Bleacher Report - Articles by Derek Hart

UCLA-USC: Turnovers And Bad Blood Kill Bruins In 28-7 Loss

Derek Hart — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:06:55 -0500

Now the UCLA Bruins know how Arizona State felt on November 21.

Wearing their 1967 throwback jerseys for the second time this month, UCLA's defense played well for most of the night, shutting down the USC Trojans' offense.

However, The Bruin offense was flat-out terrible.

Not only did they not run the ball well, not only was their offensive line beaten by USC's defensive front seven, but the Bruins coughed up a fumble and threw three interceptions, four turnovers in all, in losing to the Trojans 28-7 in the Coliseum before 85,713.

The game was close in the first half as both defenses stepped up. The only UCLA (6-6, 3-6 Pacific-10 Conference) mistake was quarterback Kevin Prince throwing an interception to USC linebacker Malcolm Jones, who returned it 62 yards for the Trojans' first score in the first quarter.

Outside of a fourth quarter touchdown by Chane Moline out of the Wildcat formation with under six minutes left in the game, UCLA's offensive output consisted of seven punts to go along with those three picks and the fumble, committed by Nelson Rosario after a long gain late in the first half.

The Bruins were driving and were getting in a position to score at least a field goal when USC defensive back Will Harris stripped Rosario.

The referee claimed Rosario's knee was down, but awarded the ball to the Trojans after further review when it was showed otherwise.

The fumble killed any momentum coach Rick Neuheisel's crew may have had.

It's safe to say that the Bruin offense failed, much like they did during the month of October when they lost five straight games.

What it came down to was that USC's front seven was better than the UCLA's offensive line.

Everson Griffen and company stuffed the Bruin running attack, and it seemed like they were in the backfield all game, giving Prince and Kevin Craft, who replaced Prince in the third quarter when he sprained his shoulder, little time to throw.

The fact that Craft and Prince were UCLA's leading rushers said a lot about the offense's ineptitude.

Add to that the four Bruin turnovers, which led to 14 Trojan points, and that explains why USC (8-3, 5-3 in the Pac-10) prevailed.

Allen Bradford running for two touchdowns in the second half and getting 62 yards on the night didn't hurt either.

The last minute of the contest had some fireworks.

With the Trojans leading 21-7 and the game essentially over, after Neuheisel called a timeout Matt Barkley, who was 18 out of 26 for 206 yards and a INT by Alterraun Verner, threw a 48 yard TD pass to Damien Williams, setting off a wild celebration and taunting from the USC sideline.

As one could imagine, the UCLA players became angry—in their minds, the Trojans were running up the score and showing extremely poor sportsmanship. Both teams ventured out near midfield, barking at each other and nearly fighting for the third time in four years. Reggie Carter, the Bruins' senior linebacker, knocked down an official trying to get at 'SC's bench.

Like every other Bruin, I was upset about the TD until Fox Sports analyst and UCLA alum James Washington and Neuheisel stated after the game that it was UCLA's job to stop them, and they didn't, which was a good point.

But that did not change the fact that the Trojans were classless jerks by jumping up and down, taunting, and shouting "Scoreboard!" at the Bruins. It led me to wonder whether they were football players or schoolyard bullies.

It was the total lack of sportsmanship and respect by coach Pete Carroll's team that angered me, not the score.

This edition of the crosstown war showed me one important thing: That UCLA, though they did show improvement from last season, is not quite at USC's level. Not yet.

And not after the Men of Troy's 10th win in 11 tries over their crosstown enemies.

That is especially the case with the Bruins' offense. Simply put, Kevin Prince, who completed just 10 of 22 passes with those two picks,, his offensive line, and many of the other players on that side of the ball have some more growing up to do before they can be considered a true threat.

What's next for UCLA?

Since they are bowl eligible with six wins, a post season berth may be forthcoming.

I'll be honest—If the Bruins find themselves not going to a bowl, I wouldn't be devastated.

It would certainly be nice if they were invited to the post season, because it would give the players an opportunity for more practice and another game to play.

But, the way UCLA's offense has performed for much of the year, perhaps it would be best for everyone if they shut it down for 2009 and start preparing for next season, which would help to put this debacle behind them.

UCLA-USC Preview: A Crosstown War Renewed

Derek Hart — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:11:52 -0500

For many football fans in America's second largest city, this is the only game that matters.

This Saturday at the Coliseum, the UCLA Bruins will meet their crosstown enemies, the USC Trojans, for the 79th time in a clash that may not have Rose Bowl implications but will still mean much to everyone on both sides.

In Los Angeles, bragging rights between these two institutions are very important—especially since Bruin and Trojan students, fans, and alumni often grow up together, live in the same neighborhoods, work together, marry each other, and even share the same parentage.

Considering that the schools are just over 10 miles apart, what else would you expect?

L.A. is turned into a blue and red Verona around this time; the Bruins and Trojans may as well be the Montagues and the Capulets, the way their fanbases feel about each other.

Though USC (7-3, 4-3 in the Pac-10 Conference) leads the all-time series 43-28 with seven ties, has won nine out of the last 10 games between the teams, and is a 13-point favorite, UCLA (6-5, 3-5 in the Pac-10) has a good shot at beating the Trojans and taking back the Victory Bell, which is awarded to the winner.

The Bruins have won their last three games after a month-long swoon, albeit against subpar teams, while the Men of Troy are 1-2 over that same span, with both losses being blowouts.

UCLA's defense has been opportunistic, causing 27 turnovers this season and having a turnover margin of plus-eight, which leads the conference. Brian Price has lived up to his hype at defensive tackle, getting seven sacks to lead the Bruins.

Rahim Moore is not only the country's interception leader with nine, he also has more picks than USC's entire team; UCLA has 17 INTs overall.

The Bruin offense has been respectable of late, as Kevin Prince has thrown for over 300 yards in three out of the past four games. Nelson Rosario has been a go-to guy at wide receiver, averaging 18.3 yards per catch, and Chane Moline has been a bull in the backfield.

As for the kickers, the Trojans better pray that this contest doesn't come down to field goals, because if it does, UCLA will win.

The Bruins' Kai Forbath has 26 field goals to lead the NCAA and is an odds-on favorite for All-American honors, while his USC counterpart, Jordan Congdon, has a mere 10, less than half of Forbath's total.

It's safe to say that Southern Cal has not met their expectations in 2009; for the first time in seven years, they will not be Pac-10 champs or go to a BCS bowl game.

However, coming off their 55-21 beatdown at the hands of Stanford in their last game, coach Pete Carroll's team will undoubtedly come out on Saturday motivated, focused, and just plain ticked off; what better way to redeem oneself than to crush your crosstown enemy?

I certainly don't expect UCLA to put up 55 points on USC.

Joe McKnight has been good at running back for Troy, as he is on the verge of 1,000 yards for the season with five touchdowns. Being as quick as he is, he presents a concern for Bruin coach Rick Neuheisel.

'SC's defensive front, led by Everson Griffen's eight sacks and Nick Perry's seven, will likewise be a challenge for a UCLA offensive line that is better than it was in 2008 but is still feeling its way a bit.

After starting off strong, quarterback Matt Barkley has played exactly like what he is: a true freshman.

His 10 interceptions, including a pick-six against Stanford in his last outing, are more than all of the Bruin signal callers combined. He will be a star in the future, but right now the former five-star recruit is suffering some growing pains.

Barkley will no doubt be ecstatic to see wide receiver Damian Williams return after suffering a high ankle sprain. He is the main Trojan threat, averaging 15.3 yards a catch with five TDs.

As such, here's what the keys to a Bruin victory over USC will be...

1. Cut out the penalties!

UCLA had far too many yellow flags in their last game against Arizona State: 11 for 100 yards, including three personal fouls. If they do that against the Trojans, trouble will result, because 'SC will definitely take advantage.

2. The offense needs to do better in the red zone.

Though the Bruins did well in moving the ball against a good ASU defense, they only got three field goals to show for it.

That will not be good enough in the Coliseum.

It is essential for UCLA to get seven points when inside the 20 and not settle for three points.

3. The Bruin defense must create havoc in USC's backfield and force turnovers.

Price, Datone Jones, Jerry Siewierski, and Korey Bosworth need to be beasts against the Trojans' experienced O-line and not give Barkley any time to throw.

Reggie Carter, Kyle Bosworth, and Akeem Ayers must make plays, and a few INTs by Moore or Alterraun Verner, or both, would be extremely nice.

If the Bruins do those three things, their chances of winning will be very good.

Being that this crosstown battle is starting at 7:00 local time, the first UCLA-USC night game in 30 years, and both teams are wearing their home jerseys for the second straight year, it promises to be good prime time entertainment—at least on the West Coast.

Just like the previous 78 Bruin-Trojan clashes.

USC Football: The Five Worst Losses Of The Pete Carroll Era

Derek Hart — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:56:06 -0500

Very few college football programs have been as dominant as the USC Trojans this decade.

Among the accomplishments of Pete Carroll's cardinal and gold bunch:

Seven straight Pac-10 Conference titles.

Seven straight seasons with at least 11 wins.

Four straight Rose Bowls.

One and a half national championships (the 2003 crown was shared with LSU).

Losses tend to be magnified and more devastating with programs like USC's, because it costs the team more.

I thought I'd list what I consider the five defeats during Carroll's tenure at Southern Cal that were the most disastrous, the worst of the worst.

Here they are, in descending order...

5. Texas, 2006, 42-38: This BCS National Championship Game was one for the ages; it was certainly one of the best football games ever played.

At any level.

This clash had everything: Two dominant 12-0 teams that were ranked 1-2 in the nation all year, two Heisman Trophy winners in Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush, a Longhorn that should have won a Heisman in Vince Young, and the Trojans going for their second straight BCS crown in the friendly confines of the Rose Bowl.

USC's players and fans firmly believed that they would hoist the crystal football at the end of the night.

That was why it was so devastating when Young scrambled into the end zone for the winning touchdown, causing rich boosters (or so I've heard) to cry in the stadium tunnels.

To this day, Trojan fans remain angry at Carroll for having Bush on the sidelines for that huge fourth down play that would have sealed the win.

4. Oregon, 2009, 47-20: Going into this showdown at Eugene's Autzen Stadium, USC still had a chance at a Pac-10 championship and a BCS berth with a win over the Ducks.

They didn't even come close.

Largely thanks to quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, running back LaMichael James, and their raucous fans, Oregon took the Trojans to the proverbial woodshed.

My favorite fan sign from that night read, "Welcome To The Fall Of Troy".

As it turned out, that would come later. But it was a great sign all the same.

3. Stanford, 2007, 24-23: This contest in the Coliseum was supposed to be standard procedure, just another win for the Men of Troy.

The fact that Stanford was a 41 point underdog had something to do with that.

Imagine the shock felt by the cardinal and gold faithful when Tavita Pritchard threw the winning touchdown pass to Richard Sherman and stunned the sports world.

John David Booty throwing four interceptions while playing with a broken finger was a big factor in USC's loss to a Cardinal team that would end up going 4-8 that season.

I actually agree with those fans who say that if Mark Sanchez, Booty's backup at the time, had played, the Trojans would have won.

2. UCLA, 2006, 13-9: Being a UCLA alumnus and a passionate member of Bruin Nation, I consider this game one of my personal all-time favorites.

As a 23 point underdog, the Bruins were merely an OK team that year, facing a No.2 ranked USC squad that was playing for a spot in the BCS title game.

To say that UCLA's defense, led by Bruce Davis and Justin Hickman, played the game of their lives would be an understatement for the ages, but that's exactly what they did as they stuffed the Trojans' vaunted offense time after time.

Everyone in blue and gold recalls fondly Eric McNeal's interception of John David Booty with the game on the line, but it was Aaron Perez's 63 yard punt that won the game for the Bruins and killed 'SC's BCS hopes.

Not to mention taking city bragging rights for the first time in seven years.

And I had the utmost privilege of being there to see it.

OK folks, here's my choice for USC's worst loss under Pete Carroll:

1. Stanford, 2009, 55-21: The Trojans still had hopes of a Rose Bowl invitation entering this game.

It was Homecoming, and they dearly wanted to get revenge on a Cardinal team that scored perhaps college football's biggest upset ever two years before on that same Coliseum field.

Even though running back Toby Gerhart was making 'SC's defense look like a sieve, the game was within reach for three quarters, as the score was only 28-21 in Stanford's favor.

Then the fourth quarter happened.

For that game's last 15 minutes, it was like Mike Tyson fighting Miley Cyrus, as the Cardinal scored four unanswered touchdowns and ended up scoring the most points ever by a Trojan opponent.

It was a complete beatdown.

Since USC has had a football team for almost 130 years, that is definitely saying something. The Trojans were like a deer in the headlights as Stanford did whatever they wanted.

It was, to be sure, most humiliating for the Trojan family. So much so that out of a crowd of over 90,000, only around 25,000 remained by game's end.

To sum up, there is one lesson to be learned by all of this, despite what some USC students, alumni and fans would tell you:

No one is invincible or unbeatable.

Every team needs a bit of humility, and these five battles gave the University of Southern California's football program exactly that.

The UCLA and USC Bands: A Tale of Crosstown Hatred

Derek Hart — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:59:13 -0500

For over 80 years, UCLA and the University of Southern California have had one of the most storied rivalries in sports.

Being that the schools are just over 10 miles apart, it's inevitable that they would be intense foes, and not just on the gridiron or the basketball court.

