The Bruins are 3-0 for the first time since 2005. They are one win away from matching last season's win total. The bye this week comes at the perfect time, with school starting and players needing some time to heal up before traveling to Stanford. The season is looking good for the Bruins despite looking less than stellar on offense.



So why is it that many UCLA fans were screaming like the sky was falling during the victory against Kansas State on Saturday?



Because Kevin Prince was out, Kevin Craft got the start or the Bruins and anyone who watches college football knows that Craft had a rough season last year. Looking back at the my preview of the game, I felt that if UCLA had trouble running the ball, Kansas State would keep it close.I knew that the Bruin defense would be able to handleKSU's run happy offense, but I was unsure how the Bruin offense would do.



In a word the offense was decent. Jonathan Franklin became the first UCLA running back to go over 100 yards in a game since ChrisMarkey did it Dec. 22, 2007 against BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl. That's 638 days between 100 yard runners. That should go to show just how bad the running game for UCLA was last year.

Let me just say that I love Jonathan Franklin. I am so excited to think about how good he is going to be for the next four years (including the rest of this year). The one thing that he needs help with is securing the football. He has put the ball on the turf at least 4 times this year. If he doesn't correct that, it is going to come back to hurt him sometime this season. I am not worried about it in the long run, but this year I think it could become a factor.



Hopefully in this week off, UCLA will be able to come up with a good game plan for Stanford. It was surprising not to see RichardBrehaut come into the KSU game, especially when Craft was looking a little shaky. I would like to see Brehaut for an extended period of time against Stanford. I think he has a great arm, good accuracy, and more athleticism than Kevin Prince. It just depends on how good a grasp he has on the offense.



I will say that Craft did a good job of showing the Bruin fans, if he had a running game and offensive line last year, the Bruins probably could have gone to a bowl game. Craft had a few great throws against the Wildcats. Yes, he had moments where it was the same old Craft, locking onto one receiver and throwing into coverage, but he did throw some balls down field. He found Terrance Austin for a beautiful 51 yard bomb. I am going to go out on a limb and say that Craft gives the Bruins almost as good a chance as Prince does. Now I am not saying Craft should start if they are both healthy. But I think that Craft does some things well, and with the better talent around him, his weaknesses are diminished.



That being said, I hope that Prince is able to come back as quickly as possible. The road game at Stanford should be a tough game. Stanford has some good players and a good coaching staff. If Craft struggles on the road the Bruins will not win. I would love to see Prince back for that game but it is unlikely.

On the defense, not much has to be said. Rahim Moore and Alterraun Verner have the most combined interceptions of any tandem in the country with eight. The defensive line has started to pick up the pressure on opposing quarterbacks.Akeem Ayers has started to erupt and play to the ability of Reggie Carter and Kyle Bosworth. Heck, even the depleted cornerback spot has looked solid. Against Stanford, the Bruins get back Courtney Viney from suspension, and hopefully Aaron Hester will be back in the next few weeks. Sheldon Price showed some flashes against KSU that he is set to be the next good UCLA corner, but he still has some development to do.









Lastly, let me say, don't lose sight of the fact that coming into this season, the thought around the program was this season the goal was to go to a bowl, but that the team was still a year or two away from where it will be. So to be 3-0 and looking like they could win 8 games while still not being quite at the level they will end up should be highly encouraging. Just think 7 or 8 wins this year, 9 or 10 next year, and challenging for a National Championship in 2011. If everything progresses as it should, these goals are not that far off. Especially when you look across town and watch the end of the USC dynasty.

This Saturday the Bruins take on the Wildcats of Kansas State. The Wildcats have been less than wild this year under new/former head coach Bill Snyder. But that is no reason to take them lightly. If you look at recent history for the Bruins, there is a tendency to have a let down after big games. The loss to Florida State in the Emerald Bowl after the 13-9 upset of the Trojans in 2006, the 44-6 loss to Utah in 2007 after beating a talentedBYU team, and most recently the 59-0 loss to BYU last year after beating Tennessee.

