2010 College Football Predictions: UCLA Bruins Looking to Take Next Step

A mere week away from the season-opener against the Kansas State Wildcats, and the UCLA football team finds itself in a familiar position.

Uncertainty at the quarterback position, shuffling along the offensive line, injuries at every conceivable spot on the roster...

Just another August in Westwood!

All cynicism aside, the Bruins have a lot on their collective plate this season. With USC under heavy scrutiny and the Trojans' roster thinning amidst NCAA sanctions, UCLA fans are not only expecting their "mighty" Bruins to improve upon the squad's 7-6 record from a year ago, but also to topple their crosstown rivals in the process.

The stakes are high for coach Rick Neuheisel in his third season with his alma mater, and they'll only be raised further if the team enters "Slick Rick's" fourth go-round with another mediocre year to boot.

There are plenty of reasons for optimists and pessimists alike to have at the Blue and Gold this fall, in every phase of the game.

Offense

The Bruins haven't had a reliable offensive unit since 2005, when then-head coach Karl Dorrell, along with quarterback Drew Olson and running back Maurice Jones-Drew, guided UCLA to a 10-2 season.

Since then, the "Baby Bears" have struggled to score points, while the situations at quarterback and along the offensive line have been shuffled and reshuffled seemingly countless times each season.

The upcoming 2010 season would seem to be no different, at least thus far.

After a solid spring, Kevin Prince had established himself as the starting quarterback for fall camp, with fellow sophomore Richard Brehaut as his primary backup.

But as has been the case throughout his football career, dating back to his high-school days at Encino Crespi Carmelite, Prince has found himself bitten by the injury bug.

Prince has been rendered unable to fully participate in practice for most of the month of August by a torn back muscle.

Though Neuheisel hasn't yet said as much, signs point to Brehaut as the likely starter on September 4th in Manhattan, Kansas.

All reports indicate that Brehaut is much more prepared to take the reins now than he was last season, during which he struggled with his decision-making and shepherding of his teammates on the field.

Whether it's Prince or Brehaut that's taking snaps under center, whoever it is will have to get rid of the ball quickly lest he find himself on his back behind a porous offensive line at the end of every play.

As has seemingly become a rite of autumn at UCLA, offensive line coach Bob Palcic has spent the last several weeks (if not years) attempting to piece together some semblance of blockers for the backfield.

Everyone knew coming into camp that the team would be without Xavier Su'a-Filo, the mammoth lineman who left for a two-year Mormon mission after his impactful freshman campaign. Fellow sophomore-to-be Stan Hasiak, a behemoth in his own right, wasn't necessarily expected to be ready for the season due to his on-again, off-again relationship with the game of football.

What no one expected was for the rest of the line to be decimated by injury and ineligibility. While the loss of guard Jeff Baca to poor academic performance has left Bruins shaking their heads, the biggest blow came when Kai Maiava, the team's center and the undisputed leader of the offensive line, fractured his ankle during the fall scrimmage.

Without these four stalwarts, the Bruins' O-line will be hard pressed to improve upon what was already an inconsistent performance up front last season, though they'll have senior guard Micah Kia back from a medical redshirt year to help. Coach Neuheisel and Co. will have to mix and match whoever is left to give the offense a chance to be successful in 2010.

As grim as all this seems to be, there is plenty of reason for optimism, at least when considering the depth and talent at the skill positions.

The Bruins should boast one of the deeper backfields in the Pac-10, assuming there is a line to run behind. Freshmen Jordon James and Malcolm Jones, the 2009 Gatorade High School Player of the Year, have seemingly taken control of the ball-carrying duties, with returnees Derrick Coleman and Jonathan "Jet" Franklin still in the conversation.

The starter at quarterback will also have plenty of capable targets at receiver and tight end. The quick-and-precise Ricky Marvray and the long-and-lanky Nelson Rosario have seemingly nailed down the wide spots, while Randall Carroll, last year's prize recruit, should be making plenty of appearances in the slot.