The real animosity in this crosstown war, however, lies not so much with the athletes, though the battles between the Bruins and the Trojans on the playing fields have often been epic.

If you want to see some real hatred in this rivalry, look no further than the two marching bands, UCLA's "Solid Gold Sound" and USC's "Spirit Of Troy."

Since I am a former member of the Bruin Marching Band, I know firsthand that this tension between the groups is on a level so pronounced, many people find it hard to believe.

It's a hatred perpetuated mostly by the Trojan Marching Band, or "TMB;" the proverbial bullies on the grade school playground, taking lunch money from five-year-olds and laughing at their sobs.

These Trojan musicians are the wolves to UCLA's lambs.

The Capulets to UCLA's Montagues.

The Confederacy to UCLA's Union.

The Hatfields to UCLA's McCoys.

If this was Harry Potter's wizarding world, this sunglasses-wearing, fuzzy-helmeted bunch would be Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters, with their skirted drum major being the Dark Lord himself.

Perhaps this quote from Jason Mangan, the Trojan band manager in 2000, will paint a clear picture of the TMB's attitude towards their Bruin counterparts:

"...arrogance is part of the image that we exude. We definitely taunt (the UCLA band) more than they taunt us. We're very hardcore, and we think they're big whiners."

Damien Graham, a USC band assistant in 2003, is more blunt in assessing the Spirit of Troy's feelings toward UCLA's marching Bruins:

"There is no interaction. There are no friendships. We don't like them."

I'll say this for him—at least he is honest.

Throughout the decades, nearly every encounter the USC band has had with Westwood's blue and gold-clad horn players has been punctuated by obscene gestures, vile cursing, and obnoxious taunting. It has truly been a miracle of God that these two bands have never gotten into a full-scale brawl.

Gordon Henderson, UCLA's band director, and his USC counterpart Arthur C. Bartner, much to their credit, have done much to keep their groups as far away from each other as possible at the annual football game, as well as all other events where the Bruins and Trojans get together.

Otherwise a fight on the level of Mel Gibson's Braveheart may well ensue.

This hatred particularly manifested itself in an event called the Band Bowl, a flag football game between members of the two bands that was usually played on the Sunday before the main clash.

Broken limbs and noses, torn knees, dirty play and fisticuffs, mostly instigated by USC, were commonplace in this series, which began in the 1950's.

I should know—I was involved in two of these Band Bowls while a student at UCLA in the late 1980's. I personally saw drunken Trojan band members scream vile obscenities in our flute players' faces, and I was once the target of TMB abuse at a women's basketball game.

Indeed, these marching Trojans revel in their evilness; as one of their members stated, "When we taunt and yell...we are doing it to have fun."

If that doesn't illustrate what obnoxious bullies the USC band members are, maybe this incident will...

It happened during the 2000 Band Bowl on USC's campus, which ultimately killed the series for good.

During the game, UCLA's instrument and equipment truck, which was parked nearby, was broken into and more than $30,000 worth of instruments, uniforms, and equipment were stolen.

Though most of the stuff was found at an off-campus apartment complex the next day, what was found on a tenor saxophone case was the absolute last straw.

On the instument case, a sticker with Hebrew letters was torn off and a "Stop Hate" Sticker was also ripped. In their place, scrawled in black marker, was the word "Jew."

The worst part about this hate crime—and that's what it was, despite the police declaring otherwise—was that Graham, the same band assistant who so blatantly stated his dislike of the Bruin band, claimed that UCLA left their truck unlocked and, "They brought it on themselves."

Even though there was a broken lock at the scene.

To this day, no one has been arrested for this heinous and bigoted act.

The Band Bowl was cancelled the next year when fearing retaliation, the Trojan band refused to go to the UCLA campus. Considering the bitterness, that was probably a smart move.

Members of the USC band will claim that the taunting is mutual and that UCLA has done its share.

Indeed, Bruin band members, like other Bruin fans, have waved dollar bills and credit cards at the TMB, as well as perform a "Downfall Of Troy" halftime show every four years, depicting the ancient Greeks' triumph in the Trojan war by outsmarting the people of Troy with that horse.

But compared to the evil deeds of the Spirit Of Troy, what the Solid Gold Sound has done has been akin to fighting bombs, bazookas, and AK-47s with pea shooters.

It is quite sad, really. When Rodney King asked if we can't all just get along, it was clear that the Trojan Marching Band turned a deaf ear.

I never knew that people could be so proud of being so rude, arrogant, obnoxious, and mean until I joined the UCLA band and encountered that TMB. It's like once they become Trojan Band members, they are required to forget everything they were taught as kids about sportsmanship, kindness, and goodwill.

As Henderson, the Bruin band director, has said, it is what it is.

This animosity will undoubtedly continue between the UCLA and USC bands, sorry to say.

Largely thanks to the people in charge keeping the groups apart at the football games and not going onto the opposing campus for other sporting events, the interactions have been reduced to a minimum.

Which is a good thing; the hatred between the Bruin and Trojan horn players has become a cold war, one that is probably best for everyone involved.

Here's hoping that it stays that way.

UCLA Takes Advantage of Turnovers in 23-13 Win Over ASU

Derek Hart — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:51:43 -0500

Before last Saturday's battle with the Arizona State Sun Devils, I felt that UCLA's seniors were primed to have a big day,being that it was their last home game and all.

After the Bruins' 23-13 win at the Rose Bowl before a surprisingly small crowd of 46,151, it's safe to say that the seniors stepped up.

Alterraun Verner began the scoring with a 68-yard interception return for a touchdown, his record fourth pick-six this year, on ASU's very first possession. He also recovered a fumble later in the game.

Chane Moline was a truck at running back, chewing up yards, sustaining drives, and linebacker Reggie Carter was all over the field.

The key to the UCLA victory, however, were the six turnovers that the Sun Devils committed, including five fumbles, one that was returned by linebacker Akeem Ayers for a TD in the second quarter. Those giveaways killed ASU, given that their defense, ranked in the nation's Top 20, only allowed three Kai Forbath field goals by the Bruins offense.

Samson Szakacsy did well in his first Sun Devil start, completing 15 out of 22 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns, one of them a 70-yard strike to cut the Bruin lead to 10 in the fourth quarter.

The UCLA offense was led by Moline's 84 yards on 25 carries, as well as Kevin Prince's 161 yards on 15-of-31 passing. Though they didn't turn the ball over, the Bruins were rather stagnant once they got into the red zone, getting only those three field goals; the two Bruin touchdowns were generated by the defense.

Penalties were the biggest problem, as the Bruins were flagged 11 times for 100 yards, including three personal fouls. A false start in the red zone cost UCLA a TD in the second quarter and an offside call nullified a fumble recovery.

Despite that, the Bruin defense was beastly and stout, getting four sacks in addition to the six turnovers and generally slamming the door on any chance for an Arizona State comeback. Jerry Siewierski saw to that when with a couple of minutes left in the fourth quarter, he forced a fumble which Brian Price,who had two sacks,recovered the football.

That pretty much ended the Sun Devils' day.

The win earned the Bruins (6-5, 3-5 in the Pac-10 Conference) bowl eligibility for the first time in coach Rick Neuheisel's tenure, giving them momentum going into their upcoming crosstown war with USC this Saturday in the Coliseum.

Now that they have have that sixth win, they are officially eligible for the postseason and are on a three-game winning streak. I feel that unlike in most recent years, UCLA has a good shot to beat the Trojans.

Among the keys to that game will be to avoid the penalties and mistakes that were committed against ASU and to take better advantage of scoring opportunities inside the 20-yard line.

The Bruin defense also needs to perform well against USC like it did against the Sun Devils (4-6, 2-6 in the Pac-10) and Washington State two weeks ago, by creating havoc in the backfield and disrupting the Trojans' offense.

Forcing a few turnovers would help too.

In light of how UCLA has bounced back after going winless in October, this has the potential to be a most interesting and competitive rivalry game.

Stay tuned.

College Football: Five Intriguing Rivalry Matchups For 2009

Derek Hart — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:59:09 -0500

This is the part of the college football season that I enjoy the most: rivalry games.

This is where the passion of this sport really comes out; the renewal of traditional grudges and ancient hatreds.

This is the time when students, alumni, and fans often partake in making obscene gestures and insulting jokes about their interstate—or in the case of UCLA and USC, intercity—enemies, and where extra precautions are taken to prevent riots and brawls on the field as well as in the stands.

With the campaign for the BCS championship heading down the stretch, here are five civil brawls that I feel are worth watching, starting with three games that could well be BCS spoilers:

-No. 3 Texas at Texas A & M, November 26
-No. 2 Alabama at Auburn, November 27
-Florida State at No. 1 Florida, November 28

It's no secret that the Longhorns, Crimson Tide, and Gators are the class of college football this year.

Florida, in particular, has been a solid number one all season. Alabama has had a campaign for the ages, and Texas has made everything pointless in the Big 12.

It hasn't hurt that each of those teams has had one thing in common besides being undefeated: Heisman Trophy candidates. Tim Tebow, Mark Ingram, and Colt McCoy have led the Gators, Tide, and 'Horns, respectively, and are odds-on favorites to be invited to New York to see who gets that big statue.

That is precisely what makes these games intriguing; Florida State, Auburn, and Texas A & M are perfectly decent teams who have absolutely nothing to lose.

Those are often the most dangerous opponents.

In the case of the Seminoles and Aggies, they are trying to secure a place at the postseason bowl table. What better way to do so than to beat your hated enemy?

That's certainly what I would be thinking if I was them.

As for Auburn, their Iron Bowl with Alabama is at Jordan-Hare Stadium, a home game for them. It's an extremely safe bet that the Tigers, with the backing of their rabid fans, would like nothing more than to ruin the Crimson Tide's bid for a national championship.

"Clean, good ol' fashioned hate," indeed—that's what that Iron Bowl is called.

Having said all of that, here's how I think those contests will unfold:

Texas will take care of A & M in College Station fairly comfortably. The combination of McCoy and WR Jordan Shipley,his roommate, will be a bit too much for the Aggies.

The Seminoles will give the Gators a battle for a while, but Florida will ultimately prevail in the Swamp.

And as for the Iron Bowl on the plains, that is my upset special; I'm picking Auburn to spectacularly rise up and defeat the Tide in a close game, leaving 'Bama's BCS chances in ruins.

There are two other rivalry games, both in the Pac-10 Confefence, that folks should check out.

No. 25 California at No. 17 Stanford, November 21

This is shaping up to be one of the better Big Games, as both teams are 7-3 and bowl bound, with the Cardinal still having an outside chance for the Rose Bowl.

Shane Vereen has filled in nicely in place of RB Jahvid Best, who's out with a concussion and a sore back for the Golden Bears, who have won four out of their last five games.

And if Stanford running back Toby Gerhart doesn't win the Pac-10 Player Of The Year Award, nothing makes sense in the world. That senior, along with quarterback Andew Luck, has been a significant reason the Cardinal is on fire; that 55-21 beatdown of USC is no fluke.

That makes this battle for the Axe all the more attractive.

My pick: Stanford . After scoring more points against the Trojans than any other opponent ever, I don't think there is any way they'll let down against Cal at the Farm. They are on a huge roll right now.

No. 19 Oregon State at No. 11 Oregon, December 3

This Civil War, the oldest rivalry on the West Coast, gets my vote for top rivalry game this year.

Both the Ducks and the Beavers are ranked in the top 20, which is a rare occurrence in this war.

Plus, they both have had great seasons; Oregon has been led by RB LaMichael James and OB Jeremiah Masoli. They have definitely recovered from that LaGarrett Blount incident.

As for Oregon State, the Rodgers brothers, WR James and RB Jacquizz, and their Beaver teammates are dying to get revenge for last season's humiliating beat down in Corvallis, when the Ducks put up over sixty points in denying them the Rose Bowl bid.

And on top of everything else, if the Beavers beat Washington State this week (as expected) and Oregon gets by Arizona in Tucson, then their matchup will be for the Pac-10 title and the Rose Bowl berth.

Put it all together, and it could be a Civil War for the ages.

My pick: Oregon in a close battle. The game is at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, one of the toughest and loudest places to play in the country. Also, Masoli is a little better than his Oregon State counterpart, Sean Canfield.

That's how I see rivalry season in college football unfolding this season. One thing is for sure, however:

No matter what happens, it will all be very interesting.

My List of the Four Worst Fanbases in Sports

Derek Hart — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:20:00 -0500

Remember when you played Little League (or AYSO, or Pop Warner Football) as a kid?

Remember how your coaches—mostly dads—grilled into your gray matter the importance of sportsmanship?

Remember when you were taught as a youngster how to always treat your opponents with kindness, give them a cheer, shake their hands after a game, and never, ever rub it in their face if you win?

Well, these are the fanbases in sports where those who ally themselves with them are expected to completely forget all of that and be as mean, arrogant, and obnoxious as possible.

These are fans, usually of winning teams, who have a sense of entitlement—who see followers of other teams as lesser beings and let them know that in ways that are not subtle.

Drunkenness, vile name-calling, and fisticuffs are common among these crowds, and to attend games involving these teams while wearing the opponent's gear is to risk verbal and physical abuse.

Here are the fanbases that are to be avoided at all costs; if you encounter them at a sporting event, I strongly recommend that you run the other way screaming.

Detroit Tigers/Pistons

Fans of the American League's Tigers and the NBA's Pistons in the Motor City have long been known for their unpleasantness over the years.