This game will be harder, from a personal standpoint, than any game so far this season. Not only is Kevin Prince out with a broken jaw, but also sophomorecornerback Courtney Viney, freshman runningback Milton Knox, freshman tight end Morrell Presely, and freshman wide receiver Randall Carroll are all suspended for breaking team rules. Viney is the biggest blow of the bunch because he was starting in place of an injured Aaron Hester. Viney's suspension inserts a true freshman Sheldon Price into the starting lineup at a position that is already challenged for depth.

Knox is also going to be a blow for the offense. He had shown some great things in the first two games and was looking to get more carries. Now he will be missing a game where the running game will most likely be used a lot.

Looking at Kansas State, the two games they have played this season were against less than stellar opponents. In week one they barely beat the University of Massachusetts which is aFCS (formerly division 1-aa ) team. In week two they lost to Louisiana-Lafayette in a tight game. The loss was a blow to a team that was returning a number of starters from a team that went 5-7 a year ago.

The difference this year is that Snyder runs a form of the single wing offense and relies heavily on the run. The Bruin defense has shown that they are at their best when they are going against the run. Look for the Bruins to feast off theKSU runningbacks. Despite averaging almost 400 yards of offense a game, the Wildcats are only averaging 18 points per game.

The Kansas State defense has also had a very difficult time getting to the quarterback, amassing only one sack in two games. If the Bruins line gives RichardBrehaut or Kevin Craft any time to find an open receiver, the Bruins will be successful.

However, with Prince out, I think Norm Chow will be relying heavily on the running game. If the Bruins are able to average four yards a rush, the game will never be in doubt. If they need to have Craft orBrehaut bail out the offense by passing, the game will be close and it is possible for the Bruins to lose at home.

I think it would be hard to pick the Wildcats in this game even with the injuries and suspensions suffered by the Bruins. However, it is still possible for the Bruins to get bit in this game. So I, for one, will be watching rather nervously, although I think the Bruins will win.

When?  Saturday, October 3, 2009; 7:30 AM
Where?  Elephant Bar parking lot on Areden Way
How Much?  $87 for Club members; $97 for non-Club members

The 2009 Sacramento UCLA Alumni Bus Trip is set!!!

• Come out and support the UCLA football team as they take on the Stanford Cardinal.
• Meet Joe and Josie Bruin along with 300+ UCLA Band members and the Spirit Squad (bring your camera)
• Feast on burgers, beer, mimosas and Diddy Riese cookies

You and your family are invited to join in the festivities with 1000+ fellow alumni as the Bay Area Bruins host the annual tailgate picnic prior to the UCLA vs. Stanford football game! The Bruin Bash will be at the Frost Amphitheater on campus, walking distance from the stadium.

Agenda for Saturday October 3rd

• The bus will be leaving the Elephant Bar parking lot across from Arden Fair Mall. We will leave at 7:30 AM sharp so please arrive and check-in by 7:15 AM.
• The Bruin Bash will open at 9:00 AM. The Band and Spirit Squad are expected to perform.
• The bus will depart Stanford after the game and head back to the Elephant Bar on Arden.

Ticket prices are $87 for current Club members and $97 for non-Club members.

What does the cost include?

• Bus transportation to and from the game
• Game tickets in the UCLA section at the stadium
• Entry into the Bruin Bash (food and drinks provided)
• Soft Drinks on the Bus to and from the game

RSVPs are due by Monday, September 28, 2009.

If you have any further questions please e-mail (artu07@yahoo.com) or call me (916) 532-8265.

Art Urbina
Event Coordinator
Sacramento UCLA Alumni Club

Those critics that say the Bruins are not a physical team are quickly running out of ground to stand on.



This past weekend showed just how physical the Bruins can be, holding the vaunted Tennessee offense to just 208 total yards. A week ago, the Vols racked up 380 yards rushing and 657 total yards. That's quite a drop off, no matter who you are playing.



The Bruins were not stellar on offense, which was possibly by design. It seemed Norm Chow called a rather conservative game in order to minimize turnover chances for the young Bruins playmakers on offense. But it seemed to work.



