The past two days we have been looking at the depth chart and how it is expected to shake out by the time the season rolls around.

Today, it is prediction time. Now that we know whom we will be relying on this year, we can now look and see how it will effect our season.

UCLA has one of the toughest schedules in all of college football this season, so while everyone is hoping for a huge step forward, because of the schedule, it might be a little unrealistic to expect a national championship this year.

Week 1 – @ Kansas State 9/4 ABC

The Bruins start the season off with a nationally televised game against a smash-mouth Kansas State team. Coach Bill Snyder took a bad team last year to a 6-6 record. While not terribly scary the Bruins do have to watch out for stud Daniel Thomas. He played well against the Bruins last year, but the team around him was not good enough to help him out.

Under Neuheisel the Bruins have looked good in season openers and I think this is no exception. I think the offense looks good against a bad defense and the UCLA comes away a winner 38-14.

Week 2 – Stanford 9/11 ESPN

The first real test for UCLA comes in week two. However, the same could be said about Stanford. The Cardinal are coming into this season without Toby Gerhart, the all-world running back who killed nearly everyone in the Pac 10 last year. They do however return Andrew Luck who many see as a Heisman candidate in his own right, and a possible No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft this upcoming year.

On defense the Cardinal are switching from a 4-3 to a 3-4 and in many cases, that first year of transition can be tough. Throw in a secondary who was not very good last year, and the Bruins receivers should be licking their chops.

I think the Bruins sneak one out against Stanford 31-28.

Week 3 – Houston 9/18 FSN

If you haven’t heard the name Case Keenum, be prepared to hear it a lot this year. He is a legit Heisman Trophy candidate after his season last year where he threw over 5,000 yards and 44 touchdowns. However, he can’t do it alone. Houston lost its top running back to injury this spring and is also making the transition to a 3-4 defense.

If watching Washington last year has taught us anything, it is that just because a team has an all-everything quarterback doesn’t mean the team is capable of winning. UCLA improves to 3-0 with a 28-17 win.

Week 4 – @ Texas 9/25 ABC

So UCLA has looked good so far this season, but Texas is a whole other animal. It is worth mentioning that the last time the Bruins played in Austin it wasn’t even a contest, the Bruins took the Longhorns to the woodshed, winning 66-3. Unless there is some sort of miracle, I don’t see a repeat performance by the Bruins.

Texas is coming off a season where they played for the BCS title. However, they will be relying upon first time starter Garret Gilbert who is following the storied career of Colt McCoy. Gilbert will be a good one, but I am not convinced he is there yet. I also think they Bruins aren’t going to be intimidated going to Austin. I think they keep it close, but lose to a superior athletic team 38-28.

Week 5 – Washington State 10/2 Prime Ticket

Finally, a game for the Bruins that isn’t a test. Let me just say that Washington State is bad. Really bad. Yes there are a few nice pieces to the puzzle in the great white north, but they are not a threat this year.

Bruins win handily 52-3.

Week 6 – @ CAL 10/9 TBD

Cal is my dark horse candidate to win the Pac 10. They return 20 starters from a team that won eight games. Shane Vereen comes into the season as one of the better running backs in the conference. The Golden Bears just need to stay healthy and avoid the annual Cal Collapse.

UCLA hasn’t won in Berkley since 1998. I have a hard time thinking that changes this year. I think Cal comes away with this one 35-17 in the first real blow out the Bruins suffer.

Week 8 - @ Oregon 10/21 (Thu) ESPN

The Bruins have a few things working in their favor for the week eight matchup against the reigning conference champs. First, they get a week off to get healthy and game plan after a difficult game in Berkley. Second, the Bruins have been historically good against the Ducks. Lastly, the Ducks come into this season with a huge question mark at QB. Jeremiah Masoli is gone and coach Chip Kelly has to rely on Nate Costa, who has struggled with injuries and Derron Thomas who is unproven.

I think the Bruins lose a heart breaker here. The Oregon running game proves too much for the Bruins and the offensive line for UCLA has breakdowns due to crowd noise. 35-31 Oregon.

Week 9 – Arizona 10/30 TBD

The Bruins return home eager to get back in the win column and the rebuilding Arizona defense is just what Dr. Neuheisel ordered. The Wildcats have to replace seven starters on defense this year. Yes, they do return Nick Foles who had success last season. However, Foles can be erratic at times and doesn’t throw the most accurate ball.

I think Rahim Moore has a huge game in a win for the Bruins. Moore picks off three errant balls by Foles and returns two for touchdowns. The Bruins look as good as they have all season and win easily 42-17.

Week 10 – Oregon State 11/6 TBD

Oregon State is the perfect test for UCLA. Oregon State is a great team, with a great coach, and a Heisman trophy candidate. If the Beavers can find consistent quarterback play, they will be in the discussion for Pac 10 champions.

By week 10 of the season, UCLA is starting to grow into a great team. Prince is starting to look like the guy who can lead this team. The running game is starting to click. The defense has melded into a cohesive unit. The offensive line is blocking. Everything is starting to click. Bruins get over the hump and become bowl eligible with a great team win over the Beavers 24-14.

Week 13 – @ Washington 11/18 (Thu) ESPN

Rick Neuheisel returns to the school that he led to a Rose Bowl win in 2001. Now, it is no secret that Steve Sarkisian is waking up the sleeping giant that is Washington football. Jake Locker has suffered from the Toby Gerhart syndrome (the only great player on a crappy team) for much of his college career. This year however, the Huskies are winning games they should win and are bowl eligible for the first time in Locker’s career.

With the Heisman hype in full effect, Locker carries the Huskies to a win over the Bruins in front of a hostile crowd that is looking for Neuheisel’s blood. This game is the start of a great rivalry between Sarkisian and Neuheisel over the future of the conference. Huskies win this round, but the war is far from over. 35-31 Washington.

Week 14 – @ Arizona State 11/26 (Fri) FSN

Arizona State has one of the best defenses in the Pac 10. But their offense could use some work. They get some needed help at quarterback this year with the transfer of former Michigan quarterback Steven Threet, but they are still not there yet.

The Bruins win a defensive struggle 17-6.

Week 15 – USC 12/4 TBD

Two years ago, a UCLA marketing group printed a full-page ad in the LA Times stating that the Football monopoly in Los Angeles was over. Two years of recruiting, strength and conditioning, and playbook implementation make this the year the Bruins need to prove it on the field.

The sanctions against USC have caused an upheaval across town and it is difficult for the Trojans to really care at this point of the season. However, because of the struggles they have faced this season, a win against UCLA would ravage much of the work the Bruins staff has put in over the past few years and prove that USC is still USC.

This game has a vintage UCLA – USC game feel to it. Two good teams trading body blows. Unlike the 2006 game where UCLA beat USC with defense, the Bruins rack up more yards then they have against the Trojans in a long time. All-American Kai Forbath hits a game winning field goal as time expires. Bruins 38-Trojans 35.

Bruins finish the season 8-4 and on they’re way to a good bowl game.

With only three graduating seniors the Bruins have laid the groundwork to contend for a national championship in 2011.

Yesterday we looked at the offense for the Bruins and how I think it will all shake out by the time the season starts.

Today we are going to look at the defense.

Last year the defense was experienced and had heart. This year, what the unit lacks in experience it makes up for with talent and speed. This may be the fastest defense in the history of UCLA football. Now it will be the coaching staff’s job to get that speed to translate on the field.



Defensive End:

Left end:
1. Datone Jones Junior
2. Owamagbe Odighizuwa Freshman
3. Reggie Stokes RS Senior

Right end:
1. Damien Holmes RS Sophomore OR
2. Keenan Graham RS Freshman
3. Iuta Tepa Sophomore
4. Derrick Bryant Freshman

Datone Jones is ready to break out. This will be his third year starting in the program and by all accounts, he has the strength and size to be a legitimate defensive end in the Pac 10.

Owa is a freak. Pure and simple, he is an all-American in the making and will be pushing for playing time immediately. He could start at right end from day one, but I think he is the heir apparent to Jones.

Damien Holmes has a good motor but needs to play stronger than he did last year. Keenan Graham is the fastest defensive end and by all means would have pushed for playing time last year had it not been for a broken jaw just before the season started. He will be a terror off the edge and had a chance to be the first Bruin to record double-digit sacks since Bruce Davis.

Reggie Stokes shouldn’t be much of a factor this year; he will mainly be relied upon to provide depth. Tepa has a chance to get some playing time; he was just too weak as a freshman last year to do anything spectacular. Derrick Bryant will be a good player in time; he just needs some seasoning and will likely redshirt this year.



Defensive Tackle:
1. David Carter RS Senior
2. Nate Chandler RS Junior
3. Cassius Marsh Freshman
4. Justin Edison RS Junior
5. Donovon Carter RS Sophomore
6. Sealii Epenesa Freshman
7. Andy Keane RS Senior
8. Wesley Flowers Freshman

Replacing Brian Price won't be possible. Now with that being said, the Bruins have decided that speed at defensive tackle will be the best way to combat the loss of the Pac 10 defensive player of the year.

David Carter has never been a starter before, but as a back up last year he showed that he is capable of being a good defensive tackle. Now with an offseason under his belt, he should be an all-conference type player.

Nate Chandler may have finally found a position. After bouncing back and forth between offensive tackle and tight end, he will be given every chance to get a lot of playing time as defensive tackle. Chandler is now up to 290 lbs and apparently still runs in the 4.6 range 40-yard dash. That is terrifying if he can translate that on the field.

Cassius Marsh will be an all-American during his time at UCLA and will get plenty of playing time as a freshman. Justin Edison finally has enough weight on him to see the playing field, but it remains to be seen if he can play.

Donovon Carter is a former outside linebacker who has put on enough weight to get some time. If he was able to keep his linebacker speed he could be difficult to block inside. Sealii Epenesa will be a run-stuffing machine when he sees the field. He will likely redshirt this year, but his 320 lbs body will be ready to play once called upon.

If Andy Keane is on the field it will be bad news for the Bruins. If we are relying on him there are much bigger problems with the program. Wesley Flowers is not nearly ready, unless he is competing in a Whoopi Goldberg look-a-like contest. He will redshirt and need to put on a lot of weight if he is ever going to get playing time.



Linebacker

Strong side
1. Akeem Ayers RS Junior
2. Isaiah Bowens RS Freshman
3. Aramide Olaniyan Freshman

Middle
1. Patrick Larimore RS Sophomore OR
2. Steve Sloan Junior
3. Todd Golper RS Freshman
4. Jordan Zumwalt Freshman
5. Eric Kendricks Freshman

Weak side
1. Glenn Love RS Junior OR
2. Sean Westgate Junior
3. Jared Koster Freshman
4. Anthony Barr Freshman *

Akeem Ayers is an all-American and Pac 10 defensive player of the year candidate. It is likely that this is his last season in Westwood. He has first round talent and has finally put it all together. It will be up to the coaching staff to find an heir to Ayers because soon we will be missing him.

Isaiah Bowens could be that guy. He is raw as far as football goes. He has only been playing for a few years but his athleticism is great and he has put on enough weight that he passes the eyeball test. But Aramide Olaniyan will factor into that position as well. Olaniyan has the look and mentality of a future captain at UCLA. He may need to redshirt to put on weight but when he finally does play, he will be one for the ages.

At the middle linebacker I hope that Patrick Larimore can win the starting job over Steve Sloan. Larimore is the right kind of crazy to be a linebacker. Last year during a practice he hit someone so hard that he bent his facemask. I want someone like that leading my defense.

Todd Golper and Jordan Zumwalt will likely have to battle for the starting job later in their careers and that will be a position battle to watch for the future. Zumwalt will likely redshirt along with Eric Kendricks, who is not someone to sleep on.

The weak side position is up for grabs. Glenn Love moved to linebacker from safety and I hope he wins the job. He has a linebacker body and likes to hit. His speed is also a big plus. Sean Westgate has the heart of a lion but the body of a mouse. I love him on special teams but I just don’t see him holding up as an every down linebacker.

Jared Koster was a late addition to the roster. He greyshirted last year and has impressed the coaches in his short time on campus. Anthony Barr is currently on the offensive side of the ball, but it is possible that he could move to defense and be used as either a linebacker or a safety.



Cornerback
1. Sheldon Price Sophomore
2. Aaron Hester RS Sophomore
3. Andrew Abbot RS Sophomore
4. Courtney Viney RS Junior
5. Anthony Jefferson Freshman
6. Marlon Pollard RS Freshman
7. Tevin McDonald Freshman
8. Brandon Sermons Sophomore **

Suddenly Neuheisel doesn’t look as foolish for throwing Sheldon Price to the fire. Now he has a cornerback with lots of game experience who will step in nicely for the legendary Alterraun Verner. Aaron Hester is also a great prospect who would have started had it not been for an injury last year.

Andrew Abbot and Courtney Viney will likely battle for the nickel corner position. They are both gifted players but I think the edge goes to Abbot because Viney is 5’8’’ and the Bruins like big corners.

Anthony Jefferson will likely redshirt, but he was a great pick up by Neuheisel who will be the next great shut down corner at UCLA. Marlon Pollard has apparently been turning heads this summer and could work his way into the rotation.

Tevin McDonald has a safeties body, but will likely redshirt because unless injuries force him into action, he will likely not get much run this year. Brandon Sermons broke his leg during a non-contact drill this spring and will redshirt this year while he is recovering.



Safety

Free Safety
1. Rahim Moore Junior
2. Dalton Hilliard Sophomore
3. Dietrich Riley Freshman
4. Alex Mascarenas RS Freshman

Strong Saftey
1. Tony Dye Junior
2. Stan McKay RS Freshman
3. Anthony Barr Freshman

Rahim Moore led the NCAA in interceptions last year with 10. His ball skills are unparalleled in college football. With another good season it is possible that he could take his talent to the NFL. If that is the case Dalton Hilliard will be ready to step in. Hilliard is a big hitter who formerly played running back in high school, so he has some ball skills.

Dietrich Riley will see the playing field in some capacity this season. He is too talented and too important a recruit to not see the field. If that is not on defense he could be relied upon to return kicks or even a little bit on offense out of the Wildcat.

Alex Mascarenas will likely only be a special teams guy.

At strong safety Stan McKay will push Tony Dye for his starting job, but I think Dye’s experience will allow him to keep the job. McKay will, however, be a great safety at UCLA. This year he may only be used situationally and for special teams, but he will be successful when he finally gets his chance.

Anthony Barr could be an interesting prospect at safety. He has a similar build to Taylor Mays the former USC all-American.

Check back tomorrow for pre-fall camp season predictions.

Yesterday marked the end of training camp for the Bruins. Between now and the September 5 opener the main focus of the team will be San Diego State. This also means that practices are no longer open to the public and information will be hard to come by.

But for now let us take a look back at the scrimmage this past weekend and what it means for the team going forward.

Saturday at Drake Stadium the Bruins had their fall scrimmage. Some good things happened and some bad things happened. So lets start with the good.

The Good

Johnathan Franklin - Everyone, let me introduce you to Jet Ski. Franklin, a redshirt freshman, showed his homerun hitting ability breaking a 60 yard touchdown run. Franklin gained 99 yards on only six carries and one touchdown.



Damien Thigpen - The true freshman is being nicknamed Blur due to his blazing 4.28 speed. Thigpen returned a kickoff 61 yards for a touchdown, a punt 70 yards for a touchdown and gained 41 yards on seven carries.



Rahim Moore - Moore showed that starting last season as a freshman was a good plan. He intercepted a Kevin Prince pass and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown. Moore should bring more maturity to the secondary.



Jeff Locke - The redshirt freshman filled in for a sore All-American Kai Forbath by kicking three field goals. Locke sent in kicks from 53, 23 and 35 yards. The one downside was a missed extra point.

Courtney Viney - Although the nickname Tiny Viney can be a downside when playing on defense, it can come in handy when the redshirt sophomore is returning punts. Because of his diminutive size he can be hard to find behind blockers. Viney proved this by returning a punt 94 yards for a touchdown.



The Bad

Quarterbacks - Prince, Richard Brehaut, Kevin Craft, Nick Crissman, and walk-on Ted Landers were a combined 16 of 34 for 184 yards two touchdowns (Crissman passing and Prince running) and one interception (Prince). Although the poor numbers Coach Rick Neuheisel said that after watching the tape Prince was better than originally thought.



The Top Two Running Backs - Christian Ramirez and Derrick Coleman both finished with negative yards rushing and Ramirez only played one series because he sprained his ankle. After the scrimmage the ankle injury was thought to be nothing too big, but Ramirez was on crutches and in a walking boot at practice on Monday.



Kick Coverage - On the other side of the coin from the great returns by Thigpen and Viney, the kick coverage on all of those plays was atrocious. No matter how electrifying return men are, they should not get that much room on returns.

Injuries - The two main injuries from the scrimmage were Ramirez ankle and freshman defensive end Keenan Graham suffered a broken jaw and will be out for an unspecified amount of time.

Freshmen Receivers - Ricky Marvray, Randall Carroll, and Morrell Presley combined for zero catches despite Carroll starting and Marvray and Presley getting plenty of plays.



Later this week I will be breaking down the team outlook for the rest of the season.

Quicknotes: Senior guard Micah Kia suffered a torn ACL last week in practice. Kia had taken a leadership role on the offensive line and was thought to platoon the left guard position with freshman Stan Hasiak. Kia will use his redhsirt season and sit out this year... The starting offensive line has been set at left tackle freshman Xavier Su'a Filo, left guard freshman Hasiak, center redshirt sophomore Kai Maiava, right guard junior Eddie Williams, and right tackle Jeff Baca. Baca is the only starter to play for the Bruins last year... The Bosworth twins Korey and Kyle have missed the last few days of practice due to an illness in the family.



One final thing to get people excited. I thought this link was great and reminds me of better times in the past and hopeful for better times starting this season.

Go Bruins.

Yesterday, I was able to attend my first practice of fall camp and I am impressed with how quickly and how far this team has progressed from spring camp.

In the spring the quarterbacks where still trying to get a relationship with the recievers. The offensive line was still losing the battle with the defense. The recievers were still unable to gain separation. And the running game was going nowhere.

However, things have changed since March. Kevin Prince looked like he was getting ready to put his name among the greats at UCLA. His command of the offense was supurb. He showed the arm strength to make any throw. He showed some mobility. And he showed poise.



The reason why Prince was able to showcase his talent was due in large part to the offensive line providing the quarterback time to look through his progression. Although there were a few times when the pressure created a virtual sack, it was not every single play, like it was in spring ball.

The left side of the line, which is manned by the two freshmen Xavier Su'a-Filo and Stan Hasiak, did a great job of opening running lanes for the running backs. Christian Ramirez, who has been pegged as the starting running back, sat out practice with a hamstring problem. Sophomore Derrick Coleman took a majority of the reps with redshirt freshman Johnathan Franklin as his primary back up. I think these two young backs compliment each other very well. Coleman is the big back with a solid burst of speed and Franklin is the speed back capable of breaking the long run. They could end up being the UCLA version of Lendale White and Reggie Bush.



All fall we have heard little about Randall Carroll, aside from him having blazing speed. He has been fighting injuries and had sit out a few practices. Yesterday was his coming out party. During the 1-v-1 passing drill, Carroll showcased his route running ability and his pass catching ability. Most times that conrners covered the speedy Carroll, they were so afraid of getting beat deep that they would give up huge separation on the shorter routes. The best 1-v-1 battle came between Carroll and Alterraun Verner. Verner, to that point, was dominant in the 1-v-1 battles. Rarely do you see a mismatch in favor of the defense, but Verner was one. However, Carroll got a step on Verner during a deep corner and and beat Verner to the ball. Not only did he make a great catch but he also dragged Verner into the endzone.



I also must make mention of my new favorite Bruin, Ricky Marvray. This kid is going to be something special. He reminds me a lot of Wes Welker for the New England Patriots. He is not very tall and not very fast but he makes up for it with outstanding route running and pass catching abilities. The only ball that he missed was an overthrown ball that ended up in the hands of a small child spectator. Marvray waited patiently for the kid to throw back the ball and was very encouraging of the small boy. Any females in the crowd were won over immediatly.



While the offense appears to be making strides to being a productive unit of this football team. The defense was only doing some fine tuning. During one sequence the linebackers and defensive backs were working on their zone reads during crossing routes. Good communication between the players led to a solid drill. Later the linebackers where working on blitzes going arond defensive linemen. It was fasinating to see how professional looking the defense was. They are going to remain as one of the best defenses in the conference.



During the special teams portion of practice it is apparent that this is going to be the weakness of the team. The coverage team got beat time and time again by long returns. Sophomore Courtney Viney looked good returning kicks. Because of his small stature he was hard to locate by the coverage team and was able to get down field before people knew where he was. There also appeared to be a rather heated argument between redshirt freshman punter Jeff Locke who wanted to kick live and special teams coach Frank Ganz who was in favor of using the Juggs machine.

Durring the 11-v-11 drills the offense worked on screen plays. Some worked and some were thrown terrifingly into traffic. The hit of the day was supplied by sophomore Datone Jones, who looked bigger and faster. The offense ran a counter running play with Derrick Coleman. Jones took one step up field and then cut through a hole in the line and laid the wood to Coleman, knocking the 230 pound running back about three yards backwards and down. It was an impressive explosion and hopefully one that we will see for years to come.

