's highest rated juco transfer last season, is expected to have a big year. The other end, Johnathan Turner brings some speed. I think our quick and physical line can clear some lanes for Markey and Bell, but they'll have to continue to improve at their new positions. At this point in the season, they'll either be gelled as a unit or the Bruin's offense will be in trouble.

Special Teams

The Cats are remaking their special teams unit. They lose Nick Folk, who lead the conference in net punting average, and was the place kicker. Those jobs will fall to Jason Bondzino and Keenyn Crier. Both will have big shoes to fill. If the game in Tucson is a defensive battle then it might come down to some inexperienced kicker for both teams to win the game.

The Verdict

With two potent defenses, this game will likely turn into a low-scoring, knock-down, drag-out battle. The winner of the game will be the team who's offense can see some improvements over last season. Arizona is breaking in a brand new system and the Bruins are also retooling their offense under Jay Norvell. With a lack of depth on the Wildcats offense, injuries at this point in the season could be devastating to their scoring production. I think UCLA just brings more talent and depth when they posses the ball.

I don't believe the Bruins will get caught off guard on this trip to Tucson. They learned their lesson two years ago that you can never take this gritty team lightly. I fully expect our boys to be eager to atone for the last trip which still burns in the gut of Bruin fans everywhere. I think it will be a close game but UCLA will pull it out in the 4th quarter.

CalPoly's Prediction: UCLA victory. Record 8-1 (5-1).

More Reading

• ESPN PAC-10 Spring Guide.
• ESPN PAC-10 Spring Wrap Up.
• USA Today Wildcat Inside Slant.
• MSN 2007 Preview of Arizona.
• Arizona 2006 NCAA Stats.
  
• Arizona 2006 Bruin Roar football Stats.
  

(photo credit: Ghetty Images)