Kevin Prince was 11 for 23 with 101 yards and one touchdown, but more importantly, no interceptions. Last year, Kevin Craft threw four. Jonathan Franklin gained 80 yards on 17 carries, Kai Forbath kicked four field goals, and the Bruins came away victorious which was the most important stat of the game.



The defense looked like a team of all-Americans. Reggie Carter had 14 tackles, Alterraun Verner had his first interception of the year, Rahim Moore had his fourth and fifth interceptions of the year, and Brian Price sacked Vols quarterback Johnathan Crompton twice.



However, the defense started slow again. Giving up ten points immediately. But once they had a few drives under their belt they forced four turnovers and only gave up three more points all game.



On offense, the Bruins will learn very quickly that if they don't hold onto the football, they will come out on the losing end of games like this one. The Bruins fumbled six times. Read that again. SIX. Yes, they only lost one of those, but that one fumble turned into a Vols touchdown. The Bruins had better be working hard on ball security before the Pac-10 rolls around because they are quickly moving out from under the radar.



Now for the bad news. After a huge goal line stand by the Bruin defense, Kevin Prince took a hard hit to the head without his mouth guard in on a third and long roll out in his own endzone, . The hit was hard enough to break Prince's jaw in two places. Prince had surgery to fix the jaw but now has his mouth wired shut and will be out of action for three to four weeks. Meaning his likely return will be an October 10 matchup against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl.



The most frustrating thing about the injury was that it was totally avoidable. Had the Bruins run a quarterback sneak they would have run another 40 seconds off the clock then they could have taken the safety that they took on the Prince hit. Instead, Prince gets sacked, breaks his jaw, and the clock stops with a minute and 48 seconds left. Plenty of time for the Vols to score and win the game. But the defense bailed out the poor play call and the Bruins won.

Prince was able to show his toughness by coming back onto the field, broken jaw and all, and take two kneel downs to win the game.

Looking forward to next week, it is likely that true freshman Richard Brehaut will be the starting quarterback against Kansas State, but that decision will be made later in the week.

This weekend the Bruins travel to Knoxville to take on what could be considered their biggest SEC rival. This will be the 15th matchup in the history of the two schools. Currently Tennessee holds a seven wins to five edge over the Bruins with two ties. The first meeting was in 1965 under legendary coach Tommy Prothro. Since their inaugural meeting the schools have not gone longer than 11 years between meetings.

Last year the Vols came to Pasadena ranked 18th in the county ready to take on the Bruins who were coming off an interesting offseason coaching change. The Bruins came out ready to play and upset the Vols 27-24 in overtime.

This year the Vols will be looking for revenge against the Bruins. Neyland Stadium, where the Vols play their home games, will provide quite a hostile environment for the Bruins because of its 102,037 seat capacity.

So lets go position by position to take a closer look at the matchup.

Quarterback:
At quarterback the Vols have senior Jonathan Crompton. Last year Crompton struggled through out the year and was eventually benched. But he seems to have turned it around this year throwing five touchdown passes in a week one win, albeit against Western Kentucky which was playing it's first division 1 game. But bear in mind that Crompton threw only four touchdowns all of last season. But Crompton also turned the ball over twice on interceptions against a bad defense. How will he do against one of the best defenses in the country?



For the Bruins redshirt freshman Kevin Prince looked good last week. Not perfect, but good. However, that game was at home in front of 50,000 fans against a team that went 2-10 last year and was starting under a new scheme this year. This week Prince will have his first collegiate road start in one of the toughest places to play in the country against an all-American safety who has been know to intercept balls.

Edge: Vols

Running Back:
The Vols had a successful running game last week that saw both starting running back Monterio Hardestry and touted freshman Bryce Brown both eclipse the 100 yard barrier. The running game should be good for the Vols all year. Last year they seemed to abandon the run against the Bruins despite having early success. This week the Vols will be going against a better run defense but if their big linemen open holes look for them to have success.

The Bruins also had a fairly successful running attack last week. Gaining over 140 yards on the ground behind their young line and with their young running backs. This week will be more difficult for the Bruins to run, but it is tough to say how well the line will do against the Vols Tampa 2 defense.