Towards the end of practice, the teams ran 11-v-11 third down sitiational plays using the first down markers. The offense did a great job converting a majority of them. Sophomore Tony Dye did get a good hit on Chane Moline in the openfeild to prevent one first down, but it appeared Dye got the worse of the hit and came up a little woozy.

Practice ended with the team doing some extra running because of puncuality. Although it was unclear who was the guilty party, coach Rick Neuheisel made it clear that if this team is going to make any strides to being a great program, this was something that would not go unpunished and should never happen again.

Quicknotes: Reggie Stokes will have surgury to repair torn cartalige in his knee. He will miss at least half of the season... Josh Smith, the transfer from Colorado, will sign his scholarship papers this week and will begin practicing with the team once school starts... Track star Coleman Edmund will also start practicing with the team once school starts... Fall scrimmage is Saturday at Drake Stadium at 5:00 p.m.

This past week was the first for UCLA fall camp. While there were ups and downs on both sides of the ball, the Bruins showed something that they haven't shown in some time: promise.

This week started with the NCAA mandated acclimation period where there are no two a days allowed for the first week and no pads allowed for the first five days. But as of Saturday UCLA has been in full pads and practicing twice a day every other day (another NCAA rule preventing two practices two days in a row).

While the defense still appears to be winning the war against the offense, surprisingly enough, the offense is winning some wars. The first string offensive, freshman Xavier Su'a-Filo at left tackle, freshman Stan Hasiak at left guard, sophomore Kai Maiava at center, junior college transfer Eddie Williams at right guard, and sophomore and only returning starter Jeff Baca at right tackle, line has stayed the same most of the week. They also have been doing an outstanding job protecting the quarterback and opening running lanes for the running backs, when you compare them with last year.




Quarterback Kevin Prince has appeared to make huge strides since the spring. He has taken on a leadership role for the offense and shown flashes of being one of the all time great quarterbacks for the Bruins. Now if he can translate that to game success and cut down on team turnovers, then UCLA should be a big surprise this season.



The running game seems to have turned a corner with the help of a talented offensive line. Although junior Christian Ramirez has been named the starter, sophomore Derrick Coleman has transformed himself into a force in the running game. At 6-feet 230 pounds and running a 4.5 40 yard dash, Coleman is a rare combination of size and speed that will be carrying the load much of the season for the Bruins. Redshirt freshmen Milton Knox and Jonathan Franklin have both had good moments but also need to be more consistent. Freshman Damien Thigpen has been making a case for no redshirt year by using his speed to stretch the field.

At wide receiver the biggest surprise has been the play of freshman Ricky Marvray. Marvray has come in and played like a veteran from day one. His routes are run smoothly and correctly, he catches everything, and has shown more speed than he was thought to have coming in. It seems that Marvray will not Redshirt this year and will see the field plenty.

On the defensive side everything is what you would expect. Brian Price is showing just what an all-American defensive linemen looks like. Datone Jones is quickly becoming the Bruins best young defensive linemen. Reggie Carter is doing what he does best, fill holes. Alterraun Verner is doing his best to show the younger defensive backs how it's done. And Aaron Hester is doing his best Alterraun Verner impersonation.







The only starting spot still up for competition on defense is the strong safety spot where sophomore Tony Dye and redshirt sophomore Glenn Love are battling it out. Dye's knock is that he is so versatile that he would almost be a better back up and nickle corner at this point. Love's knock is that he is still very inconsistent in pass coverage and plays like a much smaller player, not at all what you want from a 6-4 player.

Two a days continue all this week, culminating with a full team scrimmage this Saturday evening at Drake Stadium.



Quicknotes: Injuries to defensive tackle Jess Ward (sprained MCL out 2-3 weeks) and defensive end Reggie Stokes (torn cartilage out indefinitely) has forced the coaching staff to move some offensive linemen to defence. Junior tackle Sean Sheller is now lining up at defensive tackle and redshirt freshman tackle Connor Bradford is now lining up at defensive end... Also among the injured are senior offensive guard Nick Ekbatani (sprained MCL out 4-6 weeks)... Freshman Nik Abele, who started his young Bruin career at defensive end has been moved to offensive tackle where offensive line coach Bob Palcic begged coach Rick Neuheisel to keep Abele... Freshman fullback Jayson Allmound is making a case for no redshirt year.

Sidenote: I will be attending practice today and will have a full practice write up tomorrow.