Tiger fans have been infamous for rioting after big victories, most notably after their iconic baseball franchise convincingly won the World Series in 1984. After the last out was recorded, inebriated louts roamed the Detroit streets, overturning and burning cars and other various things.

The incident that puts this town's sports fans on this list, however, happened in 2004 at the Palace of Auburn Hills during a game between the Pistons and the Indiana Pacers.

Then-Pacer Ron Artest, after partaking in a huge bench-clearing brawl, rushed into the stands after having cups of beer thrown at him while resting on the scorer's table.

The rain of malted hops, along with all kinds of verbal epithets that can't be mentioned here, continued to flow after he was ejected; I'm sure Artest smelled like a brewery when he got back to the Pacers' locker room.

I think that's a good illustration of now nasty Detroit fans can be.

Philadelphia Sports Teams

When it comes to professional sports, the term "City of Brotherly Love" is perhaps the biggest oxymoron there is.

How else do you describe a town whose fans have booed Santa Claus and thrown battery-filled snowballs at opposing players? Where filthy invective in the stands is considered normal speech, and where even athletes playing for their teams are treated brutally if they don't produce?

Let's put it like this:

Veterans Stadium, the former home of baseball's Phillies and the NFL Eagles that was an absolute cookie cutter of a dump with horrible artificial turf, sported a holding cell and a makeshift courtroom in its bowels complete with a sitting judge, because so many people got into drunken fights and heaved projectiles onto the field.

The Eagles' current home, Lincoln Financial Field, likewise has a courtroom and a cell for the same reason.

I seriously doubt there are any sports stadiums that can say they have a jail and a court.

That says a lot about Philadelphia fans.

Needless to say, the thought of being a supporter of the opposing team in the land of hoagie cheesesteaks and Rocky Balboa gives me shudders, as does the next group of "fans," the...

Oakland Raiders

Besides the scary Halloween costumes that those silver and black-clad followers often wear and the usual inebriated obnoxiousness that these fans from Northern California's blue-collar East Bay town display, there are two incidents I was told of that illustrate how bad these folks are...

During a game against the Miami Dolphins at the Oakland Coliseum some years ago, a fan wearing a Dolphins jacket was standing in line waiting to use the restroom when the next thing he knew, his jacket was being ripped off of his back and urinated on in the bathroom trough.

I was also told of another time when a New York Jets follower wearing a Jets cap was merely sitting in his seat, watching the game and not bothering anyone, when this idiotic thug pulled a knife on him and snarled, "Give me your cap right now!"

Quite unbelievable—getting a deadly weapon pulled on you over a hat.

To say that is overboard would be a significant understatement and provides a crystal-clear picture of what fans of San Francisco's working-class neighbors across the bay are like.

I saved this fanbase for last because in my view, they are the absolute worst in college sports, the...

USC Trojans

"Arrogance is part of the image that we exude."—Jason Mangan, manager, USC Trojan Marching Band, 2000

That statement sums up the mentality of the most obnoxious group of fans at the intercollegiate level.

I have always said that the only difference between Trojan and Raider supporters is that USC fans tend to have more money and come from well-to-do backgrounds, particularly the alumni.

Trust me when I say this: You do not want to be a fan of the opposing team at the Trojans' home, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Especially if the opponents are the crosstown UCLA Bruins.

Simply put, you would be asking for it.

Drunkenness from students, alums, and fans alike, obscene gestures, extreme verbal abuse, and the throwing of ice, tomatoes, oranges, and seat cushions—which were thrown at the 1989 Rose Bowl—are standard procedure among the followers of the cardinal and gold.

More than anything else, a culture of arrogance—like in the previous quote—and snobbery pervades the University of Southern California campus and community.

T-shirts with slogans such as "FUCLA," "My Maid Went to UCLA," and "We're Not Snobs, We're Just Better Than You" are commonly worn at games; anyone not wearing the letters U-S-C is seen as a lower class undesirable and is treated as such.

I have personally encountered this evil arrogance many times as a Los Angeles resident and a UCLA alumnus, so much so that several years ago I vowed to stop attending UCLA-USC sporting events except for football games when the Bruins are the home team.

Plus, being that the Trojans play their games at the edge of South Central L.A., a crime, drug, and gang-infested area, I avoid the Coliseum like the H1N1 flu; it's just not worth the aggravation for me.

However, that doesn't compare to the story that this elderly lady, a former UCLA cheerleader in her 80s who's one of the nicest people you would ever want to meet, told me about how when she went to the Coliseum for a Bruin-Trojan game a few years back, USC thugs posing as fans spit on her.

Having encountered my share of Trojan obnoxiousness myself, I honestly wasn't that surprised at that. But...

If that does not give a blatant picture of what those so-called fans are like, nothing will.

I know that most sports fans would list the New York Yankees' fanbase as being pretty arrogant and bad, particularly people from the New England area; if I were a Boston Red Sox follower, I would definitely list those pinstripe supporters as being the worst.

But the fanbases I have listed here are notorious for being obnoxious, thuggish, and downright scary; these are the people who give sports a bad name, a symbol of everything that is wrong with athletics, whom you just want to shake and say...

"It's just a game! Get a life!"

That is just unfortunate for everyone.

Bruins-Cougars: UCLA Handles Their Business In The Palouse, 43-7

Derek Hart — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:50:31 -0500

Well, so much for the Washington State Cougars playing above their heads.

So much for the 32 degree weather in Pullman, WA getting to the UCLA Bruins.

And so much for Rick Neuheisel's bunch playing down to the Cougars' level.

The Bruins handled things very nicely, going up to the Palouse and taking care of Washington State, 43-7, in a game that was well in hand virtually from the start.

So much so that they were able to do something they've seldom been able to do: Clear their bench in the fourth quarter and give reserves such as quarterback Nick Crissman, a true freshman, playing time.

It was, as Neuheisel said, "A luxury that we don't overlook."

Kevin Prince had another solid performance in completing 27 of 40 passes for 314 yards and a touchdown, plus a 68-yard run for a score in the second quarter.

Fullback Chane "The Train" Moline bulled his way to three rushing touchdowns from short distance, as well as catch seven passes for 60 yards, and Taylor Embree had six catches for 73 yards and a TD.

The biggest motivation for WSU was that being the downtrodden team that they are, they had nothing to lose.

Apparently the Cougars were unaware of that, as Marshall Lobbestael threw three interceptions before being pulled, one to Rahim Moore to reclaim his NCAA-leading total to nine. Linebacker Akeem Ayers added two picks of his own.

UCLA picked a great time to play Washington State, as they collected a grand total of 529 yards on 26 first downs. The Bruin defense finally held an opposing runner to under 100 yards as Dwight Tardy gained a paltry 41, while Wazzu was only able to earn seven first downs.

You can't help but feel sorry for a team like Washington State, whose overall record fell to 1-9 while remaining winless in the Pac-10 Conference at 0-7; if there was a collegiate version of the Detroit Lions, this team would be it.

It is clear that if that program is to see better days, coach Paul Wulff will need to do some major recruiting.

As for the Bruins (5-5, 2-5 in the Pac-10), it was good to see them get a blowout win (for once) and stay on track for a post season bowl. They will look to continue their improved play against Arizona State in their last home game on Nov. 21.

Call me crazy or hopelessly naive, but depending on how UCLA performs against the Sun Devils, I think that maybe, just maybe, they have a shot against USC, who gave up the most points ever in their most recent game and have lost two out of their last three contests by a huge margin, on Nov. 28.

But first, they must focus on Arizona State, concentrate on beating them and getting that sixth win and becoming bowl eligible.

The way the Bruins are currently playing, I am confident that they will get the job done and handle the Sun Devils before their crosstown clash.

UCLA Basketball 2009-2010 Preview: Time to Step Up

Derek Hart — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:13:13 -0500

Going into the 2009-2010 college basketball season, I can honestly say that I've rarely seen a UCLA Bruin basketball team with more uncertainties about what their fortunes will be.

Viewing things that way is more or less inevitable, especially considering that the Bruins are returning just one starter, senior forward Nikola Dragovic, and lost not only key guys such as Darren Collison, Josh Shipp, and Alfred Aboya, but also Jrue Holiday, who jumped to the NBA after his freshman year and is now a Philadelphia 76er.

Early departures have clearly hurt UCLA in recent times. If Holiday and fellow one-and-done star Kevin Love had stayed in Westwood through their senior years, the Bruins would be locks for the Final Four this year and favorites for the national championship.

But as the old saying goes, you have to play with the hand you are dealt.

Outside of Dragovic and fellow seniors James Keefe and Michael Roll, this year's version of college basketball's most successful program features players that are talented and have potential, but who are also young, inexperienced, and raw.

Coach Ben Howland, in his seventh year at the helm, has essentially been conducting Basketball 101 at Pauley Pavilion as he and his staff try to mold his team of high level recruits into a unit that can contend for the Pac-10 Conference title and go deep into the NCAA Tournament, something that the Bruin hoops faithful demand on a yearly basis.

Following a 26-9 (13-5 in the Pac-10, good for second place) season and an appearance in the Big Dance's second round, if UCLA wants to approach those heights and beyond, many people need to step up.

And step up big.

In addition to Roll, Jerime Anderson and Malcolm Lee, both sophomores, will anchor the guard positions, with Anderson taking over at the point. While they both hold great potential—Lee shot 50 percent from the field last year—it remains to be seen whether or not Anderson and Lee will be effective enough to offset the losses of Collison and Holiday.

Keefe, Dragovic, and sophomore Drew Gordon, who led the team with a .565 field goal percentage in 2008-09, will be counted on at the small and power forward spots.

The Bruins' key player, perhaps, is J'mison Morgan, also known as Bobo. A 6'10" center who weighs 248 pounds, this sophomore can possibly be the dominant big man that can impact games. He had 10 blocked shots in 21 games last season and will be expected to block many more shots in the paint.

If Morgan can develop as a shot blocker and scorer in the middle, UCLA can win a lot of games. The same will be the case if Anderson, Lee, and Gordon perform up to their potential on the floor.

Due to their relative inexperience, however, questions persist...

Can the Bruin fans and boosters who grace Pauley Pavilion's hallowed seats be patient with their team's youth and the growing pains that will undoubtedly ensue? Will they turn on Howland if things don't go so well right away, which they may not?

Their schedule is not that forgiving; not only do they have to face powerhouses such as Kansas and Mississippi State, plus Notre Dame in South Bend, UCLA also has to face some tough opponents in their own conference.

California and Washington are projected to finish 1-2 in the Pac-10 and will be tough battles for the Bruins. Oregon and Oregon State will be improved, and Arizona will always be difficult.

The Pac-10's preseason media poll has UCLA finishing third in the conference, while ESPN picks them to finish fifth.

Indeed, this edition of Bruin hoops could finish 20-10 with a good seed in the NCAA Tournament, go 15-15 with an NIT bid, or struggle at 10-20 and miss the postseason altogether; it is all very much up in the air.

As such, I will be happy to see these UCLA hoopsters, who are obviously in a transitional stage, finish in the top five in the Pac-10 Conference and make the Big Dance with an at-large bid. This will show me that the Bruin program is continuing in the right direction.

That's all I really want from UCLA basketball this year, for them to continue their spectacular tradition of excellence: 30 conference crowns, 18 Final Fours, and most importantly, an NCAA-leading 11 national championships, including 10 in 12 years—and seven in a row—under a man who was recently voted the greatest sports coach of all time, John Wooden.

It's a huge legacy to live up to, but if these current Bruins step up and produce, there is no reason why this season can't be a good one in Westwood.

Bruins-Huskies: UCLA Overcomes Much Adversity In Gutsy 24-23 Win

Derek Hart — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:24:47 -0500

After watching the UCLA Bruins and the Washington Huskies tangle at the Rose Bowl, there is one word that sums up the Bruins and their effort: Guts.

How else can you describe a team that committed five turnovers—three fumbles (one by Johnathan Franklin, who rushed for a pathetic four yards, and another on a kickoff) and two interceptions—that led to 13 Husky points, and still come up with a hard fought 24-23 victory over a determined Washington team, ending their five game losing streak as well as earning their first Pac-10 conference win?

This contest was what I called an "elimination game," meaning that with both teams coming in with a 3-5 overall record, the loser's hopes for a post-season bowl game would be pretty much over.

For much of the game, the Bruins were beating themselves.

Those five turnovers, plus some costly personal fouls by linebacker Reggie Carter and defensive tackle Brian Price, were a factor in UCLA trailing the Huskies 23-14 early in the second half.

As the battle wore on, however, it was clear that the Bruins' effort was there. Everyone could see that they were trying their hardest, but, as my little league baseball coach once told me when I was a struggling as a kid ballplayer, they were trying too hard.

The mistakes notwithstanding, UCLA's offense continued to progress, gaining a total of 455 yards and doing a good job moving the ball.

Kevin Prince also continued his improvement, throwing for 212 yards on 13-of-17 passing with a touchdown to Cory Harkey in the first quarter before being knocked out with a concussion by Washington linebacker Donald Butler, who speared Prince's head with his helmet in what was widely thought of by the crowd of 72,924 as a dirty play.

Kevin Craft came on in relief in the third quarter and immediately made an impact, throwing a 29 yard touchdown strike to Terrance Austin, who made a juggling, Sports Center-highlight catch in the end zone to cut the Husky lead to 23-21.

