Transfers

With UCLA well over the scholarship limit of 85 players, transfers are in the works. It looks like the following four players are likely to transfer this Spring:

Chris Forcier (QB)
Raymond Carter (RB)
Aundre Dean (RB)
Dominique Johnson (WR)

Of the four, Johnson was the most surprising for me. I thought he had some great moments and made some amazing catches in the blue and gold. His biggest highlight was that amazing one-handed TD pass against USC in 2007. His commitment and work ethic were questioned a lot last year and during the Dorrell era. The coaches probably wanted to give his reps to some of the new players like Presley and Carroll. What's strange is that his number of receptions went up from his first year, so he was playing more last season.

The other guys kind of make sense. Carter and Dean are stuck in the log jam at running back. Especially for Carter, because he has a number of freshman ahead of him on the depth chart. Likewise, Forcier was never going to see the field at QB. His switch to wide receiver this spring didn't seem to be something he was happy about.

Second Scrimmage of the Spring

So I finally got out to Spaulding field today. I was standing in the south parking lot with a number of other Bruin fans and we had a front-and-center view of the action. It was a tough evening for the offense and probably our best lineman went down with injury. A sign of things to come or merely growing pains for a young team? I sure hope it is the later.

I saw Kevin Prince for the first time tonight and came away impressed. During the warm-ups and 7-7's he definitely had the most "zip" to his passes. His passes got to the receiver fast, were accurate, and he has the best throwing motion of all the guys out there. He can throw the ball down field too as his arm strength is better than any UCLA quarterback in recent memory.

Brehaut looks like he has a lot of potential as well. He isn't as polished as Prince, but I think he can scramble better and is a bit more athletic. He was mainly running with the second team during the scrimmage so it is hard to judge how well he would preform against a tougher defense. But I liked the way he played and he's a real competitor.

Kevin Craft had a tough day. After Prince and Breahaut took the first two series, Craft was given a chance to run the offense. His first throw was picked off. This of course elicited a round of groans from us fans standing on the parking structure. He was immediately yanked from the field but got back out there later in the scrimmage. Right away, his second pass was almost picked off and would have been intercepted if the defender had hung onto the ball. I think Kevin pretty much confirmed that he won't be seeing the field this season.

The passing game was not good today. Not good at all. There were three or four balls batted down. Receivers were dropping passes. The quarterbacks, as a group, were really struggling. Prince, who looked really sharp in the warm-ups and 7-7's, ended up throwing two late interceptions. The pass protection was poor and that surely didn't help. I counted at least 5 sacks.

On the other side was the running game. Which I thought was pretty good. What really impressed me was the three freshman: Knox, Dean, and Franklin.

Franklin, who got reps with the 1st and 2nd string offense, is a quick dude. He cranked out a couple of really nice runs and he looked explosive getting through the holes. He really fights hard for those extra yards and I like him a lot. I think he could see some significant minutes this season.

Dean really showed some of that raw talent that intrigued us fans during his recruitment. He was a tough runner tonight as he bulldozed his way through the line. He carried the team forward during one of his series and punched the ball into the end zone for touch down. It was good to see him get some success on the field.

I finally got to see Knox play in a UCLA uniform. Man, it is hard not to think of Mo Drew when you see him. He looks so much like him. He even runs like Maurice, and he pin-balled out of a pile on one play and bounced it to the outside for a gain instead of a loss. He was tough to bring down, all be it with the 3rd string defense, and he had probably the flashiest runs of the day.

The receivers didn't have too many great plays tonight. Seeing Presely for the first time was fun. That guy is skinny as a rake but you can see that he has huge upside. He was running with the 1st string for much of the practice and had some nice receptions during the 7-on7's. Chris Forcier got out there a bit and even caught a TD pass from Craft; he made a nice move and juked the defender out of his socks. He has great speed and it would be great to see him out on the field in some way. The players must feel the same way as everyone went out of their way to congratulate him after the TD reception.

I have to say I didn't focus much on the defense. They played well, as you would expect. One interesting thing was Andrew Abbott(#26) ended up getting two late interceptions on Prince. I had to go look him up because I didn't recognize his number. He played well today as I think he broke up at least one other play. Maybe he'll see the field this season?

Another interesting play was on a run by Knox. He ran into a pile, bounced around, and ran back a few yards and to his left. He had nothing but open field in the flat and some blockers to guide the way. Knox is a fast dude and I thought for sure he was going to take it to the house. But he was caught from behind, after just a few yards, by Courtney Viney. It was a really nice defensive play.