Edge: Vols

Offensive line:
The Vols offensive line is stacked with upperclassmen and experience. Nearly everyone on the line is close to or over 300 pounds. And most of them are Juniors and Seniors. They should be a talented group that gives Crompton time and opens holes for the backs. But they said that last year too and the Bruins had success getting to Crompton and making sure he was never comfortable. This should be a fun match up to watch.

As for the Bruins, last week the young offensive line struggled with the 3-3-5 scheme that SDSU was employing. Not knowing where the rush was coming from was a tough task for this talented but young group. This week the Vols will be running a pretty straight forward scheme that does little blitzing and relies heavily on the defensive line to generate pass rush. To be honest I like the chances of the Bruins line to give Prince time to throw.

Edge: Push

Defensive line:
The Vols defensive line is talented but unproven, much like the Bruins offensive line. They are quick, not big, and will be relied upon to generate enough pressure on Prince that it takes pressure off the rest of the defense.

The Bruins defensive line is one of the strengths of a great defense. Brian Price will be difficult to block in the middle along with Jerzy Siewierski. At end the speed of Korey Bosworth teamed with the strength and quickness of Datone Jones will be difficult for the Vols to keep up with. If they have time to rest between drives, I think the line will do well against the Vols offensive line.

Edge: Bruins

Linebackers:
The Vols return defensive stalwart Rico McCoy at linebacker after a big season a year ago. McCoy will need to play a good game in order to out play the Bruins talented set of linebackers. If the zone scheme employed by the Vols takes the linebackers far enough from the line of scrimmage it is going to be a long day for the Vols defense.

Last week the Bruins linebackers showed why they are being labeled as the best group in the Pac-10. Reggie Carter looks bigger and plays like the senior leader he is. Kyle Bosworth looked happy to be back and ready to hit. Akeem Ayers looked like the budding young star he is. As long as the Bruins don't have to sub much on defense, the linebackers will be making plays all day.

Edge: Bruins

Secondary:
The Vols have one of, if not the best safeties in college football. Last year the fact that Eric Berry didn't win the Thorpe Award was a travesty. Berry will be a top five NFL draft pick when he comes out. And he is surrounded by plenty of talent in the Vols secondary. They could make it a very long day for Prince much like they did a year ago for Kevin Craft when they intercepted him four times.



The Bruins have an answer for the Vols secondary and Berry with their own talented secondary and Alterraun Verner. Verner will shut down whoever he is guarding. Rahim Moore showed last week that he is ready to be a star. The only real question marks are Courtney Viney, who is starting in place of the injured Aaron Hester, and Andrew Abbott the nickle corner who looked a little shaky last week.



Edge: Push

Special Teams:
Last year special teams for the Vols lost them the game. A blocked punt gave the Bruins a touchdown and a missed field goal in overtime gave them the win. The Vols return kicker Daniel Lincoln who missed that game tying kick a year ago. Lincoln can be a consistent kicker but not to the same extent as his Bruin counterpart.

The Bruins looks surprisingly good on special teams last week with a couple long returns, good kick coverage, and a block kick and score combination. Kai Forbath is one of the best kickers in college football. He will be a factor one way or another.

Edge: Bruins

Coaching Staff:
Head Coach Lane Kiffin has been making headlines since day one in Knoxville. But he has quietly amassed a great coaching staff behind him to back him up. His father, long time Tampa Bay defensive coordinator, Monte Kiffin comes in to coach the defense. Former head coach at Ole Miss Ed Orgeron comes in as a defensive line coach. He seems to be taking the same approach that Rick Neuheisel took a year ago for the Bruins.

Neuheisel and Offensive coordinator Norm Chow have had a year of recruiting and teaching to get the team to be better than the 4-8 record a year ago. It seems that they are a year ahead of Kiffin and his staff at Knoxville but time will tell.

Edge: Push

Overall:
I think this is going to be a closer game than the experts think. If the Bruins can come in confident and unfazed by the huge Neyland crowd and if they don't turn the ball over, they will have a shot in this one. Also a special teams play will come into factor the outcome of this game as well. But as of right now I see it 34-31 Vols.