The much-maligned Craft ended up going 10-of-14 with 159 yards in the air in what was certainly one of his best efforts as a Bruin, if not the best.

Jake Locker's thigh bruise didn't seem to affect him, as he threw for 235 yards for the Huskies with two scores, one of them a 34 yard strike to Jermaine Kearse. Chris Polk continued the streak of UCLA's run defense giving up 100-yard days, as he rushed for 132 yards on only 15 carries.

Despite all of that, and in addition to overcoming the fumbles and the picks, the Bruin defense came up huge when it counted the most.

With UCLA up by a point, thanks to a 27-yard field goal by Kai Forbath, and Washington driving late in the fourth quarter, Rahim Moore made a game-saving interception on the Bruin 26 yard line—his eighth to lead the NCAA—with less than a minute left to slam the door on the Huskies and seal the win.

To say that UCLA (4-5, 1-5 in the Pac-10) felt a sensation of jubilation and happy relief over the victory would be an understatement.

There is a sense of determination in the Bruins' camp, as they continue to make their push for a post-season bowl.

Their next opponent is one where they will actually be favored to beat and expected to defeat rather comfortably: Washington State, which at 1-8 is one of the worst teams in the country, ranking near the bottom of the Football Bowl Subdivision in nearly every category.

UCLA cannot afford to slack off against the Cougars, though. They need to prepare harder in order to ensure a win in Pullman next week.

If the effort and guts showed against Washington is any indication, I'm sure that the Bruins will take care of business in the Palouse and return with a two-game winning streak.

UCLA-Oregon State: Bruins Stage Big Comeback But Lose Fifth Straight, 26-19

Derek Hart — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:22:11 -0500

One thing you can say about the UCLA Bruins in their Halloween battle with the Oregon State Beavers in Corvallis:

You can't fault them for not trying.

Trailing 19-3 in the fourth quarter, Kevin Prince threw two touchdown passes, one for 58 yards to Nelson Rosario, and made two 2-point conversions to tie the Beavers with 2:06 left in the game.

Then Oregon State proceeded to march 70 yards down the field, capped by James Rodgers' 17 yard misdirection touchdown run with 44 seconds left to break the Bruins' hearts, 26-19.

What particularly drove coach Rick Neuheisel's team crazy was that on the first play of the Beavers' last drive, Alterraun Verner dropped a sure pick-six that would have likely won the game. OSU moved the ball rather easily after that.

Though UCLA suffered their fifth consecutive loss and remains winless in the Pac-10 Conference, they showed something that their fans had not seen in quite a while...heart and character.

The fact that the Bruins came storming back to take the game to the wire showed that they are not ready to give up on the season just yet.

In addition to those TDs, Prince completed 22-of-34 passes for 323 yards and no interceptions, perhaps his best effort as the Bruin starter. Rosario also had his best day in a UCLA uniform with six catches for 152 yards in addition to his score.

Unfortunately the Bruins running backs rushed for a paltry 51 yards, while Oregon State's standout runner Jacquizz Rodgers not only gained 112 yards on the ground—the fifth straight time that an opposing running back passed the century mark against UCLA—he also threw a touchdown pass near the end of the first half to put the Beavers up 16-0.

Jacquizz's brother James added 106 yards on 10 catches in addition to his winning TD run. And OSU quarterback Sean Canfield threw for 305 yards as the Beavers turned a potential Halloween treat into an agonizing trick for the Bruins.

Despite this latest disappointment, the Bruin faithful were encouraged to see UCLA put up a fighting effort.

That fight will be handy for the Bruins' upcoming three games against Washington, Washington State and Arizona State, which they are definitely capable of winning.

Indeed these three contests, two of them at home, are UCLA's last chance to salvage a season that started out promising, but has gone south largely due to an ineffective offense (shades of 2008), and a sub-par defense against the run.

While no one knows if the Bruins will win those next three games, it's plain to see that if UCLA shows the fight and heart that was shown in Corvallis, their chances of ending their losing streak will be good.

Why Has UCLA Football Been So Mediocre for So Long?

Derek Hart — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:59:36 -0400

This will not be an easy piece to write, being a UCLA alum and all, but...

As we approach the end of this decade, it is safe to say that this has been a frustrating 10 years for the UCLA Bruin football program and everyone in Bruin Nation.

With the exception of 2005, the Bruins have spent every year of the 21st century thus far in a struggle; they would usually start strong and win a few games, but then fade at the end and either barely make a lower-tier bowl game or miss the postseason altogether.

Even in 2005, when they went 10-2 with a victory in the Sun Bowl over Northwestern, UCLA had to make dramatic fourth quarter comebacks to pull out four of those wins. Though exciting, the Bruins could have easily finished 6-6 that year.

These last three seasons in particular have been plagued by an anemic offense that has suffered devastating injuries, underperformed, and has been a source of much anguish for students, alumni, and fans in Westwood.

Meanwhile, across town, UCLA's eternal enemies the USC Trojans have flourished as one of college football's most dominant programs.

I have thought long and hard about the reasons behind the Bruins' mediocrity on the gridiron and why UCLA has only averaged six wins a year dating back to 2000.

Here is my take on why the Bruins' situation is the way it is...

INJURIES

Though it is part of the game, the injury bug has bitten UCLA hard the past few years.

This was especially the case with quarterbacks Ben Olson and Patrick Cowan, who both missed significant time from 2006 to 2008 with injuries ranging from torn ACLs to high ankle sprains to broken bones in the feet. The offensive line has fared worse, as the last two seasons found the Bruins having to make do with the proverbial chewing gum and string up front.

It had gotten to the point where even USC coach Pete Carroll offered sympathy to former Bruin coach Karl Dorrell in 2007 for all the injuries that his team had suffered, telling the press to give Dorrell a break.

SUBPAR RECRUITING CLASSES

Until just recently, four- and five-star high school blue-chippers have avoided coming to Westwood.

A big factor in that, I feel, is the fact that USC's Carroll, with his competitive, personable, high-energy style, was a more attractive option for high school players than the low-key, soft-spoken Dorrell.

Combined with USC's football tradition, this has led to Carroll getting many, if not most, of the top recruits, while the Bruins, for the most part, have had to settle for mid-level talent at best, with the exception of Olson (who turned out to be too injury-prone) and Maurice Jones-Drew.

In other words, too many of UCLA's players have just not been very good.

Examples? Cowan, who engineered the Bruins' only win over the Trojans this decade, shocking them 13-9 in 2006, was a one-star prospect coming out of high school. When Olson was knocked out of the Notre Dame game in 2007, UCLA was forced to go with McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who—last time I heard—is currently at Division I-AA (now the FCS) Sacramento State.

Cowan and Bethel-Thompson, while not solely blaming them, are symbols of people that apparently no one else of note or significance wanted, which has contributed to UCLA's mediocrity in the 2000s.

To UCLA's credit, they now have a coach in Rick Neuheisel who is as personable and energetic as Carroll; that will make the Bruins more attractive to the athletes that are so badly needed.

ADMISSIONS STANDARDS

Another factor in the Bruins' less than stellar showing on the field lies with UCLA's admissions department.

Although the requirements to get into UCLA, one of the country's elite institutions, have always been extremely difficult, UCLA admissions decided to get extra tough with football players and recruits this decade, in light of problems such as fights, DUIs, illegal leasing of SUVs, and the handicapped parking permits scandal in 1999 that various players were involved in.

Having been embarrassed by that, UCLA officials were determined to never let those sort of things happen again. That's why it is now just as tough for a football player to get admitted into the school as it is a regular student.

Need some proof?

There have been several accomplished high school players who spent their lives dreaming about becoming Bruins, most notably quarterback Rudy Carpenter and wide receiver DeSean Jackson; Jackson spent many days watching UCLA's practices during his prep years.

However, when it came time to commit to a school, both players, stellar athletes who could have immediately contributed to and vastly improved the Bruins—and quite a few more blue-chip recruits, I may add—chose to go elsewhere because of things like a missing class that UCLA wanted to see on the transcript, or a grade or test score that was slightly below what admissions wanted.

Unlike Arizona State and California, where Carpenter and Jackson, respectively, ended up and became stars at, UCLA chose to not make any exceptions to their admission standards to admit those players and others. Bruin coaches have complained for years about not being able to get kids in due to that.

Meanwhile USC, being a private school, has always had much more freedom in who they can admit and continues to.

Case in point: When Marc Tyler, the son of former Bruin standout Wendell Tyler and a five-star running back, found out that his grades were not good enough to be considered for UCLA, guess what he did? Yep, he went straight to USC and became a Trojan.

This has all led to recruiting at Los Angeles' two major universities being akin to a race in which one guy has his legs tied together. It has been that way for years.

I know that some opposing fans, namely Trojan fans, will point out that UCLA's admissions standards has not hampered the basketball team's success.

That is a completely different situation, however. In college basketball, teams only need one or two top recruits to make an impact. Football requires at least one whole class.

The bottom line here is, while UCLA and its admissions department has retained its integrity by keeping their standards high for football players and recruits—which I'm glad about; I definitely want our players to be real student-athletes—it has cost the Bruins in talent, talent that could have made a difference in Westwood.

CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL ATMOSPHERE

This is perhaps the most significant reason as to why the Bruins have been a mediocre program for years now.

For comparison's sake, let's take a look at crosstown enemy USC...

This is a school at the edge of downtown Los Angeles where football means absolutely everything, not only to Trojan students, alumni, and fans, but also to their administration, their board of trustees, and their well-heeled boosters.

Ever since the 1920s, the USC community has committed their energies—and their money—toward Trojan football. It was decided long ago that their emphasis was to be put toward building the dominant football program on the West Coast and being one of the elite college football teams in the country.

Considering their fortunes not only during this decade, but over the past eight decades, I think they've more than succeeded in that task—so much so that USC students themselves have called their school "a football team with a classroom tucked at the bottom of it."

In contrast, UCLA has never seen football the same way their Trojan counterparts have. Not even close.

Due to the triumphs of legendary coach John Wooden in the 1960s and '70s, UCLA sees itself as more of a basketball school, as well as a place with a top all-around athletic program, rather than merely a football factory.

Football is seem as only one piece of the puzzle in Westwood, not the whole enchilada.

The UCLA community generally sees any real football success, such as BCS bowls and national championships, as a sort of icing on the athletic cake. In their minds, if the Bruins can beat USC and go to the Rose Bowl every few years, that's OK with them.

On the other side, Trojans consider anything short of a BCS championship a failure.

While it's true that UCLA has had some great teams and players on the gridiron and has enjoyed national success, particularly in the early 1950s and throughout the 1980s, Bruin football has never had the same level of support that Trojan football has had and continues to have.

And that has hurt.

Though it's wonderful that the Bruin Athletic Department is top-notch as a whole, and I would not want them to commit any NCAA violations to get the football team to where I think they should be, if UCLA truly wants to change and become one of college football's dominant programs on a yearly basis, the culture with the Bruin community must change.

The UCLA administration, and boosters must, as a group, have the same attitude toward football as they do basketball; excellence on the gridiron as well as the classroom must be demanded. They must demand Rose Bowls and national championship contention on a consistent basis and see anything less as a failure.

Like USC has done, energies and an emphasis toward building a program that can contend for the BCS championship game every year must be committed, and not just from the football team or a few alumni and boosters; they cannot do it alone.

Unless that happens, I'm afraid that UCLA Bruin football will continue to be merely a fair program with occasional bursts of success—beating USC, a couple of 10-win seasons once in a while, maybe a conference title and a Rose Bowl or two every 10 seasons.

I know that many Bruin fans are not OK with that. Being a alumnus and a loyal member of Bruin Nation, I don't know if I am, either.

While I am very proud of UCLA's athletic success—104 NCAA titles and counting—it would be ecstatic to see the Bruins lifting that crystal football in the BCS championship game.

Whether or not enough people in the Bruin community agrees with me on that remains to be seen.

UCLA-Arizona: Bruin Offense Is Offensive Again In 27-13 Defeat

Derek Hart — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:23:18 -0400

For the UCLA Bruins, it's looking like 2008 all over again.

For the third time in four games, the offense failed to produce points or sustain long drives, getting only ten first downs and an anemic 65 rushing yards, as the defense generated the Bruins' only touchdown in a 27-13 loss to the Arizona Wildcats in Tucson, their fourth in a row after a 3-0 start.

Shades of last season.

UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince hit a new low, as he went 7 for 15 for a mere 60 yards before being pulled for Kevin Craft in the third quarter.

Craft did worse than Prince behind center, as he misfired on many of his throws, including a key 4th down pass to Johnathan Franklin that would have gained big yardage and perhaps a score.

Not that it was entirely the fault of the Bruin quarterbacks; the entire offense was to blame for this debacle. Mistakes abounded, ranging from dropped passes by the receivers to the offensive line giving up four sacks.

Perhaps coach Rick Neuheisel put it best when he said after the game, "We are not throwing and catching the ball well enough to compete in the Pac-10."

You think? 15 for 35 passing spells that out rather neatly.

On the other side, Arizona's Nick Foles gave a clinic, completing 22 of 34 throws for 247 yards and two touchdowns, including a 41 yard score to Juron Criner in the first quarter.

On the bright side for the Bruins, Foles was also intercepted three times, as Rahim Moore had two picks to increase his NCAA-leading interception total to seven.

UCLA's defense showed much improvement from the previous week, as they forced five Wildcat turnovers in all and gave the Bruins multiple opportunities to produce points.

