Q and A with Don Kramer

What are going to be some of the bigger changes with Rich Neuheisel as coach in terms of recruiting and schemes, compared to Karl Dorrell?  Can you also talk about the addition of Norm Chow? 

The biggest differences will be on the recruiting front and the offensive side of the ball.  The defense under DeWayne Walker won't change, and neither will the special teams.  Where Dorrell typically went after "low-hanging fruit" on the recruiting front, Neuheisel has the guts to go after the nation's best recruits.

The offensive attack will change significantly under Neuheisel and Chow.  No more West Coast Offense, which was FAR too complex to be used at the college level.  Chow will have control over the offense, but Neuheisel will coach the QBs on mechanics and will call some critical plays once in a while.

With no real dominant running backs returning in the Pac-10, can Kahlil Bell finish the year as the Pac-10's leading rusher?  He rushed for 795 yards on 142 carries in 2007 with a staggering 5.6 yards per carry.

No.  The offensive line in front of him doesn't have the horses to allow him to produce that much.  UCLA will need to throw the ball through the air, probably in the horizontal passing game this year, and probably about 60 percent of the plays.  This is what happens without an experienced and deep OL.

We won't know how well he's recovered from the knee surgery until the year starts.  Bell is a "tweener," not a HUGE back and not a burner.  

Can this be the year quarterback Ben Olson breaks through and proves that he is worthy of the hype he got coming out of high school and when transferring to UCLA?  He has only thrown 12 touchdown passes as a UCLA Bruin.

Great question—wish I knew the answer to that.  Olson has yet to prove he's capable of adjusting to the speed of the college game...which has always been his major weakness.  Is it realistic to believe he can stay healthy throughout an entire season?  Yes, it's realistic.  But it'll be a challenge with a somewhat suspect OL in front of him.  

Can you talk about the front seven?  Reggie Carter, Korey Bosworth, and Kyle Bosworth appear to be the core of this unit.  What other players played well in spring ball and are expected to make an impact?  

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