The biggest news of the day was Kai Maiava getting injured. He went down on a run near the end of the scrimmage. He was in a lot of pain and the trainers came out to check on him. He sat on the ground for a long time, grimacing. He was helped off the field and didn't put any weight on his left foot. It looked like an ankle sprain. Not good.

So, all in all, it was a fun time out at Spaulding. The running game looked better than I expected but I left disappointed about how the quarterbacks played. I'm sure it is a combination of a lot of things, including the defense being familiar with our play book, but this offense still has a long ways to go before the start of the season.

Can't wait for the spring game next Saturday!

A Time for Change?

Should Kevin Craft get the hook next week? Will Chris Forcier be any better? After a dismal performance tonight against the Bears, including 4 picks and 12 points for the Cal defense, it is hard to imagine Forcier being any worse. Giving C-Force a few more snaps might not be such a bad idea.

I've been a Craft supporter this season. He's been madeningly inconsistant, but at times he puts together some amazing drives. But I think his luck (and my patience) are starting to run out. That's right... luck. He was lucky that he didn't have 4 picks and a blow-out loss against Oregon. Even against Stanford it was feast or famine for Kevin. His tendency to throw interceptions is really hurting this team and this week was another example of that.

I think getting Forcier into the mix is a good idea. He might not be the best QB... he might even be worse than Craft. But we're losing games with Kevin behind center. Trying to dig out of early deficiets and putting our defense in bad field position is killing this team. If Forcier can at least manage the game and use his feet to keep drives alive... then that would be a big improvement. I say we give Chris a few extra snaps during the bye week and get him ready to play against the Beavers.

Craft vs C-Force

It was an interesting night at the Rose Bowl last Saturday. You don't want to draw too many conclusions from a spring scrimmage simply because the offense and defense are so vanilla. But hey, that's not going to stop me from comparing the two quarterbacks who took the most snaps... Forcier and Craft. Both had some nice moments and some missteps. I don't know if either really made a strong case for being the starter this fall but I think both could be serviceable quarterbacks in the future.

Kevin Pearson had these statistics and comments from Craft after the practice,

UCLA QB Kevin Craft finished 11-of-24 for 95 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He said it was tough to jump in with the first unit on such short notice and that his timing was a little bit off, partly because he has not gotten a lot of reps lately, and was largely indifferent about his performance Saturday.

"I don't think I helped or hurt myself at all," Craft said. "I just had to come out today with what I had and I feel like I have a lot of room for improvement. There is a lot of work that I have to do in the off-season."

I think it is important to note that Craft was also going up against the second team defense and he was playing with the first string offense. His competition percentage looks a bit low at first glance. Less than 50%. Some of that isn't on Kevin, though. A number of times he had to throw a very quick pass to avoid a sack. There were also a hand full of incomplete passes where the receiver went one way and Craft threw the ball another way. Those might very well be from him not working with that unit much before the scrimmage.

What I will say about Craft is that he seems fairly mobile. He's not exactly quick and not a scrambler like C-Force, but he can avoid pressure fairly well. He reminds me of Pat Cowan with the way he runs. He looked good on his bootlegs and he looked very comfortable stepping up in the pocket. Kevin definitely looked more comfortable with the pressure than Olson has looked in the past. That probably comes from the playing time he's notched over the last few years. Another thing with Craft is that he helped keep drives alive. They kept moving the ball with him under center, even if it was just barely getting 10 yards and a first down.

Forcier

Person gave these statistics and comments about Forcier

UCLA's Chris Forcier finished 4-for-6 for 52 yards in the spring game and looked more like a passer. He has shown a tendency to tuck the ball and run too quickly but looked more like he wanted to be in the pocket instead of being a run-first quarterback.

"I had a couple of good series in there and the one series we drove down the field I had a couple good passes and it boosted my confidence," Forcier said. "That's the biggest thing for me is staying confident."

Just as I noted with Craft, it's important to know that Chris was running with the twos against the first team defense. So we're grading on a curve with his results. That being said, the statistics above are misleading. Very misleading. Forcier may have only attempted 6 passes but the coaches called in far more passing plays than that. What happened was that Chris would take off running when the pressure came. Sometimes that would result in short 2-3 yard gains and other times it would result in a sack. In fact, he was sacked somewhere around 3-4 times during the scrimmage.

Forcier also had an interception on a head scratching pass. He tossed the ball deep but nobody was within 20-yards; well nobody besides the safety who promptly picked the ball off as it came his way. That may have been nerves as it came pretty early in the scrimmage. There was also a fumble with him at the helm but I couldn't tell if it was his fault or the running back. There were some bumbled snaps as well and that could be a problem with the 2nd string center.