The problem was, UCLA didn't capitalize on them.

Which was the problem all of last year.

Thanks to these sub-par performances, the Bruins are now one of only two Pac-10 teams without a victory in the conference, Washington State being the other.

I don't think UCLA is nearly as bad as their record indicates, but it's time to tell it like it is...

The Bruins still lack the personnel at certain positions to be a consistent team at this point.

They do have good talent at different spots, namely on defense and among the skill positions, but their talent is mediocre at other spots, particularly on the offensive line, which has gotten better but is still not where they need to be at this time.

In contrast, USC (and schools like Florida and Texas) has good talent everywhere, on both sides of the ball; that's the significant difference between UCLA and the top teams right now.

What the Bruins need to do to rectify that is what they have already started to do,recruit and sign four and five-star high school players. Signing talent like Morrell Presley, Randall Carroll and Stan Hasiak was a good start, but UCLA needs to continue to get talent of that caliber.

Recruiting classes in the top ten, if not the top five, needs to be the goal for the Bruins every year.

And among the players already in uniform, Fox Sports analyst James Washington put it brilliantly when he stated, "They have to learn how to win".

I have previously said that UCLA would be contenders for the Rose Bowl, if not the BCS, in 2010.

I now feel that the Bruins are two years away from being a factor in the Pac-10, from being in the position to really challenge USC for conference supremacy and glory; 2011 should be the year that the young talent in Westwood matures and makes some real noise.

Having said that, three out of the remaining five games are still winnable for the Bruins..

Washington State, who is once again struggling with little talent, is still pretty much a gimme, and their two remaining home games versus Washington and Arizona State are also contests that the Bruins can win, though the Huskies, with quarterback Jake Locker, will be tough.

However, if the offense's performance does not improve, it will be difficult for UCLA to win any of the remaining games.

Can the quarterbacks and offensive line execute better and produce points?

That's a question that will be answered in the coming weeks.

Ten College Marching Bands You Need to See Before You Die

Derek Hart — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:42:09 -0400

Being a former member of a college marching band, I've been wanting to write this article for a long time.

Having seen so many bands over the years either in person, on TV, or on YouTube, I believe I am more than qualified to list the musical groups that are so essential to the college football experience.

So here is my list of ten marching bands at the collegiate level—not in any particular order—that are considered to be top-notch not only musically, but as far as the total entertainment package, which after all is what college marching bands should be about.

Let's start with the marching band of my alma mater, which I had the privilege of playing in during my college years.

UCLA

"The Solid Gold Sound", considered in music circles to be among the best marching bands in the country and an elite band on the West Coast (I know I sound biased here, but still...).

They were the first marching band among the West Coast schools to win the Sudler Trophy, presented yearly by the John Phillip Sousa Foundation to the best college band.

The big highlight of their program is their famous "Downfall of Troy" show. Done every four years, these marching Bruins reenact the story of Helen of Troy and the Trojan War, right down to the Trojan Horse raid, which is the climax of the show.

I'll allow one guess as to the school that this show portrays and makes fun of.

OHIO STATE

Also known as "TBDBITL"—The Best Damn Band In The Land.

This musical group of Buckeyes from Columbus is on this list for one reason: The dotting of the "I" by one of their senior tubas while doing their "Script Ohio" formation. It is considered a huge honor to be that dot, so much so that celebrities such as Bob Hope and Buckeye coaching legend Woody Hayes have stood on top of that "I" in Ohio, which has given Buckeye fans chills for decades.

TEXAS

That "Eyes of Texas" fanfare that those Longhorns from the Lone Star State's flagship school plays before games gives me chills; if such is the case for me, imagine what it does to the burnt orange faithful in Austin.

And that "Big Bertha" bass drum, billed as the world's largest—though Purdue, who has a huge drum of their own, would dispute that—is really cool, too. Makes me want to give that "Hook 'Em Horns" sign every time I see it.

WASHINGTON

This marching band from Seattle has always been one of my personal favorites in the Pac-10 Conference, although I reckon they're probably not too well-known outside of the Pacific Northwest.

I particularly like their "Bow Down To Washington" fight song and those chords that those Huskies play after every first down and score.

And incidentally, I loved the way Washington's football team beat USC earlier this season.

WISCONSIN

True, "On Wisconsin" is seen as one of America's most famous fight songs, but three words sum up why these musical Badgers from Madison are on this list, a ritual that they perform after every game that has become a sacred tradition at that institution: The Fifth Quarter.

Enough said.

SOUTHERN

One of three historically black colleges on this list; I couldn't possibly write an article about great college marching bands without giving some attention to these marching units that need to be seen to be believed.

"The Human Jukebox" from Baton Rouge, La. is so renowned, it was ranked as the number one collegiate marching band in the nation by USA Today at one time.

When I first saw them on TV a few years ago, they did this move, forming the halftime score on the field, that was absolutely mind-boggling.

From that point on, I never saw marching bands the same way again.

GRAMBLING

This rival of Southern's from northern Louisiana needs to be mentioned, as well.

The "Tiger Marching Band" has one historical distinction that no other band has: They played at the very first Super Bowl in 1967. If that's not a part of sports history, nothing is.

And their battle with Southern's band at the Bayou Classic, held in New Orleans every year and perhaps the most intense rivalry among the black colleges, is unbelievable—it is considered more important than the football game itself.

FLORIDA A & M

These Marching Rattlers hold the distinction of being the second-largest marching band in the world, with 420 members; only their Tallahassee neighbors at Florida State have more. Not bad for a school with only 11,849 students.

And they also have the honor of being the only HBCU-Historically Black College and University-to have won the Sudler Trophy.

Like Grambling and Southern, this band needs to be seen. When I saw them on ESPN's College Gameday, their musicianship and visuals were among the most entertaining I had seen; it was as if they stepped off the set of the movie "Drumline."

RICE

When I was in college, I had read about this MOB—the Marching Owl Band, that scatters in their shows while wearing fedoras, does funny commentary, and lets instruments like guitars and violins on the field.

I wanted to check them out myself, so I went on YouTube to give them a listen.

I was not disappointed; their show was extremely funny, particularly this crack that their announcer made during the performance: "(Texas A & M) Aggies will no longer resource Reville's (their dog mascot) training to Michael Vick."

Though I'm sure animal rights groups took issue, that crack brought down the house.

And I also liked the baby that I saw one of the band members carrying on its back.

This is a band that I saved for last, because I'm their biggest fan...

STANFORD

"The One, The Only, The Incomparable, Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band."

This group from one of the country's premier schools is the ultimate scatter band.

Irreverent, humorous, and just plain fun, this is the band that—with all due respect and apologies to my alma mater and friends at UCLA—I would want to be in if I was 18 and could be a college student all over again.

They play my favorite fight song, "All Right Now"—a tune from a rock band called Free that was a hit in 1970 that just flat-out rocks. They also have my favorite mascot—a student dressed as an evergreen tree that dances around and does silly things on their field during their shows.

Yes, that red-blazered, fishing-capped band has been involved in a bit of controversy. They have gotten in trouble with Oregon for making fun of their spotted owl issue, with BYU for mocking plural marriage, and Notre Dame suspended them from appearing in South Bend for their portrayal of Irish Catholics.

Though they have been known to go a bit too far, one word describes this band in my book: FUN.

Which I've always felt is what college marching bands should be all about.

I am sure people are wondering why bands like Florida, LSU, Michigan, and USC are not on this list.

In my view, marching bands in the South, particularly in the SEC, are cookie-cutter because of their rigidity; they seem like a grown-up version of high school bands, where you can't even smile or make a joke lest you suffer the director's wrath.

Michigan? Don't get me wrong, I like that school very much, more than I do Ohio State, and I think "The Victors" is an outstanding fight song, but it comes down to this...Ohio State has that dotting the "I" thing. The Wolverines don't.

And that USC Trojan Marching Band, the "Spirit of Troy", that is well-known and loved by so many people?

This will come as a shock to some, but that band is hated by virtually every other college, college band, and fan base in the country. It's a band that is built on arrogance—a Trojan band manager even said as much in a newspaper interview—and has been sued more than once for hazing and banned from airlines for misbehavior.

I know that students, fans and alumni may disagree with me on this list, but that's O.K. I'll welcome any debates that come from this.

After all, that's what articles like this are all about. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

UCLA-Cal: Bruin Defense Wilts in Heat, 45-26

Derek Hart — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:35:22 -0400

In the face of 90 degree temperatures at the Rose Bowl, UCLA fans were expecting an improved performance from their football team in their battle with the California Golden Bears.

The Bruins themselves expected things to get better.

Instead, they got worse: Cal 45, UCLA 26.

UCLA's run defense was the main culprit of this latest debacle, as they gave up 289 yards and two long touchdowns on the ground in front of a sweltering crowd of 67,317.

The Bruins failed to contain not one but two Bear running backs; Jahvid Best, a key focus for the Bruin defense, ran for 102 yards on 18 carries, which included a 93-yard run to the end zone in the second quarter that put Cal up 28-14.

To add insult to injury, Best also caught a 51-yard pass for a score.

As well as Best did, Shane Vereen was even better against UCLA: 154 yards on just 17 carries, with a 42-yard touchdown run of his own.

The plan to make Bear quarterback Kevin Riley beat the Bruins with his arm blew up in their face, as he looked like both Peyton and Eli Manning combined in throwing for 305 yards and three scores.

UCLA's offense did do some good things, as Johnathan Franklin ran for a 73-yard touchdown in the first half that brought the Bruins to within seven points. He ended with 101 yards on 11 carries for the day.

Kai Forbath kicked four field goals, solidifying his All-American hopes and his space as a Bruin bright spot.

And Kevin Prince threw for 311 yards, but made a fatal error with 5:05 left in the game when Mychal Kendricks, who ran his mouth in guaranteeing a Cal victory before the game, intercepted a pass and ran it back 68 yards for the Bears' final TD.

That was the second game in a row that Prince has thrown a pick-six.

As for the Bruins' defense, their recent failures to stop the run have been baffling...

Here is a unit that was projected to be a strength for UCLA, featuring a stud defensive lineman in Brian Price who will soon be playing on Sundays, and a pair of Bosworths—Kyle at right end and Korey at linebacker—whose uncle is none other than "The Boz," former Oklahoma legend Brian Bosworth.

There's also a middle linebacker in Reggie Carter who's the heart, soul, and leader of that Bruin defense, and two standout defensive backs, one who is an All-American in Alterraun Verner, and the other, Rahim Moore, who leads the nation in interceptions.

With all that talent, one must question why they've been having so much trouble stopping opponents on the ground.

It's clear that for the last three games, UCLA's execution and performance in their rushing defense has not matched the talent level of their personnel.

I honestly don't know why that has been so; if anyone has any opinions, I would be happy to hear them.

The way things have been going for the Bruins, a 4-8 record is no longer out of the question.

It hurts to write that, but it's also the truth.

At the halfway point of the season, for the 3-3 Bruins (0-3 in Pac-10 play) to save their aspirations, an immediate turnaround in their run defense is imperative.

Otherwise another season full of hopes for the Bruin Nation will go down in flames once again.

Los Angeles Dodgers in NLCS: My Thoughts

Derek Hart — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:37:16 -0400

In light of the Los Angeles Dodgers beating the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS to earn a date with the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS, not to mention being four wins away from their first World Series appearance in 21 years, I have three words to say...

I was wrong.

I honestly didn't think that L.A. would sweep the Cardinals, due to the fact that those Redbirds had two aces in Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright, a legitimate slugger who had a great season in Matt Holliday, and baseball's best player in Albert Pujols.

Little did I know that the Dodgers would beat both Carpenter and Wainwright, and for the most part contain Pujols, taking the bat out of his hands by intentionally walking him three times during the series.

Little did I know that Holliday would cost the Cards game two when he dropped what would have been the last out at Dodger Stadium, opening the door for L.A. to rally and score the winning runs.

Although I was extremely glad at the turn of events, I felt for Holliday—I hope the Cardinal fans don't turn on him the way that Red Sox fans turned on Bill Buckner after he let that ground ball go through his legs in 1986.

And little did I know that Andre Ethier would come up big with the bat, hitting two home runs, including one in Game Three, and that Manny Ramirez would finally come through with a 3-for-5 performance in that same Game Three in St. Louis, in front of a Cardinal faithful that was—I'm sure—pumped up and a bit hostile.

That will teach me not to underestimate or have doubts in the team I've been following since age 10.

Now that they are in the LCS, I think they have a shot, particularly with the way they have been playing.

If L.A. keeps on playing as inspired as they have, there's no reason why they can't win the pennant and make the Fall Classic.

It won't be easy with Philadelphia being the defending champions and all. They are not only led by Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Pedro Feliz at the plate, but have been galvanized by the pitching of Cliff Lee, the Cy Young Award winner who was acquired from Cleveland in midseason and has since pitched brilliantly.

But as I have said, I think the Dodgers have a legitimate shot.

And who knows? If the Angels do their part and beat the New York Yankees in the ALCS, we would have something that Southern Californians have been dreaming about for nearly 50 years—a Freeway World Series.

Which would certainly be exciting.

So let's see how things unfold.

Bruins-Ducks: UCLA Makes Fatal Mistakes in 24-10 Loss

Derek Hart — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:25:46 -0400

After the UCLA Bruins suffered a setback in losing to Stanford in Palo Alto, I was looking forward to their contest with the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl.

