MoonDog on 
« Why I Hate Ole Miss | Home | WordPress Upgrade Today »
UCLA Doesn’t Have Enough To Stop Vols
By MoonDog | August 29, 2008
Tennessee will open their regular season against the UCLA Bruins Monday night at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles. UCLA and Tennessee have met 12 times since 1967, with each team winning five and tying two.
The Bruins new head coach, Rick Neuheisel, has seen his first and second string QBs go down with injuries and the offensive line is in shambles.
On the surface, it would appear the Vols’ should handle the Bruins with ease. But Tennessee hasn’t played well on the west coast, losing last season’s opener against the California Golden Bears 45-31 in Berkley.
Joey Kaufman of the SoCal Sports Hub was good enough to answer a few questions about UCLA and their chances of beating the Vols. Joey had a few questions about Tennessee and he’s posted my answers at his site which you can view here.
1. With the rash of injuries at QB tell me about the projected starting QB, Kevin Craft.
Craft is a transfer from San Diego State and Mt. San Antonio College, where he played for his dad, Tom Craft, at both schools. He was projected as the team’s third starter coming into spring practice, but injuries to Patrick Cowan and Ben Olson have given him the opportunity to become the first transfer since Troy Aikman to start at UCLA.
His collegiate experience should serve the Bruins well, as he played in nine games and started five at San Diego State as a redshirt freshman back in 2006. While Craft has the physical tools to become a solid Pac-10 quarterback, he still needs to gain a better grasp of Norm Chow’s offensive scheme.
At times, Craft is a step slow when making some of his decisions. However, as he gets more reps under his belt, he should improve and possibly perform fairly well as the Bruins’ starter.
2. The Bruins O-line has suffered a lot of injuries too. Tell me what you can about the projected starters.
The Bruins are incredibly thin at offensive line. As of right now, the Bruins have only two offensive linemen, center Micah Reed and left tackle Micah Kia, who played a snap on the offensive line last season. Last Tuesday, Kia suffered a broken hand and Reed has battled injuries.
With the retirement of starting right tackle Aleksey Lanis due to chronic knee problems, redshirt freshman Mike Harris will get the start on the right side. With the team’s only two experienced returners battling injuries, the Bruins will have one of worst offensive lines in the Pac-10.
3. The Bruins defense may be on the field a lot considering the offense’s troubles. Tell me what we can expect from them.
While UCLA’s offense struggled throughout the 2007 season, their defense was consistently strong. Dwayne Walker’s bunch was 29th in total and scoring defense, and was a security blanket for the horrific offense yet again. This year the Bruins return five starters from a year ago, including defensive tackle Brigham Harwell, who is one of the best in the Pac-10.
Rounding out the defensive line includes right end Tom Blake, who must replace dominant pass rusher Bruce Davis (12 sacks in 2007). At linebacker the Bruins have two experienced play makers in Reggie Carter and Kyle Bosworth. Both are extremely versatile and can make plays across the field.
The secondary unit is a little older, but they still do not have a ton of experience. Cornerback Alterraun Verner (75 tackles and 4 interceptions in 2007) is the unit’s leader, but the safety spot is the weak point. Bret Lockett has been suspended for the first game against Tennessee and I don’t have a tone of confidence in Aaron Ware.
With the Pac-10’s complex passing offenses, it is likely that this relatively inexperienced unit will give up a lot of big plays.
4. Name a few of the players we need to keep an eye on - RB, WR, etc.
The obvious names at running back and wide receiver are Chris Markey and Marcus Everett, but look for redshirt freshman tailback Raymond Carter to be a pleasant surprise for UCLA. During training camp a year ago, Carter sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament during a drill and spent the entire season watching from the sideline.
Finally healthy, Carter has been alternating between the first and second team offensive units, and he will also return kickoffs. If he gets in the open field, it will be difficult for anybody to catch him. In high school, he was a state finalist in the 100- and 200- meters for Los Angeles Crenshaw High as a junior. Provided he can stay healthy, Carter could have a breakout season for the Bruins.
Another guy to keep an eye on is sophomore wide receiver Dominique Johnson. USC fans remember Johnson’s one handed catch against the Trojans back in September and he has the potential to make many more big catches throughout the next three years.
Last season he had just four touchdowns, but his 6′3″ frame should allow him to make many tough catches in the red zone, especially when in traffic. While Everett is primarily the team’s speed demon, Johnson could become a nice complement to him with his size.
5. What can we expect from the Bruins special teams. Punter, Kicker and the return men.
This is far and away UCLA’s strongest and most dependable unit at this point when you consider the limited firepower on offense and defense. Last season sophomore kicker Kai Forbath was 25-of-30 on field-goal attempts and is well-known for his long-distance kicks.
On field goals of at least 50 yards, Forbath was 5-of-5, putting himself one shy of tying the school record for 50-yarders. Punter Aaron Perez also had an impressive 2007 campaign, as he he averaged 42.3 yards per punt and had 35 of them downed inside the 20-yard line. In regards to the return game, it appears as if Terrence Austin will be the main return man.
6. Project a winner and tell me the score.
There is no reason as to why Tennessee shouldn’t be able to dominant the Bruins on Labor Day. They have one of the best offensive lines in the entire country, thus allowing first-time starter Jonathan Crompton to have his way throwing the football.
However, since he is just a first-time starter, look for the Vols to pound the ball with senior tailback Arian Foster. While Tennessee has a good but not great defense, from what I’ve seen, its more than capable of shutting down a horrific UCLA offense. Final Score: Tennessee 24-3.
Related posts
Tags: MoonDog, MoonDog Sports, Vols, rick neuheisel, SoCal Sports Hub, Volunteers, jonathan crompton, UCLA, NCAA Football, Tennessee, Southeastern Conference, Rose Bowl, Tennessee Vols Football, Bruins, Joey Kaufman, football
Topics: NCAA Football, Southeastern Conference, Tennessee Vols Football |
2 Responses to “UCLA Doesn’t Have Enough To Stop Vols”
Comments
The World According to MoonDog | The Ultimate Football Site
This isn’t your average sports blog. Get the latest football news, opinion and analysis from a former player with a unique insight. The ultimate football site covering the NCAA and NFL.
Copyright © 2007-2008 MoonDogSports.com and The World According to MoonDog
Entries 
and Comments
.png)
August 29th, 2008 at 8:46 am
[...] UCLA? They suck - [MoonDogSports] [...]
August 29th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Moon Dog
With all of the hype being created by the Bruins’ AD via their languid PR. I for one doubt that they’ve got what it takes to even deal with the Vols let alone their crosstown rivals the USC Trojans.
The only way that they’d be able to beat them would be if Pete Carroll decided that his offence would be co-ed. Then again even then I’m still not so sure that the Bruins would have what it takes.
tophatal …………