Thursday UCLA Notes: Mora Ambivalence on Bye Week, Johnson Set to Return & Latest On Will Sutton

News and notes from UCLA's practice on Thursday as Bruins finish up final preparation for Arizona State.

Jim Mora on Arizona State: "A game we've got to go win"

I mentioned over the weekend how Arizona State is looming this Saturday as a must win game for Jim Mora's program. Bruins have to win this game to make advance a viable argument that football program is headed towards the right direction under Mora this season. It will reverse two ugly trends: pathetic performance on the road against conference teams with winning records and pathetic showing following bye week.

Peter Yoon provides more data on UCLA's awful road record in recent seasons:

It's well documented that the road has been unkind to the Bruins in recent years and it's especially true in conference play. The Bruins were 1-5 in Pac-12 road games last season and the average score in the five losses was 45-14.

The Bruins are 6-25 in conference road games since 2006 and haven't won two conference road games in a season since 2007. With a victory at Colorado already under their belts this season, the Bruins can get a second Pac-12 road win this weekend at Arizona State as well as bring their road win total to three. UCLA hasn't won three road games in a season since 2005.

Mora yesterday publicly talked about the big picture ramifications of this game:

"This is a big one for us and it's a big one for Arizona State," Mora said. "I think it has a lot of ramifications down the road and it's a game we've got to go win. ... These guys have taken advantage and put themselves in a position where they can do some good things if they finish strong and we can do some good things if we finish strong."

Glad to hear that Mora gets what's at stake on Saturday.

GO BRUINS.

Mora gets Philosophical

Coach Mora waxes philosophical after Wednesday's practice before the ASU game.

UCLA's Secondary Concerns: Marcus Rios May Miss Arizona State Game

From the LA Times:

UCLA cornerback Marcus Rios will undergo a sinus procedure this week and will miss Saturday's game against Arizona State.

Rios, a freshman, has been suffering from migraine headaches for three weeks. He has had similar sinus problems in the past.

The Bruins have used Rios in five games as a backup to starters Aaron Hester and Sheldon Price, both seniors.

Fabien Moreau, another freshman, is the only backup who has played cornerback this season. Safety Andrew Abbott has played cornerback in the past.

This may explain why coaches have been locked on to the Toast Twins. But although it doesn't undercut our view that coaches should move Andrew Abbott to his natural spot at CB, shift Tevin McDonald to FS, and work in combination of Dalton Hilliard and Stan McKay at SS.

Coaches should also look into working in Brandon Sermons and Anthony Jefferson. You can't expect to get by with only 2 CBs especially when taking on spread oriented attacks in the Pac-12 conference. Anyway, hope Rios get back in action soon.

GO BRUIINS.

VIDEO: Coach Mora's Tuesday's Post-Practice Comments

After a rare afternoon practice on Monday, the Bruins returned to their usual morning practice schedule today. And Coach Mora again met with the assembled media, talking about his decision to hold the early practice, keeping his players focused after the bye week, and the status of Torian White.

Torian White returned to practice on a limited basis today - riding a stationary bike and participating on some non-contact drills - and is expected to fully participate in practice tomorrow and start against ASU on Saturday. According to Mora's comments, the aftereffects of the heart procedure itself is not keeping Torian out, but recovery from the 'invasiveness' - as Mora phrased it - of how the procedure was carried out.

In terms of the 'invasiveness' aspect, I had a similar procedure performed several years ago - exploratory in my case, rather than Torian's corrective procedure - and recall that allowing the entry/access wound to heal was by far the critical part of recovery. It does involve several days of inactivity, but assuming no complications, Torian's recovery timeline seems spot on.

VIDEO: Back to Practice - Mora's Remarks

Coach Mora met with the media after practice today. The remarks were rather short, even for Mora. Here are the quick highlights after a few days off:

• It was the first afternoon practice since camp at San Bernardino. Morning practice resumes tomorrow, but it was a good chance to get some extra work in.
• Mora liked the opportunity the bye presented, such as a chance to work on fundamentals get some rest, give the young guys a look, and after three days off the players were able to refocus easily.
  
• There was a special visitor at practice - Cade, six years old, who is a huge UCLA fan and he had the chance to watch practice. (and probably named after one of the greatest UCLA QBs ever.) Mora said Cade inspires the players and he hopes it helps the players appreciate all they've got. Cade comes from a UCLA background, with an uncle that was a former gymnastics coach at UCLA. Cade was visiting courtesy of NEGU, which is a Pediatric Cancer Foundation, encouraging kids to never give up. All the best to you, Cade.

Mora talks offense against ASU

The Sun Devils are familiar with the U.C.L.A. offense, but they may be missing a key piece on the inside.

Jim Mora Gushes About "Physical" & Explosive Arizona State

Coach Jim Mora started the Arizona State game week by gushing about Arizona State. It's a must win game for the Bruins, who need to beat ASU to reverse decade long trends of mediocrity.