I wanted to see how the UCLA would bounce back, and I was particularly anticipating the Bruins, being at home and with quarterback Kevin Prince returning from injury, turning in a solid performance and taking care of the Ducks.

They didn't even come close:

Oregon 24, UCLA 10.

And the Bruins looked sub-par through much of it.

This was especially the case at the start of the third quarter, as the Bruins had probably the worst four minutes in the history of their program.

First, Kenjon Barner returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, putting Oregon ahead and electrifying their many green and gold clad fans that came from Eugene to cheer for their Ducks.

Next, on UCLA's first play, Prince was intercepted by Talmage Jackson, who ran it back 32 yards for a touchdown and a 14-3 Oregon lead.

Then to further the humiliation, Prince fumbled on the next possession. The Ducks wasted little time capitalizing on that as Costa connected with Jeff Maehl for a 20-yard score.

In the span of three minutes and 54 seconds, the Bruins went from a 3-0 lead to a 21-3 deficit.

An angry fan sitting near me described it best when he called those debacles "embarrassing." I'm sure most of the 77,819 fans at the Rose Bowl felt the same way.

Though I didn't say anything to my fellow Bruin fans, I got an uneasy feeling at the start of the game when Prince started off completing just one of his first five passes, showing a lack of zip on his throws while Nate Costa, filling in for Jeremiah Masoli, completed four of his first five passes and filled in quite nicely for Oregon's starter.

It may seem that I'm laying the blame for this defeat solely on Prince's shoulders, but that's not the case, even though he completed just 13 of 25 passes for a anemic 81 yards.

The Bruin offense, especially the offensive line, performed poorly as they only produced three points and rushed for a mere 66 yards.

They failed to score twice in the red zone, including on a first-and-goal situation from Oregon's two-yard line in the first quarter when two runs off tackle and two quarterback sneaks came up empty; clearly a case of predictable play calling as the Ducks were clearly anticipating those runs and sneaks.

Though the disasters wouldn't come until later, the momentum of the game changed at that point.

The defense was disappointing in stopping the run, as LaMichael James rushed for 151 yards on 20 carries, averaging 7.6 yards a pop. That marked the second consecutive game in which a Bruin opponent ran for over 100 yards.

With James performing the way he did, it was-and is-clear that the Ducks don't need LaGarett Blount, who remains suspended for that punch he threw in Boise.

On the plus side, they did hold Oregon's offense to 10 points and scored the Bruins' only touchdown, as Akeem Ayers intercepted a Costa pass in the end zone near the end of that fateful third quarter.

Overall, it was a day that UCLA should best forget.

Their chance for redemption will come next Saturday, as California, led by running back Jarvid Best and reeling from two straight blowouts, comes to the Rose Bowl.

Should UCLA win that game, hopes for a decent season will remain. However...

If they continue their Bad News Bears ways and lose, it will likely signal another long, frustrating year in Westwood.

I truly hope it does not come to that, but...

As always, we will see.

Dodgers In The Postseason: My Thoughts About Their Chances

Derek Hart — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:15:57 -0400

When the Los Angeles Dodgers finally clinched the National League West Division after five straight losses, beating the Colorado Rockies last Saturday, 5-0, one thought ran through my head...

"It's about time! They should have clinched in Pittsburgh!"

This team, quite frankly, was in free fall the last week of the season. No one was hitting-and when they were, leads were being blown-and I thought that Colorado was playing better baseball and would surely catch L.A., if not overtake them outright.

Now that the Dodgers have gutted it out to enter the National League playoffs as a division champion, let me share my thoughts about how I think they will fare.

It's no secret that L.A's opponent in the Division Series, the St. Louis Cardinals, have one overwhelming advantage over the Dodgers that will probably be the deciding factor in this first round:

The Cardinals have two aces among their starting pitchers. The Dodgers have none.

Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright have provided a one-two punch in St. Louis that has been so spectacular, I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up sharing the Cy Young Award. Let's go over their numbers...

Carpenter was the league's ERA champion with a minuscule 2.24, while finishing second in wins with 17. Wainwright had 19 wins to lead the N.L., with a 2.63 ERA and 212 strikeouts-both fourth in the senior circuit. There clearly hasn't been a pitching duo this dominant since Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale in the 1960s; that is saying something.

Not to mention the fact that the Cards have baseball's best player in Albert Pujols. He didn't do much at all, merely hit 47 home runs to lead not only the National League but all of baseball, while finishing in the top three in average (.327) and runs batted in (135).

If Pujols doesn't win the Most Valuable Player award, nothing makes sense in the world. The same goes for player of the decade, as he has put up monster numbers ever since his rookie year in 2001.

Matt Holliday has been outstanding as well; since coming from Oakland in midseason, he has regained his dominant form; batting .353 with 13 homers and 55 RBIs. He's the reason why pitchers haven't been walking Pujols, who I'm sure appreciates Holliday for doing the job he has done hitting behind him.

One may think that I feel the Dodgers will get swept away in light of all that the Cardinals have to offer in this series, combined with the way they have been playing as of late—the last two games notwithstanding.

That's not necessarily true.

L.A. has undoubtedly had a great season, everyone acknowledges that; I certainly do.

Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier came of age, both driving in over 100 runs. Clayton Kershaw has continued his progress to becoming as good as his potential with a 2.79 earned run average, finishing fifth in the league, and the bullpen has performed brilliantly, leading the majors with a 3.14 ERA with Jonathan Broxton collecting 36 saves.

However, for most of the Dodger hitters in September, Janet Jackson's hit song from the 1980s, "What Have You Done For Me Lately?" would best describe them.

Five Dodger starters have hit below .235 during the season's last month, including Manny Ramirez, who batted just .234 and seemingly went days without getting a hit. Everytime I caught an at bat of his on TV, he was always taking strikes right down the middle and failing to catch up on fastballs.

If L.A. is to have any chance aganst St. Louis, the hitting and starting pitching-Randy Wolf, Clayton Kershaw, and Vincente Padilla will start the first three games-must step up and perform.

Otherwise this series will be a short one.

As for how I think this series will go, I feel that the pitching of Carpenter and Wainwright, combined with Pujols' and Holiday's hitting, will be a bit too much for the Dodgers to overcome, especially considering they way they have been executing the past couple of weeks.

The Cardinals will probably not only win the Divsion Series, but will likely meet the New York Yankees in the World Series; they have that much talent.

I certainly hope I am wrong; being a Dodger fan, I hope they can pull through and beat St. Louis. They are capable of doing so.

I suppose there's nothing left to do but see how all of this plays out.

UCLA-Stanford: Bruins Falter Under Gerhart Heat in 24-16 Loss

Derek Hart — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:53:24 -0400

Going into the UCLA Bruins' game against Stanford in Palo Alto this past Saturday, everyone in blue and gold knew that the main key to success in the contest was to stop the Cardinal's star running back, Toby Gerhart.

They didn't.

Gerhart proved to be everything as advertised, bullying his way to 134 yards on 29 carries with three touchdowns in the Bruins' 24-16 loss to Stanford at the Farm.

UCLA's running game, on both offense and defense, proved to be no match for Stanford, as the Cardinal nearly doubled the Bruins' output on the ground, 174 to 95.

Bruin running back Johnathan Franklin had as disappointing a day as Gerhart had a standout day, rushing for only 58 yards, though he did score a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Two of Stanford's scores came as a result of two key pass completions to Ryan Whalen, as he beat UCLA's freshman defensive back Sheldon Price twice for long gains, including a 46-yard pass off a flea flicker that led to a Cardinal score.

Kevin Craft had one of his best games as a Bruin, as the quarterback completed 22 of 34 passes for 204 yards and most importantly, did not throw an interception.

This loss cannot be blamed on him, but on key mistakes such as holding penalties during the first half that stopped UCLA drives, as well as the lack of a running game on offense and a failure to stop the run-namely Gerhart-on defense.

With their record now standing at 3-0 in the conference (4-1 overall), Stanford has showed that they are a force to be reckoned with-at least at this point. They will certainly be a tough opponent the rest of this season-and have definitely earned my respect.

As for the Bruins, there's no reason to panic.

They ran into a motivated Stanford team on the road, and while they did make a few too many mistakes, I don't have that same foreboding feeling that I and many Bruin fans felt last year.

UCLA's next two games are at home against Oregon and a reeling California team that lost to USC by a 30-3 score on Saturday, and has been outscored 72-6 in their last two contests.

Though Oregon has recovered quite nicely from the LaGarrett Blount incident to become a standout team, outscoring their opponents 94-9 during the past two weeks and earning a No. 13 ranking in the AP Poll, these games are winnable, largely because they will be at the Rose Bowl in front of the UCLA faithful.

Not to mention the fact that as long as the Bruins have the personnel on defense that they have, they will always be in games.

Having played a third of the season, progress is undoubtedly being made; 3-1 is the record that I felt the Bruins would have at this time.

The question for UCLA now is whether or not they can bounce back from this defeat.

I believe that they can and will.

UCLA-Stanford Preview: Can The Bruins Keep It Going?

Derek Hart — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:44:22 -0400

There are four words that can best describe the UCLA Bruins' season to this point: So far, so good.

A 3-0 record, including a victory at Tennessee, and being the last remaining unbeaten team in the Pac-10 Conference is certainly showing the progress that I said the Bruins would show this season.

The defense has been as good as advertised, leading the nation in interceptions (with safety Rahim Moore having five), and the offense—particularly the offensive line—has shown improvement over last year's ineptness.

The L.A. Times reported today that this upcoming contest this Saturday with the Stanford Cardinal in Palo Alto will be the biggest in the Rick Neuheisel era, and I agree with that.

Here's why:

Should UCLA win this Pac-10 opener and go to 4-0, people will no doubt start to take notice and acknowledge that the Bruins have improved. But it will not be easy...

Stanford has also been solid this season, posting a 3-1 record which includes beating the team that beat the USC Trojans, Washington, by a comfortable margin.

Toby Gerhard, the Cardinal's senior running back, is an absolute stud; strong and powerful, he gained 200 yards in their 34-14 win over the Huskies last week.

Stopping Gerhard will be essential for UCLA if they hope to win the game. Fortunately, with players like Brian Price on the defensive line and Reggie Carter at linebacker, as well as the Bosworth twins, Kyle and Korey, the Bruins do have the personnel to contain him. As long as the defense performs up to their abilities, UCLA will have a chance to win.

Kick returner/wide receiver Chris Owusu is dangerous as well; he already ran back three kickoffs for touchdowns this season, tying a conference record. It may be a good idea for UCLA to not kick to him, or at least kick away from him.

And as for the Bruins' offense, they need to continue showing the progress that they have shown thus far.

The offensive line, led by center Kai Maleva, needs to keep providing the protection and improving, and Kevin Craft cannot regress to the old Craft: making mistakes and throwing interceptions. It is imperative that he builds on the improvement that he showed against Kansas State.

If that happens, UCLA's offense will be fine. If last year's Craft shows up against Stanford on Saturday, however, then the Bruins may be in trouble.

Personally, even though the Cardinal is a five-point favorite over the Bruins, I feel UCLA can win the game if they perform well and not make mistakes or turn the ball over.

As such, here's what I think the score will be:

UCLA 27, Stanford 17

While not exactly a must win for the Bruins, this is certainly a need-to-win game, a key contest as far as how the rest of the season may go.

Putting it another way: A 4-0 record would look much, much better than a 3-1 record, especially considering that UCLA will face Oregon and California in the next two games.

I've made my prediction as for how the game will unfold—let's see if it holds up.

Is It Time To Panic? Dodgers Lose Third Straight

Derek Hart — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:30:39 -0400

In 1964 the Philadelphia Phillies, under manager Gene Mauch, were having their best season in nearly 15 years.

Led by pitching ace Jim Bunning, who threw a perfect game that year, and slugger Richie Allen, they had a six game lead in the National League with ten games to go; the pennant and a World Series date with the New York Yankees seemed safely theirs.

The Phillies then proceeded to lose ten straight games and the N.L. crown to the St. Louis Cardinals. It was an epic collapse that Philadelphia fans bitterly remember to this day.

I'm mentioning this because if the Dodgers don't straighten up, that same fate may befall them.

This is particularly the case considering they lost their third straight game overall to the San Diego Padres last night, 3-1, after dropping three of four to the woeful Pittsburgh Pirates, a team that L.A. should have beaten handily.

With their magic number at one, the Dodgers should have popped the champagne and celebrated their National League West Division title last week.

Instead, they have been outscored in their last two games 14-2, and hold a three and a 1/2 game lead over Colorado after having been up by six games a week ago.

And Manny Ramirez, unfortunately, has not been helping much. He has been hitting just .250 this month, and taking far too many strikes in my view.

Not that I'm putting the blame of this potential collapse solely on him, however; Chad Billingsley, while pitching better in his last two starts, has an ERA well over 5.00 with a losing record and a loss of control in key situations since the All Star break.

Jonathan Broxton has pitched well as of late, but he blew a key save this past weekend in Pittsburgh, giving up a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the ninth to the Pirates and eventually losing what would have been the division clincher.

Convention says that the Dodgers will eventually clinch, but if they continue to play like this, it will be a monumental disappointment.

I don't think it's time for Dodger fans to panic just yet, but...

I definitely do not want to see what happened to the Phillies 45 years ago happen to L.A.

