Spaulding Roundup: An Early Start For Arizona Week
by Patroclus on Oct 17, 2011 11:00 AM PDT
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With the Bruins playing this week's game on Thursday night rather than on Saturday, the team has adjusted its practice schedule accordingly, with game preparations starting with a Sunday afternoon practice session. Having football players deviating from their routine can sometimes have an effect on how they come out. At least after one day of practice, Coach Neuheisel thinks they are handling the change well.
"A very crisp practice," Neuheisel said. "I was pleased with the tempo, I was pleased with the way the kids are into it as well they should be. It’s exciting around here. We’ve got a big game on national television and if we can keep this thing rolling and play well this weekend, we can be in the thick of things so we’re excited about the opportunity."
The offense capped off practice with their best set of 2-minute drills of the season, starting off with an 80-yard TD from Kevin Prince to Shaq Evans, followed by a 35-yard pass play directed to Cory Harkey. Tyler Gonzalez made a pair of Field Goals to close out the session. Jill Painter filled in for Gold yesterday, and noted Brett Hundley saying that his progress has sped up greatly since getting the increased practice reps following Richard Brehaut's injury. Adam Maya quoted Neuheisel saying that Hundley will be ready to play on Thursday, if needed. In another intriguing practice note, Peter Yoon reported that Randall Carroll spent part of Sunday's practice with the first team defense - lining up at Cornerback when it went up against the scout team offense - while rejoining the first-team offense when it saw the field.
In injury-related news, Albert Cid, Sheldon Price and Nelson Rosario were all back and participating at practice, while Tony Dye and Alex Mascarenas were still unable to practice. Price and Rosario will both play against Arizona. Peter Yoon talked with Sheldon about his time off of the field and recovery from his sprained knee, and also with Datone Jones about his slow start, and the hope that his performance against Washington State is a sign of things to come from him. Video of Coach Neuheisel's post-practice remarks to the media is here.
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Good news in general
It’s good to hear that a lot of our players will be back. We’ll need a platoon of DBs against Arizona.
I take the offense’s performance at practice with a grain of salt…they are after all going up against our defense…
Not sure how I feel about Thursday yet. I think Arizona is a bit underrated. Out of their last 10 losses, 2 were against Oregon, 2 against Oklahoma State, 2 against U$C, and 2 against Stanford. I’m pretty sure most of the conference would have suffered the same fate. The loss to Oregon State is puzzling, but it could just be a case of the team getting used to losing…which makes me wary of the coaching change. UCLA is walking into a hornets’ nest. No excuses, but winning this game will make a pretty big statement IMO.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Winning this game will certainly count for something
UCLA has not beaten Zona in Tuscon since 2000. 2000! Tasser … we were not even 30 year olds back then. It is time.
2000 wtf?
Thats really bad. Anyway, glad we had the bye to get healthy, really looking forward to Thur, good chance to actually win one of our Thur. night BS games.
Yep, haven't beaten them in Tuscon 2000
It also tells us something about the terrible decade of UCLA football.
We don't win much out there
Arizona had it’s “glorious” decade in the 90’s as well.
Sigh…I’m taking the red eye right in the middle of the game. They have DirecTV on the plane though…are we on ESPN?
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Same here with the flying and yes, ESPN1
by bruinhopeful on Oct 17, 2011 1:54 PM PDT up reply actions
Offense v. Defense
I’m going to take the sarcastic optimist route, and assume that the offense’s performance means either:
a) we did what Wazzu couldn’t do, and broke open our vaunted bend-don’t-break defense, or
b) our defense wasn’t actually playing 10-yd cushions this time!
Hey, a guy can dream right?
classic trap game
Arizona is going to pass all over us…we’ll need to outscore them to stand a chance. I hope our offense is up to the task.
Post WSU Win
At the end of WSU game we were bum rushed and I saw CRN run a forty in four flat to stop our guys from kicking some arse. Hope that anger carries over to the Arizona game and our players channel the energy and run them over.
Does the Cal game start at 1:00 p.m.?
Cal game kickoffs at 4pm
from UCLA athletics twitter
Thanks for the info
Thanks zigggzzz, maybe that was 1:00 p.m. est I saw on the web. In any case, that is a pretty good start time. With our win at Arizona (yes we will win), and a win on the 29th (I am a believer) we will be well on our way to meeting BN EXPECTATIONS! I have a designated driver in my crew.
It doesn't work that way
Generally, est is three hours LATER than pst. Unless you’re facing south and east is to your left, in which case est is three hours earlier.
by GoodTimesBruin on Oct 17, 2011 8:44 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
I'm turned around
I can’t think straight. That dang game on Thursday has me tied in knots.