The tight ends have been a bit banged up through practice thus far, but should be ready to go in time for the season opener. Cory Harkey should be fine after dealing with concussions earlier in camp, while newbie Joseph Fauria, nephew of former New England Patriot Christian Fauria, has been impressive when healthy, but has dealt with some hamstring issues over the past couple weeks.

Issues that, while certainly a hindrance to the hopes of Coach Neuheisel's new "Pistol" offense, are far more the rule than the exception when evaluating the Bruins offense. 

Defense

With so much attention focused on the woebegone offense in Westwood, the defense has flown under the radar.

Though, to be fair, the entire team has largely done the same, at least with regard to the national media.

That's not to say there aren't plenty of notable injuries and absences opposite the offense. The departure of All-American defensive tackle and quarterback-terror Brian Price to the NFL, along with the graduation of longtime linebacker Reggie Carter, left the Bruins with some holes to fill long before camp ever started.

Add to that the broken foot of Datone Jones, a rising star at defensive end, and the group charged with shutting down its opponents looks similarly plagued to the folks who will be doing the scoring for the Bruins.

Luckily for defensive coordinator Chuck Bullough, there are plenty of returning stars and talented understudies ready to fill in.

UCLA's defense will undoubtedly be led by Rahim Moore, the All-American safety who led the nation in interceptions with 10 as a sophomore, and Akeem Ayers, a preseason All-American at linebacker and potential first-rounder in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Moore will likely be joined at strong safety by either junior Tony Dye or true freshman Dietrich Riley, whose performance in practice has impressed anyone and everyone who's been paying attention.

Whoever ends up in the middle of the defensive backfield will be flanked by Aaron Hester, who was penciled in as a starter at corner before breaking his fibula in fall camp last year, and Sheldon Price, who filled in for Hester as a true freshman and will be taking over on the opposite side for second-team All-Pac-10 performer Alterraun Verner.

With Ayers and fellow junior Sean Westgate set at the outside linebacker spots, the middle remains up for grabs between Steve Sloan, the more experienced junior, and Patrick Larimore, the precocious sophomore.

After the tumult of losing Jones for at least six weeks, the front four seems to have settled in, with senior David Carter and junior Justin Edison manning the inside and sophomore Damien Holmes and junior Nate Chandler covering the edges. But don't count out true frosh Owa Odighizuwa, a U.S. Army All-American who has blown away players and coaches alike with his sheer size and ability.

Overall, the defense would seem to be a picture of health compared to what the offense has been thus far. 

Special Teams

As always, UCLA will boast one of the better special teams units in the Pac-10, if not the country. With Lou Groza Award winner Kai Forbath returning at kicker and Ray Guy nominee Jeff Locke on punting duties, the Bruins will, at the very least, be accurate on field goals and pin opposing offenses in deep territory in 2010.

The return game is also looking rather promising. Joining mini-thunderbolt Damien Thigpen will be Josh Smith, a transfer from Colorado whose quickness and elusiveness in the open field is no surprise, considering he is the uncle of former Buffalo running back and high school All-American Darrell Scott. 

Season Outlook

For months now, followers of the UCLA football program have predicted that the Bruins may be a better team this year, though their record at the end of the season may not reflect it.

This makes sense, at least in terms of the Bruins' schedule, as the boys in powder blue have plenty of tough road games (at Kansas State, at Texas, at Cal, at Oregon, and at Washington) and don't get much relief at home (vs. Stanford, vs. Houston, vs. Oregon State, and vs. USC).

The Bruins should come a way with victories in at least a few of those games, though no one would be shocked if none of those contests yielded positive results.

This thanks, in large part, to the team's continuing struggles with health, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.

The team's motto for the season might very well be: "Two steps forward, one step back."

That being said, the Bruins should be bowling at some point in December. A win over a down USC program, still far overrated by most national observers, would do much to alleviate the suffering of UCLA's Rose Bowl faithful.

As for the aches and pains of the scores of wounded, any relief on that front would be nothing short of miraculous.