Spaulding Roundup: Spring Forward Time

by Nestor on Apr 2, 2009 5:10 AM PDT in Football Comment 9 comments

So spring practice starts today. Again for those who are looking to head out to Spaudling today or sometime in next few days here is the tentetive schedule from the official site:

Week One - April 2 (4:00 pm), April 3 (4:00 pm) and April 4 (11:00 am).
Week Two - April 6 (4:00 pm), April 7 (4:00 pm), April 9 (4:00 pm) and April 11 (12:30 pm).
Week Three - April 13 (4:00 pm), April 14 (4:00 pm), April 16 (4:00 pm) and April 17 (4:00 pm).
Week Four - April 20 (4:00 pm), April 21 (4:00 pm), April 23 (4:00 pm) and April 25 (7:00 pm Spring Game at the Rose Bowl).

All of these sessions are open to public. So for those who really want to learn about this team, this is probably the best time.

Dohn starts his spring coverage with a focus on the QB situations. Some interesting comments from Coach Chow re. his two QBs - Prince and Brehaut - who will get bulk of the reps at least in the early going. First, Chow had this say about Prince:

"He's been in the system as long as anybody, so he's got to have it down mentally," Chow said. "Now, he's just got to let his athleticism go. He's got to compete. This is his opportunity.

"He's smart, got a good, strong arm. He's very accurate, (has) a lot of leadership factors."

Apparently the staff was thinking of putting Prince in during desperate times last season but held off because they didn't want burn his redshirt year. Moreover, they wanted to make sure he was completely healed up from his injury. Meanwhile, Kevin had this to say about coming back from injury (he suffered in the first game of his senior year in high school) and also putting off his mission:

"There were times last year when it was hurting, and I was a little concerned about it during training camp, but as the season wore on it didn't bother me all," Prince said. "It doesn't hinder anything I do. It feels fine. There's no problems, and there haven't been for a while."

Prince also said UCLA's quarterback situation also called him to put his mission plan on hold.

"I've put it off for now," Prince said. "It's definitely something I want to do in the future, but with the opportunity of possibly being able to play this year this has been my goal for a very long time and I wan to see it through."

As for Brehaut, folks don't expect too much out of this kid at least for now. He just got the playbook:

NCAA rules prohibited Brehaut from getting his hands on the playbook until the first day of classes. So, Monday, he received the book, and by today's 4 p.m. start of practice, he was expected to know 93 pages of plays, which includes formations, signal calls, blocking schemes and receiver routes.
"I would say it's about 30 different pass concepts, probably 25 run concepts, and I need to know our protections as well," Brehaut said.

"Each page is, `Here's what happens in cover-2, here's what happens in cover-2 Tampa, here's what happens in cover-4, here's what happens in two-man.' "You have to know all that. Ninety-three pages by Day One."

At Los Osos High of Rancho Cucamonga, Brehaut said there were approximately 50 plays, and he learned them in his sophomore year.

"I've had a lot of meetings with coach Chow," Brehaut said. "I was probably in there four hours (Monday) night and I'm going to meet (Tuesday) for another two hours. We also had a quarterback meeting at 6:30 a.m. (Tuesday)."

Again, I would remind anyone expecting too much out of this kid to google "J.P. Losman + UCLA." I think the most important thing for Brehaut will be to first getting used to the rhythm of attending classes and keeping up the pace at practice. Once he gets used to that (in addition to meeting all the basic demands from his staff), I think he will put himself at a good place heading into this Fall. Even Chow isn't expecting much out of Brehaut at this point of time. Here is what he said when he was reminded of Phillip Rivers, the last true frosh who got to start under him:

"Rivers was probably as advanced a freshman as you will have," Chow said. "He's the son of a coach. He's been around ball his whole life, and he's a gym rat. Is Brehaut that way? I don't know if they make them that way anymore."

LOL @ classic Chow.

While we are all going to be intrigued about the QBs, Neuheisel and coaches will also going to very interested to find out how our OL shapes up in next few days:

Center Kai Maiava, a transfer from Colorado, is eligible after being a redshirt last season. Ryan Taylor has arrived from Tyler (Texas) Community College and will compete at guard and center. Stanley Hasiak and Xavier Su'a-Filo, upper-crust freshmen, will get a shot during fall camp.

"We got a couple guys who will probably be added to the mix when we get back to two-a-days in fall," Coach Rick Neuheisel said. "The puzzle won't be solved [in spring], but we will come out of spring with seven or eight guys."

Expected to be part of that group are tackle Nate Chandler, a converted tight end who has grown from 260 to 290 pounds, and Jeff Baca, who got some experience as a freshman and tops the depth chart at left guard. Tackle Sean Sheller returns after sitting out last year following a knee surgery.

"A year ago, we were just trying to find bodies. Now we actually get to watch guys compete for jobs," Neuheisel said.

From the last reports we read Sheller was fully healthy. For those who are going to practices, would love to hear your observations on Maiava, Sheller and Chandler (along with the rest of OL). Oh and don't forget your cameras. Looking forward to reading some first hand reports here on BN.

GO BRUINS.

0 recs | Comment 9 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Looking forward...

…to an improved second year under CRN and staff.

All hail the Mighty Bruins!

by seernst on Apr 2, 2009 9:16 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Just curious

Wasn’t “simplification” (compared to the WCO) one of the positives that Coach Chow brought to the offense? That is, didn’t UCLA go from fat play-books and complex schemes to a relatively few simple plays in different formations and situations? Or, was this just for last year?