In contrast to those misteps, Forcier did have a very nice series in the middle of the game. Probably the best of the night. He moved the ball quickly down field with some very nice passes that were crisp and right on the money. The team picked up 3 first downs on 4 plays and then a Ramirez run capped the drive with a touchdown. It was impressive.

If I had to choose

If I had to pick one to be my starting quarterback right now, I would choose Craft. He just looked more comfortable with the offense and he made fewer mistakes. I think Forcier, as a red-shirt freshman, has some good potential. If he can settle down in the pocket more and not take off scrambling at the first sign of pressure then he'll be a very good QB. His best drive came when he had his best protection and if he can just stick it out in the pocket longer, he'll have fewer sacks and short-yardage runs.

They didn't really air the ball out much, so I can't tell who has the better arm. In the 7-on-7 drills before the scrimmage, Craft looked like he zipped the ball in quicker and was more precise. I also think he makes better reads. He doesn't try to force the ball as much as Chris and I think that comes from his experience.

Neither of them, at this point, look ready to play in a real game. That's understandable given the lack of reps they've received with Cowan and Olson ahead of them on the depth chart. But with both of those guys on the mend, maybe the extra practice will give Craft and C-Force a little more polish on their games. With injuries plaguing Ben his entire career, I think we'll need both of them to stay sharp this season.

(photo credit: BeatSC.com)

Spring Scrimmage

Just got back from the Spring Scrimmage at the Rose Bowl. All in all, it was a really fun time. The defense dominated but the offense looked better than I expected. I came away feeling pretty good about Kevin Craft and Chris Forcier as quarterbacks. Even Rashaan had some memorable moments.


When I rolled into the old Arroyo Seco, the team was just starting the "Bruin Walk". Good timing! It was cool to see the players make their way down to the stadium. The sad part was seeing Pat Cowan and Ben Olson limping along behind the team. One of the fans asked if Pat needed surgery and he said yes. Bummer. Looks like he is officially done. Coach Neuheisel stopped the scrimmage, near the end, and had Ben and Pat take a standing ovation from the crowd. It must be tough for these guys as Seniors.

The scrimmage started out kind of slow. The offense struggled in the first few series. It was ones vs twos, so Craft and the first string had a bit of an easier time. He put together a nice series on his second (or third, I can't remember) time out. Hitting Logan Paulson across the middle for a big gain. He finished that drive with a Theriot touchdown on a draw. Nice to see the FB and TE getting into the mix. Craft hit Ketchum for a TD on a drive that started in the red zone and he also threw one interception. All in all, a pretty solid performance. I think he'll be a serviceable QB.

Forcier and Rashaan had a harder time. Both had fumbles and some missed snaps. Forcier put together a nice drive, starting at mid field, that ended in a Ramierez touchdown run. He had some crisp passes and he has some speed when he's running. It was a no-hit scrimmage for the quarterbacks, so we really couldn't see how well these two would perform when scrambling. Chris also threw a terrible pick early in the scrimmage that was thrown downfield without an offensive blue jersey in sight. It was sort of a mixed bag from him tonight.

Rashaan struggled the most of the three. He had some problems with the snaps, as you might expect from someone who really hasn't played much at the position this spring. But he did have two "wow" passes. One went to Taylor Embree on a long pass to the far side. That kid made a great catch and I see why people talk about him. The other was a scrimmage ending toss to a walk-on (Pearlman, or something, I forget) that was a perfectly placed ball right over the middle for six. The rest of the time he had "happy feet" and he would take off running before he really needed to.

On defense, Brian Price and Reggie Carter both had good nights. The name that really stood out for me was Courtney Viney. He was involved in a lot of plays and I saw him on the field for a big chunk of the game. He picked off a Kevin Craft pass and broke up some others. He reminds me of Trey Brown. He isn't the biggest kid but he's good at keeping position and getting involved in plays that come his way. He might get picked on early this season, but I think he can handle it.

On the injury front, John Hale was on crutches. Guess he got hurt this last week. Craig Sheppard was pulled from the game early when he got hurt on a play and I guess Glen Love also went out late in the scrimmage. We'll see what happened to those guys tomorrow.

Anyways, enjoy the pictures (sorry, they were taken hastily with my cell phone). The announced attendance was 15K. It was a fun atmosphere and they tried to make it feel as close to a real game as possible. The only difference was that I had great seats on the 50 and got in and out of the Rose Bowl in less than 10 minutes. Ah, if only it could be like that during the season.