UCLA-Kansas State: Bruins Step Up When It Counts in 23-9 Win

Derek Hart — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:54:42 -0400

Like Coach Rick Neuheisel told the crowd at the Rose Bowl after UCLA's 23-9 victory over the Kansas State Wildcats this past Saturday, "it wasn't pretty."

Though the Bruins had the lead throughout, mistakes continued to plague the team; UCLA had 80 yards in penalties, including several personal fouls on offense and an illegal formation call that negated a touchdown in the first half.

Despite all of that, the Bruins found a way to win.

Kevin Craft, seeing his first action at quarterback this season, performed better than he did during much of 2008, completing 13 of 24 passes with a 51-yard touchdown to Terrance Austin that sealed the game in the fourth quarter, his first since October of last year.

Craft had more zip on his passes and, for the most part, seemed more sure of the offense, not to mention the fact that he had a better offensive line this time around.

The Bruins running game was solid, as Johnathan Franklin rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown, with Derrick Coleman adding 46 yards on eight carries.

And the defense did a good job, giving up just 69 yards on the ground and being lights out in the fourth quarter. They sacked Kansas State quarterback Carson Coffman six times, including twice in the last minute of the game after a UCLA fumble gave the Wildcats hope. Coffman was also intercepted twice by Alterraun Verner.

The best thing about this win in front of a crowd of 67,311?

It showed that the Bruins can come up with victories despite adversity and mistakes, as well as the fact that they are 3-0 for the first time since 2005, when they went 10-2.

The bye week coming up for UCLA will be welcoming, as it will give the Bruins time to rest, heal injuries, and most importantly, correct the mistakes and penalties that they have made.

By the time they meet Stanford in Palo Alto on October 3rd, the Bruins will be in a good position to go 4-0; they will certainly have a good chance to win at the Farm.

The Cardinal have a running back in Toby Gerhard who is an absolute stud, but UCLA has the personnel on defense to stop him, or at least not let him affect the game. If the Bruins are successful against Gerhard, they should be in good shape.

Though the Bruins are still a work in progress, I know a lot of teams that would love to be 3-0 right now, including crosstown enemy USC, which lost a shocker to Washington 16-13.

It will certainly be interesting to see how the bye week and the Stanford game, which will be the Bruins' Pac-10 Conference opener, will play out—will UCLA continue to make the progress that they have been showing thus far?

Stay tuned to find out.

Big Win for Bruins in Tennessee Comes at a Cost

Derek Hart — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:39:33 -0400

It's always a tremendous accomplishment when a football team wins on the road in a hostile environment.

And it's always unfortunate whenever a player is injured and has to miss games as a result.

That is exactly what happened to the UCLA Bruins this past Saturday, as quarterback Kevin Prince, who threw for 101 yards and a touchdown while withstanding heavy pressure, suffered a broken jaw in the midst of their 19-15 upset victory over the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville.

The prognosis for Prince is that he will miss three to four weeks.

Meanwhile, the Bruins should feel proud for overcoming a crowd of 102,239, with at least 100,000 of them in orange out to see the Vols get revenge for their 27-24 defeat to UCLA last year.

The heroes of the contest?

Kai Forbath kicked four field goals, including three clutch ones for the Bruins in the third quarter, pushing their lead to 19-10.

Safety Rahim Moore continued his larceny, intercepting two passes to bring his total to five in the young season, leading the nation in that category.

All-American cornerback Alterraun Verner added another interception to stymie a Tennessee drive, and the Bruin defense had a definitive goal line stand late in the game to seal the victory.

Jonathan Crompton could be considered the goat, as the Tennessee quarterback threw three interceptions and lost a fumble, leading to 10 UCLA points.

As for the loss of their quarterback, the Bruins and their fans shouldn't panic, because coach Rick Neuheisel has tapped heralded true freshman Richard Brehaut to start this coming Saturday in the Rose Bowl against Kansas State.

Brehaut, a top-notch recruit coming out of high school who enrolled at UCLA early in time for their Spring practice, is considered the future of the program, at least at quarterback.

With Prince expected to be out until the Oregon game on Oct. 10, the future for the Bruins is now. At least for the next couple of games.

Putting it another way: If Matt Barkley can start and perform as well as he has for crosstown enemy USC while being a true freshman, Brehaut can do the same for UCLA.

As such, I expect Brehaut to get some valuable experience and the Bruins to do just fine in the next few weeks, as they face Kansas State and Stanford in contests that are definitely winnable.

As long as the defense continues to perform like they have, and the offense-and the offensive line-continues to progress and improve, there is no reason why UCLA can't be 4-0 going into their two most important games of the season (outside of USC), Oregon and California, for which Prince is expected to be back.

As an alumnus and a long-standing member of Bruin Nation, I am looking forward to seeing what happens.

Unequal Justice: Some Thoughts on the Oregon Punching Incident

Derek Hart — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:24:00 -0400

When I saw Oregon running back LaGarrett Blount punch Boise State player Byron Hout and nearly go after fans in the stands after the Ducks' 18-8 loss in Boise this past Thursday, I was a bit surprised someone could do that.

Especially after the NCAA made so much of sportsmanship this weekend, mandating that teams shake hands at midfield before games.

The University of Oregon did the right thing in suspending Blount, a senior, for the remainder of the season. He was clearly wrong in what he did and made a grave error in judgement, which ultimately cost him his college career.

However, it is clear that justice was delivered unevenly...

Byron Hout, who provoked Blount when he tapped him on the shoulder and apparently taunted him, should have been suspended as well.

Instead, officials at Boise State announced Hout would not be suspended, and that the matter would be handled "internally."

In layman's terms, this means Hout will likely do no more than run a few extra laps and perform extra calisthenics in practice.

Sure, many people will say Blount should have ignored Hout and there is never any excuse for physical violence.

I do not disagree with that and I want to make that clear. But if Hout did what he should have done, which was keep his mouth shut and show good sportsmanship and compassion after his Broncos dominated the Ducks, this incident would not have happened.

It was fairly obvious that he was talking smack to Blount, as the video tape shows Boise StateCoach Chris Peterson grabbing him and pushing him away right before the punch. Hout definitely wasn't telling Blount, "good game."

In short, Hout was the one who caused all of this, and compared to Blount, he's getting away with it scott-free.

This clearly sends a message that while hitting is not okay and will get you in big trouble, taunting someone will only get you a slap on the wrist. That's why I am convinced that while what Blount did was unacceptable, the justice and punishments were completely unfair.

Hout should be suspended for at least four games, and if Boise State won't do it, the Western Athletic Conference or the NCAA should.

They need to send a message that like hitting and other physical violence, taunting should never be tolerated in any circumstances.

I don't think I can make my point any clearer than that.

UCLA-San Diego State: Bruins Show Progress in 33-14 Victory Over Aztecs

Derek Hart — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:43:31 -0400

For the first 12 minutes of the UCLA-San Diego State football game at the Rose Bowl, it seemed that the Bruins would be the same old team that went 4-8 a year ago.

The Bruins were shooting themselves in the foot, committing four penalties and a turnover that led to 14 Aztec points, including a 78-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Lindley to Vincent Brown, giving UCLA a 14-3 deficit.

Then the Bruins woke up.

After obviously making some adjustments on defense, UCLA's defense tightened up on San Diego State, allowing only 39 yards rushing for the night. The Aztec offense did nothing for the remaining three quarters, constantly going three-and-out and getting three passes intercepted by Rahim Moore—a UCLA record.

Bruin running backs Johnathan Franklin and Derrick Coleman had rushing touchdowns of 12 and 33 yards, respectively.

Kevin Prince, in his first college start, threw for 176 yards and a touchdown to Terrance Austin that gave UCLA the lead for good in the second quarter.

All of that led to a solid 33-14 win for the Bruins on Saturday night before a crowd of 55,761 that was generally happy with how the game turned out.

The game's biggest highlight? It happened with 37 seconds left in the third quarter, when Jerzy Siewierski blocked a field goal attempt and Alterraun Verner returned it 70 yards for a touchdown that pretty much broke San Diego State's back.

UCLA showed particular improvement in the offense, with the offensive line consistently opening up holes, sustaining drives, and rushing for 144 yards total. That was something that Bruin fans had not seen in quite a while.

True, there were some mistakes: Prince threw two interceptions in the second half, and the mistakes that were made in the first quarter worried the Bruin faithful a bit.

But as I wrote in my UCLA preview, progress will be made.

The Bruins certainly showed that progress last Saturday.

Will it continue in Knoxville against a Tennessee Volunteer team that is looking for revenge due to their 27-24 loss to UCLA a year ago?

That remains to be seen, but as long as the Bruins continue to show that progress, things will ultimately continue in the right direction.

Is a Trap Game Bruin?: Previewing the UCLA vs. San Diego State Season Opener

Derek Hart — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:35:42 -0400

Now that the UCLA athletic department, the city of Pasadena, and the quality air control people have given the OK for the UCLA-San Diego State game to be played, in light of the devastating Station Fire that has burned over 20 miles of the San Gabriel Mountains above Los Angeles this week, I feel it's safe for me to give a preview of the game, and how I think the Bruins will do.

The San Diego State Aztecs' football program has been in disarray the past few years, going 2-10 last year and having gone through several coaches this decade. It has been known more for having Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn as its baseball coach and having the overall MLB No. 1 pick in Stephen Strasbourg than any gridiron success.

Marshall Faulk has become a distant memory in San Diego.

The Aztecs are trying to right the ship this season, hiring Brady Hoke from Ball State as its coach, after leading the Cardinals to a 12-1 record in 2008.

Hoke, along with new offensive coordinator Al Borges and new defensive coordinator Rocky Long, are seeking to change the Aztecs' culture and instill a tougher attitude in their players.

Though their approach may well be fruitful in the long run, there is one ingredient missing from their formula as far as any immediate progress: Talent.

Simply put, San Diego State does not have the personnel to make any significant impact in the Western Athletic Conference this season.

That is why although the Aztecs will go after the Bruins in the Rose Bowl this Saturday, UCLA has too much talent for Bruin fans to worry about the Aztecs pulling off an upset; considering the Bruins' recent fortunes, that is a rare thing to say.

The Bruin offense, though they will have a new quarterback in Kevin Prince and a whole new offensive line, should be OK, and UCLA's defense, led by Alterraun Verner, Reggie Carter, and All-American Brian Price, will make it a long day for San Diego State.

And the firefighters that have worked so hard to contain what has turned out to be the largest wildfire in the history of Los Angeles should enjoy the game; they will be able to attend the game free of charge.

Here's what I think the score will be:

UCLA Bruins 27, San Diego State Aztecs 10.

Being that the Bruins are a 19 1/2 point favorite, many people are expecting them to cover the spread. I just want a nice, comfortable win, though.

And I believe UCLA will achieve just that.

A Report From The UCLA Football Fall Scrimmage

Derek Hart — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:45:23 -0400

This past Saturday I was at UCLA for the Bruins' annual fall football scrimmage, as they continue to prepare for the upcoming season.

After watching the Bruins, I can definitely say that progress is being made.

The first team offense could have done better. Standout defensive tackle Brian Price was constantly in the backfield causing havoc, and new quarterback Kevin Prince completed only 2-of-5 passes, with an interception by Rahim Moore that he ran back for a touchdown.

On the plus side for Prince, he did show a strong arm. The Bruins will be able to throw downfield this year, unlike last season.

UCLA did show some highlights; the biggest one was when running back Jonathan Franklin broke through the defensive line and ran 61 yards for a touchdown, showing something that the Bruins will desperately need if they are going to improve on a 4-8 showing.

There was also a punt return for a touchdown, as well as a 94 yard kick return.
Preseason all-conference kicker Kai Forbath was rested, but Jeff Locke, who is slated to take over from Aaron Perez as the Bruins' new punter, kicked three field goals during the scrimmage, including a 52 yarder.

Though it was evident that there is still work to be done, it was generally agreed that improvement was made over last year's scrimmage performance. Progress was, and is, definitely being shown.

The question remains, however: Will this progress translate into wins for UCLA?

Though that honestly remains to be seen, I think that it will. As long as the offense and the offensive line continue to improve, and no one gets hurt.

Dodger Concerns: L.A. Might Be in Trouble

Derek Hart — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:46:47 -0400

It hurts me to say this, but the Los Angeles Dodgers could be in trouble in the coming weeks.

I always knew it could come to this point. I was just hoping it wouldn't.

Janet Jackson had a hit song in 1986 called "What Have You Done For Me Lately?" That certainly describes the Dodgers now.

After their 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals last night at Dodger Stadium, L.A. has lost their last four home games. They are 3-7 in their last ten games, and their lead in the National League West is down to just 4 1/2 games over Colorado.

The No.1 reason for this swoon? Pitching.

The starting pitching, just as I had feared, has not been as consistent as they needed to be.

There's no real stopper in the rotation, and that has hurt the Dodgers big time.

Clayton Kershaw has done fairly well, but his bad inning during his last start against Arizona hurt the team and led to their loss. He's coming along, but I want to see more consistency from him.

Randy Wolf? He's OK, but definitely a No. 3 guy at best. He's not going to blow people away or really shut anyone down. If the hitters don't produce for him, he'll lose.

And Chad Billingsley? Let's face it folks, the Dodgers have been counting on him as being their ace this year, and he's just not ace material. He's too inconsistent, and his hamstring injury has not helped matters any.

Don't even get me started on Jonathan Broxton. He's really let me down the past few weeks.

