How 'Bout Them Bruins?: UCLA '09 Season Preview
Bruins' Head Coach Rick Neuheisel hopes to have a lot to cheer about this season. AP Photo/Jeff Lewis
The UCLA Bruins have a lot of work to do after last year’s campaign that started with promise defeating Tennessee at home but ended with pain losing four of their last five games. The Bruins finished with a 4-8 record overall 3-6 in the Pac-10, eighth in the conference just ahead of the Washington schools. This season Coach Rick Neuheisel has a lot to be optimistic about with 15 returning starters and significant improvements on the offensive side of the ball to go with steady, solid play on defense.
Offensively the Bruins are deep and talented but very young.
• Redshirt freshman Kevin Prince gives the Bruins a bigger and more accurate arm. Prince will be the first home-opening freshman starting quarterback for UCLA in 20 years.
• A very young offensive line will be relied upon to keep pressure off of Prince and improve a running attack that ranked 117th out of 120 D1-A programs. Sophomores Jeff Baca and Colorado transfer Kai Maiava will lead the young line.
• The running backs are deep but also inexperienced. Look for junior Christian Ramirez to start with sophomore Derrick Coleman to back him up.
• Receiving is the strength on offense with senior wide receiver, and return specialist Terrence Austin leading the group. Austin set a school record for all-purpose yards last season. Look for tight end and former USC prospect Morrell Presley to make an immediate impact.
The defense has been the Bruins’ strength under DeWayne Walker. New coordinator Chuck Bullough steps in and has a strong if not very deep group.
• Up front, the defense is led by junior defensive tackle Brian Price. Price led the team in tackles for losses with 14.
• The linebackers are bolstered by the return of fifth year senior Kyle Bosworth who was lost to injury last season. Look for super talented sophomore Akeem Ayers to become a star this year.
• The secondary is solid and led by senior and team captain Alterraun Verner. Verner led the nation in passes defended last year and should be hard pressed to find teams willing to challenge him this year.
Special teams will be relied on to score field goals as the young offense learns to score touchdowns. Junior Kai Forbath was solid last year making 44 of 52 field goals including 6-6 from 50 yards and beyond. Wide receiver Terrence Austin will be featured in the return game. He set the school record for return yards last season with 1,109 but has yet to run one in for a touchdown.
The schedule is manageable with their non-conference opponents bringing in new coaching staffs. That might help the ‘Baby Bruins’ get off to a good start. The conference schedule is also favorable with Pac-10 Trojan chasers Oregon and Cal traveling to Pasadena.
The Pac-10 will (hopefully) be more than just USC and the nine dwarves this season. The media consensus is that the Bruins will finish fifth in the Pac-10 behind the Trojans, Cal, Oregon and Oregon State with a record somewhere around 7-5 and going 5-4 in conference. I see them going one better (8-4; 6-3) winning either the Oregon or Cal game at home (most likely Oregon), maybe finishing the season as high as third in the Pac-10 and getting a bid to a nice middle-tier bowl game. Go Bruins!