(Photo credit: CPBruinFan)

Is Anyone the Answer?

last month, I asked if Ben was the right man for the job at quarterback. Things haven't exactly been peaches-and-creme with the big southpaw. When he was replaced by Pat for the Washington game, I asked if Cowan could be the answer. Now that both are banged up, I'm wondering if anyone can fill the breach? With two weeks to prepare for a huge game against #2 California, coaches Dorrell and Norvell will have to see if they can get someone ready to take control of this offense.

McLeod Bethel-Thompson

Mac has been our backup quarterback the entire season. He was behind Olson for the first two games, then behind Pat for the Washington game, and finally back behind Ben for Oregon State and Notre Dame. However, against the Irish, he sure didn't look like a kid the coaches had been preparing to take the reigns for 6 weeks. I'm sure Mac is a better quarterback than what he showed last Saturday. He was obviously, and understandably, nervous and his confidence must have sunk after the first few turnovers. The coaches didn't exactly put him in a good situation either, placing the burden of moving the team on his shoulders.

Of all the backups, Mac is the most experienced. He got thrown in the deep end of the pool, and almost drowned, but you got to figure he'll only getter better from here. He had a pair of decent drives against the Irish and with a better call on that 4th-and-one (like maybe using our short-yardage back Moline!), he could have at least kept the chains moving on a third.

That being said, I don't think this kid has the skills, at this point, to be a real offensive weapon. He made some poor decisions last week as well, so we'll have to see if he can keep his cool under pressure. He can probably manage a game but I wouldn't expect much more.

Osaar Rasshan

Rasshan has been an intriguing figure for the Bruins at quarterback for years now. There always seems to be a small faction of fans on UCLA message boards who think Osaar should be the starting quarterback. That group of fans might finally have their moment in the sun. Rasshan hasn't taken a snap at quarterback for a few months now but Dorrell has said that he'll move Osaar back to quarterback this week. He's been at receiver this season.

Rasshan is an athletic and talented player. His senior season in high school, he had 1,716 yards passing and 860 yards rushing. That was three years ago, but you have to think that Osaar is a much bigger duel-threat quarterback than what we've seen so far this year. The offense hasn't exactly been playing well with Pat and Ben, so putting in a running quarterback sounds like a great alternative. Maybe the coaches can install a simple package that allows Osaar a chance to maximize his athletic strength.

Before you get too excited about Rasshan, let's remember that he was beaten out this summer for the 3rd quarterback slot by Mac. That's right, the guy who threw 4 interceptions and gave up a fumble on Saturday has looked better in practice than Rasshan. It might be the system, but the Bruins will have a hard time switching to a spread-option offense for Osaar. He'll have to find a way to work with the WCO.

Chris Forcier

C-Force is another intriguing option at quarterback. He is a lot like Rasshan, in that he is a multi-dimensional offensive weapon who is athletic and fast running the ball. He is expected to red-shirt this season, so he would really need to show something special in practice for the coaches to put him in at quarterback for Cal.

Chris racked up 2,382 yards and threw 31 touchdown passes as a Senior in high school last year. He is quick on the ground and put in a 4.4 forty time in one combine. He hasn't looked that good passing the ball, however, in practices this summer. He has some problems with the mechanics of his throw and it would be ideal for him to work those things out before getting thrown into a D-1 college football game.

What to Do?

I guess we'll see if Ben is able to play after his MRI today. If he is a no-go then maybe Pat could be ready. He'll be in limited workouts this week and I have a feeling that he won't be available against the Bears. I think the coaches are going to have to seriously consider which of the players above will be given the nod in two weeks.

Maybe the coaches could go with a two quarterback system against Cal? Florida used Tim Tebow at times last season, and he was very effective with his running ability. If the Bruins mix in Rasshan with a simplified spread-like package then that could cause the California defense some problems. They would have no footage on that offense and the element of surprise could give the Bruin offense a fighting chance in this game. Mac could be used to help manage the game and we rely on Markey, Bell, and Moline to really carry the offense. The emphasis on running the ball could even give Mac some easy opportunities to mix in a few passes in safe situations.

I can't say I'm all too excited about any of the above players taking the starting spot. There is very little experience in this group and even a best-case scenario may not be enough to beat a high-flying Bear offense. Our defense has played very well lately, but it will take a herculean effort against California to keep the Bruins in that game. I guess we'll have our answer soon enough.