He has blown several saves in his past few outings, games that L.A. needed to keep the Giants and Rockies at bay. And even in the games Broxton has saved, it has not been one-two-three; he's let runners on and has had to sweat things out.

Talk about inconsistency; Broxton's the epitome of that word at the moment.

I know he has 100 mile-an-hour heat and all the potential in the world, but right now, it's still just that—potential. And the Dodgers don't need someone with great potential.

They need results—now.

I know people are asking what L.A. should do to get themselves out of this mess. Here's what I would do...

According to the Los Angeles Times, Vincente Padilla is available after being released by the Texas Rangers, and has stated that he wants to be a Dodger.

He's 8-6 this year, and throws inside, something that the Dodger pitchers dearly need to do. Though some feel that Padilla's a bad teammate, a change of scenery could be just the thing he needs.

The Dodgers need to sign this man ASAP.

Signing John Smoltz would also be an excellent idea. Although he was 2-5 with an ERA over 8.00 before being released by the Red Sox, Smoltz would be good for long relief and spot starting. He's one of the best pitchers of the past 20 years and a sure Hall of Famer. His veteran presence would do wonders.

With the Dodgers needing more consistent results out of their pitching staff in the worst way, Padilla and Smoltz could help this club.

To merely stand pat as L.A. has done (their acquisition of George Sherrill not withstanding) is to invite disaster in my view, and could possibly cost them the division title.

That would be most disappointing after the great start that they had.

The All-Time UCLA Bruins Football Team

Derek Hart — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:40:17 -0400

For several years, I have wanted to create an all-time football team of my beloved alma mater, UCLA.

Though it is true that these Bruins from Westwood have long lingered in the shadow of their crosstown enemies, the Trojans of USC, UCLA has had more than its share of All-Americans, future All-Pros, and Hall of Famers perform on the gridiron for the True Blue and Gold.

In choosing these all-time Bruin pigskinners, I took into consideration not only their achievements at UCLA, but also their achievements at the next level—namely the NFL.

I won't waste any more time. Here are the greatest Bruins that the UCLA football program has ever produced (starters in bold ), starting at...

QUARTERBACK:

Troy Aikman—Other signal callers in Westwood have had better numbers, but no other Bruin has had a better NFL career than this Oklahoma transfer: three Super Bowl rings in four years.

Enough said.

Backups:

Cade McNown—The all-time Bruin leader in passing yards and touchdown passes.

Gary Beban—UCLA's only Heisman Trophy winner, in 1967. How could I possibly leave him off this team?

RUNNING BACKS:

Gaston Green—The career rushing leader, an All-American in 1987, and he had a pretty good pro career to boot.

Freeman McNeil—The second leading rusher in Bruin history, he had a stellar career with the New York Jets.

Backups:

DeShaun Foster—The first Bruin to rush for 300 yards in a game.

Karim Abdul-Jabbar—Holder of the career single-season record: 1,571 in 1995.

Kenny Washington—UCLA's very first All-American in 1939. His No. 13 jersey is one of eight that are retired by the Bruins.

WIDE RECEIVERS:

J.J. Stokes—Electrifyed Bruin fans in the early 1990s, he holds the single season record for receptions—82 in 1993. He's also the career Bruins leader in touchdowns by a wide receiver with 28.

Danny Farmer—The all-time receiving yards leader in UCLA history, he was a big factor in the Bruins' 20 straight wins in 1997 and 1998.

Backups:

Freddie Mitchell—He was a total crowd pleaser on the field. I loved his trick play passes.

Kevin Jordan—In the top three in receptions and receiving yards.

TIGHT END:

Marcedes Lewis—The obvious choice, as he is UCLA's only Mackey Award winner, given to the nation's best tight end. He's also the Bruins' all-time leader at that position in receptions, yards, and touchdowns.

Backup: Tim Wrightman—An All-American standout from the late 1970s.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN:

Frank Cornish (Center)—A 1989 All-American, one of only two Bruin centers with that honor.

Jonathan Ogden—The greatest offensive lineman in UCLA history, he was the first Bruin to win the Outland Trophy (given to the country's best lineman), played over 10 years with the Baltimore Ravens, and won a Super Bowl ring with them in 2001.

To top everything off, the Bruins retired his No. 79 jersey soon after he graduated.

Kris Farris—The Bruins' other Outland Trophy winner in 1998.

Vaughn Parker—An All-American in 1993, and played nine years with the San Diego Chargers.

Randy Cross—A 1975 All-American, he played 12 years with the San Francisco 49ers, and was a key part of their glory years in the 1980s.

Backups: Dave Dalby (center), Luis Sharpe, Duval Love, Max Montoya, Craig Novitsky.

OK, now that the greatest Bruins on offense have been named, let's go to the defense...

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN:

Dave Ball—The school's all-time and single-season sack leader, and a consensus All-American in 2003.

Mike Lodish—A standout during the late '80s, he played in six Super Bowls, more than any other Bruin.

Terry Tumey—Was a three-time, all-conference selection during the Bruins' Rose Bowl years in the early '80s.

Karl Morgan—His sack of USC's Scott Tinsley in 1982 to send UCLA to the Rose Bowl automatically puts him on this list.

Backups: Bruce Davis, Mark Walen, Cliff Frazier, Jack Ellena.

LINEBACKERS:

Ken Norton, Jr.—Despite him being a current USC assistant coach, this standout must be included. Part of a glory era during the '80s, his three Super Bowl rings clinch his spot here.

Carnell Lake—UCLA's all-time leader in tackles for loss with 45.5, and he also had a long career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Jerry Robinson—No Bruin has made more tackles than this man, with 468 from 1975-1978. He is one of only two UCLA players to be a three-time Consensus All-American. And he played six solid seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Backups: Donnie Edwards, Jamir Miller, Donn Moomaw.

DEFENSIVE BACKS:

Kenny Easley—If I had to pick one man as UCLA's greatest defensive player ever, Easley would be it. The all-time interceptions leader with 19, he's the other three-time Consensus All-American. Plus, his No. 5 has been retired.

Carlton Gray—Picked off 11 passes for the Bruins in 1991, still a single-season record. A Consensus All-American and an Academic All-American in 1992, he's only the second Bruin to achieve that (after Tim Wrightman).

Eric Turner—An All-American in 1990, he intercepted 14 passes while in Westwood. The second overall selection in the 1991 NFL Draft, he had a stellar pro career with the Cleveland Browns and the then-Los Angeles Raiders.

James Washington—Third on the all-time Bruin interception list with 15, he parlayed that into a standout career with the Dallas Cowboys, winning two Super Bowl crowns with them.

Backups—Don Rogers, Darryl Henley, Matt Darby, Shaun Williams.

KICKER:

John Lee—The ultimate Mr. Automatic. Arguably the greatest kicker in college football history, booting 85 field goals in 100 attempts, and converting 135 of 136 PAT attempts. A two-time All-American, he's the number one scorer in UCLA history with 390 points.

PUNTER:

Chris Sailer—A most versatile player, he made All-American as both a punter and a kicker in 1997. Averaging 41.99 yards a punt in his four years in Westwood, he also set school records for number of punts and yardage.

KICK RETURNER:

Maurice Jones-Drew—While it's true that others have had more returns and yardage, one word describes Drew: electrifying. His average of 22.34 yards a return is the all-time best at UCLA, as are his two touchdowns.

PUNT RETURNER:

Jackie Robinson—How on earth could I possibly keep the greatest Bruin of all time from this team? Especially since football was his best sport in Westwood.

Along with Kenny Washington, he helped lead UCLA to their first undefeated season in 1939, and was pretty much the whole team in 1940, leading the Bruins in almost everything.

Essentially speaking, he and Washington were UCLA's first football stars.

Not bad for the breaker of baseball's color line.

CO-COACHES:

Henry R. "Red" Sanders, the coach of UCLA's only national championship team in 1954, who made the Bruins into a national power and changed the jersey color from navy to powder blue, thus establishing UCLA's visual identity, and...

Terry Donahue, who won more games in Westwood and the Pacific-10 Conference than any other coach. He was also the first man to win seven straight bowl games, including three Rose Bowls in a four-year stretch from 1982-1985.

Though there will probably be some disagreements with my selections, I certainly hope that this all-time UCLA Bruin football squad meets the overall approval of the Bruin football faithful and of everyone in Bruin Nation.

Or at least brings back recollections of my alma mater's past glories, as well as lead fans to look forward to furture glories and triumphs in Westwood.

GO BRUINS!!!

UCLA Football 2009: Preview and Predictions

Derek Hart — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:13:59 -0400

After a dismal record of four wins and eight losses in 2008, most of the prognosticators are not expecting a huge improvement from the UCLA Bruins football team in 2009.

The people at the recent Pac-10 Media Day don't expect any improvement at all; the Bruins are picked to finish seventh in the Pacific-10 Conference according to them.

Athlon's and Lindy's publications have UCLA finishing sixth.

The Sporting News picked the Bruins to finish fifth.

Phil Steele, in his publication, was more optimistic—he has UCLA in third place.

Entering his second year as head coach, Rick Neuheisel, despite his disappointing rookie campaign, has the program moving in the right direction, enough so I can confidently make this statement:

The UCLA Bruins will be a better team with a better record in 2009.

They will NOT go 4-8 again.

For starters, their offense will show improvement; they certainly cannot be any worse than last year.

One thing is for certain: as their offense goes, so will go the Bruins' fortunes. H ow many wins they get will depend on the growth and maturity of that unit.

UCLA is starting fresh on that side of the ball, namely on the offensive line and at quarterback, as redshirt freshman Kevin Prince gets the nod behind center, which will also see a change from last season. Colorado transfer Kai Maiava will handle the duties there, which will mark an upgrade at the center position.

Sean Sheller, who was injured for all of last season, and Jeff Baca will provide a decent presence up front, and incoming junior college transfers will bring some depth to that position.

I don't expect Prince to be running for his life like last year's starter Kevin Craft did, and I definitely do not expect him to throw 20 interceptions.

The best news about the Bruin offense is that Neuheisel signed some top-rated players in this year's recruiting class, which was rated in some circles among the country's top five.

Morrell Presley, the nation's top tight end, and two-time 100 and 200 meter state champion Randall Carroll are two athletes who are more than capable of contributing right away; you don't redshirt people like that.

I'm very much looking forward to seeing Presley and Carroll, who with his speed is the potential home run threat that UCLA has been lacking for some time, help the Bruins now. They certainly have the ability to do just that.

And on top of everything else, they spurned USC to play in Westwood, changing their minds after they had both committed to the Trojans. That should count for something.

The Bruin defense? Not much to say there because they will be good.

Very good.

Led by cornerback Alterraun Verner, and two of the nation's best in defensive tackle Brian Price and linebacker Reggie Carter, there is nothing wrong with this talented unit.

They will be expected to disrupt opposing offenses and keep UCLA in games, which I am confident they will, even with a new defensive coordinator in Chuck Bullough, who takes over for DeWayne Walker.

With all-conference kicker Kai Forbath returning, field goals will be pretty much a given. The kicking game will be nothing to worry about.

When I looked at the Bruins' schedule, I was very encouraged because, except for USC, the toughest opponents will all be at home in the Rose Bowl.

Here's how I think UCLA's home schedule will be played out:

San Diego State, Sept.5—WIN. The Aztecs shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Kansas State, Sept. 19—WIN. See San Diego State.

Oregon, Oct. 10, and California, Oct. 17—SPLIT. These will be the Bruins' most challenging contests of the year outside of USC. They are back-to-back, and the Ducks and Bears are picked by some to win the Pac-10.

That being said, I think UCLA will win one of those games, and with the home crowd behind them, will at least be competitive in both.

Washington, Nov. 7—WIN. After having gone 0-12 last year, the Huskies will be better, but playing against UCLA's defense at the Rose Bowl, forget it.

Arizona State, Nov. 21—PROBABLE WIN. The Sun Devils' offensive line is like what the Bruins' was in 2008—bad. Plus, they lose star QB Rudy Carpenter, and they still only went 5-7 last season.

All in all, five home wins are very much possible for UCLA.

As for the away games, I actually see a couple of wins among the six...

Washington State, as terrible as they are, is almost a gimme, and I am also counting the game against Stanford in Palo Alto as a victory, though the Bruin defense will be tested by the Cardinal's stud running back, Toby Gerhart.

Tennessee? With the game being in Knoxville before 100,000 screaming fans dressed in orange, I don't think the Bruins will pull it off, though it will be competitive. It will not be a Volunteer blowout.

Arizona and Oregon State? Those are probable losses as well, especially with the Beavers in Corvallis, where they are very tough to beat, just as are the Wildcats in Tucson.

Put it this way—if those Beavers could beat the mighty Trojans the last two times they were at Reser Stadium, what does that bode for the Bruins?

And as for crosstown enemy USC?

With the game being in the Coliseum, I have three words to say about UCLA's chances against those Men of Troy: Not This Year.

But in 2010, with another stellar recruiting class and another year of maturing, it may well be a different story.

You're probably asking what I think the UCLA Bruins' record will be for this upcoming campaign. Well, here it is...

An overall record of seven wins and five losses, fifth place in the Pacific-10 Conference, and a berth in the Las Vegas Bowl.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Things will improve in Westwood in 2009. Progress will be made with an eye toward 2010, the year the Bruins will finally be poised to challenge USC for conference superiority, if they're not a factor nationally as well.

You heard it here first.