Both Coaches Neu and Chow want the QB to know the plays cold, to think on his feet, and to lead. Even with a “simple” playbook, running a D1 college offense requires intelligence and composure, as well as athleticism. So, absorbing even a “simple” 93-page playbook is no small feat. Not to mention, that the jump from high school to college presents another order-of-magnitude difficulty.

In any case, would you say that UCLA’s playbook is thinner and simpler than most?

by Bruinut on Apr 2, 2009 10:54 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Two points

When we got Coach Chow, someone posted excerpts from his playbook. I’m not a good looker-upper of things here, but it ought to be findable. It seemed to me to be pretty complicated, but that gets me to my second point. What sounds complicated to the point of impossibility to guys like me (and maybe to you) might not be so complicated to guys who have played football in highschool and in college. Plus they get to ask questions to Coach Chow and Coach Neuheisel, whereas all that we get to do is to look at what appears bo be an impossiibly tough graduate division textbook.

Second point is that I refuse to accept that justsc QB’s are smarter than Bruin QB’s. In fact, I’m confident that the opposite is true. But the justsc QB’s figured out Coach Chow’s system, which means by definition that our guys can as well.

by Fox 71 on Apr 2, 2009 12:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Just as

“getting stronger” was a major goal when CBH rode into town, it seemed that last year, “simplifying” the offense was a prime focus. This seemed right, to me. Better to do a few things well than to have a broad, encyclopedic knowledge of plays. A pitcher doesn’t need 47 different pitches. Two or three will do, given control and changing of speeds.

As I think you know, I certainly wasn’t demeaning our QBs. Like you, the plays from Coach Chow’s playbook looked to me eerily like particle physics in a bubble chamber. (Maybe why that’s why they call him a “split” end?)

Playing QB seems to me to require all the brains and mental agility of a med student or engineer, plus the willingness to be flattened by a 300-pound mass of angry humanity on occasion, and then the ability to get back up and do it all again.

I was just wondering how the playbook of Coach Chow 2009 looked, compared to, say, those of his contemporaries. Thinner and less complex? More? About the same?

by Bruinut on Apr 2, 2009 2:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

a combination of simple and comfort

from what i’ve read on chow’s offenses, he likes to run only about 5 or 6 pass plays, but he does it from 9-10 different formations. the concepts remain the same, but that way, even if the defense knows the routes, it’s hard to get a read because the routes come from different formations. for example, if the two receivers run slants and then there are two flat routes underneath the slants, the flat routes can come from the TE on the line, the fullback, the tailback, the receiver in the slot, etc. the point is that the defense can’t distinguish where these routes come from…

however, i thought we went shotgun much more than chow normally would have last year, and i think that was due to trying to keep craft somewhat comfortable. this is where chow had to give a little bit and adapt, and we even saw him call run plays from the shotgun, just to keep the defense honest.

the difference between chow and the WCO is more a matter of what to do with the play thats called against the defense that is seen. this is why we read about so many different things that RB had to read through in his first few days. i think the WCO has more reads and more pass plays…chow only has 9-10 if i remember what i read. basically its a “take what they give you” kind of scenario

my guess would be that over time, chow will keep his qb exclusively at the line of scrimmage provided we have adequate protection…in any case, we’ll see how it goes this year. i’m assuming we’ll have a better OL with maiava and the freshmen in the mix…

matsumoto class of '05

by matsumoto720 on Apr 2, 2009 2:49 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

This makes sense.

Thanks.

You’re right about the shotgun. It gives the QB a tick more time to unload before the flood through a porous line reaches him. Similar, perhaps, to the dilemma faced by every batter on every pitch: whether to swing, take, or get the hell out of the way.

by Bruinut on Apr 2, 2009 3:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The advantage of shotgun for a young QB is that he is still able to focus on the field at the snap rather than concentrating on his footwork as to not trip over his own feet while dropping back….dont have to teach drops, timing, tempo, just concentrate on figuring out who to throw it to.

by jtthirtyfour on Apr 2, 2009 7:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Mike Leach's Playbook is

invisible. There isn’t one.

I always thought that was cool.

CNC did an amazing job with what he had last year and showed great flexibility in adapting to talent. We ran KC out of the shotgun to keep him alive, as well as comfortable.

I can’t wait ‘til we have the talent to let CNC run the “true” offense he has designed. And, I know it won’t be long.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Apr 2, 2009 4:51 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Leach only really runs a handful of concepts, doesnt really try to hide it – runs them out of several different looks and throws in a few tags but its basically the same stuff. On his last drive in the upset against texas last year, he basically ran the same play over and over (except for one) until they got into the endzone.

Can’t help but admire Mike Leach as a coach…if not for CRN he would be my 2nd choice along with Paul Johnson. Both those coaches are really similar in what they do, only one passes the ball and one runs it – but their teams play the same way, they rep the hell out of the basics in practice, keep their offenses simple, and just execute.

Chow’s stuff isnt all that different to many of the basic airraid concepts (mesh, dig, deep cross, all-curl, flood)…I just know that he teaches (or did, from what I’ve seen floating around the internet) the QB reads differently – a little more complex than texas tech. You can line up in whatever formation you want and still have the same look – doesnt matter where the players line up, only where they end up.

by jtthirtyfour on Apr 2, 2009 7:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs