UCLA Football 2011: Thoughts and Musings from Fall Scrimmage

UCLA football's fall scrimmage marked the final preparation time for the players and coaching staff as they prepare to head into the season with a matchup against a tricky Houston team on September 3rd.

We are all well aware of the pressure on coach Rick Neuheisel to win this season, as he is a common selection by media outlets as coach on the hot seat around the country.  With an overhaul of his coordinators and coaching staff, today was the first chance for fans to see how the new-look Bruins have progressed through summer practices.

Some thoughts I took away from the 90 or so plays today:

I'd give the starting job to Richard Brehaut

Both quarterbacks had their moments. Kevin Prince started with two three-and-outs and Brehaut countered with 2 drives resulting in 10 points.

Prince replied with a 44-yard bomb to receiver Josh Smith and a scramble into the end zone. Brehaut responded after a three-and-out by leading another touchdown drive. Brehaut, while not spectacular, certainly looked the more poised (albeit still not totally poised) and did enough for me to win the starting quarterback job by a nose.

He looked crisper (7-12, 75 yards, 2 TDs) than Prince (4-11, 81 yards, 1 rush TD), but word is that both men could see the field at different points. A troubling sign indeed, as switching quarterbacks is a sure sign of instability and inconsistently that can reverberate through the whole squad.

UCLA will have an embarrassment of riches at running back

Seriously, there are too many good ones at UCLA. Junior Johnathan Franklin, senior Derrick Coleman, sophomore Malcolm Jones, and redshirt freshman Jordon James should all carry the rock at a solid clip this year.

Each bring something different: Franklin is the bell cow, Coleman and Jones are the bruisers, while James proved today that he can break some ankles. Franklin gained over 1,000 yards last year with an anemic passing game already, so I expect the running game for the Bruins to keep on churning out yards.

The kicking game is truly a hot mess

We Bruin fans were spoiled.  From Justin Medlock to Aaron Perez to Kai Forbath, UCLA kickers were always money even when the rest of the team wasn't worth pocket change.

Now, with Kip Smith and Joe Roberts fighting it out and both missing kicks from 40 yards and an extra point, who knows? Kicking is often overlooked in football, but points are points.

And especially when you're UCLA and points are hard to come by, you need someone who can bang in a field goal when needed. Hopefully this will sort itself out soon.

The two styles of the new coordinators were interesting to note

The offensive coaches, namely new recruits Mike Johnson (offensive coordinator) and Jim Mastro (Pistol offense specialist from Nevada) were definitely more cerebral and calm. In fact, it took me 20 plays to see Johnson walk out on the field, whereas Neuheisel watched each play like a hawk 5 yards behind the quarterback.

Meanwhile, new defensive coordinator Joe Tresey was more vocal and animated. I could hear him hollering at his players from 25 rows up the bleachers with his trusty cue-cards-on-pole thingy calling out the plays. An interesting dynamic to witness especially since both sides of the ball are under new leadership.

The blitzing style Tresey brings to Westwood looks encouraging

There were the occasional gashes through the line (namely Coleman), and there were plenty of underneath routes that Prince and Brehaut took advantage of. But the defensive lineman and the blitzing linebackers performed well today.

Two players, sophomore linebacker Jordan Zumwalt and sophomore defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa, stood out on run and pass blitz, respectively. Junior redshirt defensive lineman Datone Jones, fresh off recovering from a season-long injury last season, was also active in the trenches. 

In 2 weeks UCLA will be lining up against Case Keenum and the Houston Cougars, all of whom are bent on revenge after the Bruins shut down Keenum for the year and won last year's matchup.

Who knows who will start at quarterback? I was hoping today would give a definite answer, but I came back with more questions than when I arrived.

Whatever the answers to these questions, the upcoming season most certainly will not be one without drama and intrigue, whether on the field or with the coaching staff.