I love it when our guys are fired up
Ready to kick some ass and defend the blue and gold. Proud Bruins will hopefully turn into winners.
by AnteatersandBruins on Oct 17, 2011 11:39 AM PDT up reply actions
Yeah...
Kai Maiva (sp) got dinged pretty good by the cheap shot!!! RN can’t afford to have any suspensions for retaliation…especially Kai. Don’t really think anything can be done though…except maybe tell his players to protect themselves at all times. Hopefully the same cheap shot artist will be back next year and will get his comeuppance. (sp)
by GogetemBruins on Oct 17, 2011 12:37 PM PDT up reply actions
Last I saw of Prince was when we all thought he was shaving points in the Texas game.
Had to miss WSU because of work. So weird that Rick’s future at UCLA now basically depends on KP, as if we lose this one to Arizona our bowl hopes take a serious blow. Did Prince seem like he finally re-captured his early 2010 groove during the Wazzu game; running for big gains, hitting open receivers when necessary, etc?
What are u smoking?
Really, that headline is not even funny. Your comments are fine. Maybe you had a brain cramp.
Pretty poor attempt at sarcasm
in your headline…
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Go back and re-read the comments section from the first half of the Texas game
People were saying things far, far worse. And also…OF COURSE it’s a joke, calm down. I obviously don’t really believe Prince was doing anything nefarious/$c-like, or anything; I believe he was hurt and shouldn’t have been in the game, although he still played the worst half of football of any UCLA quarterback I’ve seen in years. I apologized for the dig at N in his Ben Ball preview article (understandably, too; that was a mean thing of me to do), but I’m not sorry for this. I made this comment because it’s unsettling to me that Rick’s entire UCLA future and our entire 2011 season now depend on a guy who, last I saw, played so terribly that we were openly pining for our backup QB before the first quarter was even over. The meat of my comment was trying to gauge peoples’ reactions from the Wazzu game; did it look like Prince had turned a corner and was playing like he did in early 2009/early 2010? Or was he just “getting by,” and could revert to Texas form against ARZ?
A little of both
I think he stepped up admirably under the circumstances. He made some awesome throws and a few terrible ones too. I don’t think you’ll see Texas Prince anymore. I still lay much of that blame on CRN’s decision to play Prince, essentially throwing him to the wolves after coming back from injury when he has a terrible history in games like that. Prince does well when he’s “the man”.
You can make all your points and raise the same questions without the snark and the digs. There are other ways of being funny.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Prince played well, but CRN will still probably be let go. Doesn't matter what Prince does.
Feeling his way around after all this time is redundant! Hopefully we’ll salvage the season. Prince could Very well resort to Ryan Leaf again at any time, But, I hope he plays like a stud like last week. However, it is what it is. I want to see Hundley play too!
By this time in the season, if anyone gets upset about remarks about CRN= Get over it, he sucks! Like I’ve always said: I love CRN, but “NOT” as our head coach!
I’ll cross my fingers in this one too, but won’t be surprised by anything. With the coaching I’ve seen this year, nothing surprises me anymore.
by look closer on Oct 17, 2011 10:09 PM PDT up reply actions
Not every joke works, 139.
I’m sure I’m older than you, and I’m equally sure I have therefore had more jokes miss than you.
Luv to hear the intensity is up
We need to develop that. If you look at Oregon, intense, and Stanford, confident, they have it in spades. We need to be quicker and more confident on both sides of the ball. Sound familiar? Be quick but don’t hurry. Mmmmmm.
Always sage advice
Coach Wooden was as intense as they come and no one ever out worked him. Coach W and his staff were always ready and his players had that confidence and intensity. CRN and the staff will step up this Thursday and have this team prepared to meet the challenge.
I truely hope for the best, for the sake of the season
CRN better have these guys prepped and ready to go for Thursday’s game. We need to see the intensity, the fierce attitude on both sides of the ball. We need to kick’em while they’re down and build some momentum from play to play and eventually game to game. Let go Bruins.. Kick some ARSE.
Yeah Coaches lets keep earning our money shall we. Have the players ready!
Show up, play like you"ve been there before, win the game and prepare for the next one.
Don’t be looking ahead.
I don't think CTSS's future should hinge on this game.
It sounds like the sentiment is that if we lose, he’s done for sure. If I am reading the sentiment correctly, then the implication is that if we win, he is good for the immediate future at least. I recognize that this game is the most important game of the week, but it’s just one game in the body of work. Remember that he has to go 17-2 to catch CTS. I think he should be summarily dismissed now based on his entire body of work. I also know that won’t happen. If he gets canned, it will be after it’s too late to get a good coach for next year.
The villain here remains Doughnut Dan, the single most useless piece of protoplasm since Lindsay Lohan.
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