UCLA 2007 Preview

With the way UCLA flaunted its stunning 13–9 December upset of USC, selling everything from t-shirts to framed pictures on the athletic site’s web page, one would think the Bruins used the triumph to catapult to a Pac-10 championship.

However, the Trojans went on to win the Rose Bowl while the Bruins lost to Florida State in the Emerald Bowl and finished 7–6.

Such a topsy-turvy season should not appear to be an issue for the Bruins in 2007 as fifth-year coach Karl Dorrell looks to make the biggest, and most important, leap of his career. UCLA returns 20 starters, and a favorable schedule adds to the lofty goals.

“We have a good deal of experience back, a lot of guys that have played a lot of football, and now it’s time to make a move.’’ Dorrell says.

Continuity in the complex West Coast offense has been a problem under Dorrell, who is on his fourth offensive coordinator in five years. Jim Svoboda was fired after the Bruins averaged 23 points last season, and former Nebraska offensive coordinator Jay Norvell, who will call the plays, was brought in to run the same system.

Quarterbacks
Junior Ben Olson played significantly for the first time since 2001, but his season lasted only five games before a knee injury sidelined him. The injury cost him vital experience needed for the Bruins to really take off offensively this season. However, the 6'5", 227-pound Olson still possesses the tools needed to be a big-time quarterback. He has arguably the strongest arm in the conference, the size to see over the line of scrimmage and enough agility to avoid pressure. Expect Olson to be hungry from the first snap of training camp because of how much time he missed last season. Junior Patrick Cowan lost the competition with Olson last training camp and was inconsistent as a replacement. He completed 52.5 percent of his passes, and also threw nine interceptions to go with 11 touchdowns.

Running Backs
The explosiveness is missing in this position, but senior Chris Markey adds an element of toughness and versatility. He led the Bruins in rushing (1,107 yards) and receptions (35) but acknowledged he could have run harder and with more of an edge late in the season. It won’t help that Markey missed most of spring practice because of a stress fracture in his foot. Junior Kahlil Bell returns after being suspended for the end of last season because of a violation of team rules. He is a straight-ahead runner and may wind up competing with bruising sophomore Chane Moline for carries behind Markey. Freshman Raymond Carter could be the speedy back UCLA needs, and he could make in immediate impact. But that is contingent on his ability to pick up the offense quickly and survive the rigors of training camp. Dorrell does not have a history of relying on freshmen, but Carter could force his way into the picture.

Receivers
Marcus Everett, Joe Cowan, Terrence Austin, Jeremy McGee, Gavin Ketchum and Brandon Breazell make this UCLA’s deepest unit and should open up the passing game because of the experience. Breazell and Everett showed last season they had the ability to make big plays, and the talented, quick Austin just needs more experience. The return of Cowan, who was UCLA’s leading returning receiver in 2006 before a training camp knee injury, bolsters the unit. One player who could come out of nowhere is McGee, a sophomore who began his career at tailback, moved to cornerback and now is set at receiver. He is the fastest player on the roster and could create havoc via slip screens and reverses. What this unit is missing is size. Cowan and Ketchum are both 6'4", but they don’t use their height to their advantage, so the coaching staff is hoping 6'4" Dominique Johnson develops into a red-zone threat. Tight end is another issue, especially with junior Ryan Moya sitting out spring practice because of an ankle injury. Junior Logan Paulsen returns after making 27 catches, but the tight end was not a primary focus of last year’s offense.

2007 Schedule
S. 1	at Stanford	W
S. 8	BYU	W
S. 15	at Utah	W
S. 22	Washington	W
S. 29	at Oregon State	*
O. 6	Notre Dame	W
O. 20	California	*
O. 27	at Washington State	W
N. 3	at Arizona	W
N. 10	Arizona State	W
N. 24	Oregon	W
D. 1	at USC	L
Games in bold represent swing games. W or L indicates a projected win or loss.

Offensive Linemen
With the blessing of Dorrell, first-year offensive line coach Bob Connelly scrapped the strong-side, weak-side approach and went back to the traditional left and right side alignments, then altered pretty much everything else. “We wanted to try and get our best five on the field,’’ Dorrell says. Chris Joseph moved from guard to center, Noah Sutherland moved from tackle to left guard, and Micah Kia was put at left tackle after spending 2006 as a rarely used backup. Shannon Tevaga remained at guard, where he will play alongside tackle Aleksey Lanis on the right side, which is the southpaw Olson’s blindside. A year ago Lanis played on the strong side of UCLA’s offensive line, and usually had blocking help from a tight end. The starting five should be strong, but experienced depth is a major issue. Only Lanis’ backup, senior Brian Abraham, has more than bit game experience.

Defensive Linemen
Senior All-American Bruce Davis, who had 12.5 sacks last season, mans one defensive end spot, but it is the loss of 12.5-sack defensive end Justin Hickman that is of utmost concern. Nikola Dragovic takes over for Hickman after being used sparingly in 2006 as he returned from reconstructive knee surgery. Although the Bruins plan to line Davis up on the weak side whenever possible, opponents are likely to make Dragovic prove he is capable of impacting a game before committing too many blockers to him. Senior defensive tackles Kevin Brown and Brigham Harwell finally have the size to go with their talent and experience. Both figure to weigh 300 pounds when the season starts, but both have been hampered by injuries and need to remain healthy. Incoming freshmen defensive tackle Brian Price and defensive end Akeem Ayers, who could play linebacker, should get playing time and add depth.

Linebackers
Small is the way at UCLA, which is evidenced by incoming freshman Steve Sloan. He is 6'2", 219, and one of the bigger members of this corps as second-year defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker tries to utilize this unit’s speed and smarts to offset the lack of size. Senior middle linebacker Christian Taylor was limited in spring practice as he continued to recover from a badly sprained ankle suffered midway through the season. Although he is not the most athletic or hardest hitting middle linebacker in the Pac-10, the Air Force transfer is smart and puts the defense in the correct position. Weak-side linebacker Reggie Carter is UCLA’s best hitter, and should be a tackling machine now that he has a year of experience. Strong-side backer Aaron Whittington is good in space. Like so many other areas of this team, there is very little experience behind the starters, although John Hale will push Whittington daily.

Defensive Backs
Cornerbacks Trey Brown and Rodney Van, free safety Dennis Keyes and strong safety Chris Horton comprise one of the best secondaries in the Pac-10. All are seniors. Brown is the death and taxes guy, because he is always there. He enters the season with 30 straight starts and has developed such a reputation that opponents usually do not challenge him. Van is talented but needs to be more consistent or he will lose playing time to Alterraun Verner. This competition figures to last all season. Walker likes to utilize nickel packages, and the return of Michael Norris, who missed last season with a knee injury, is welcomed. The one quasi-weakness on this unit is depth at the safety spots. Horton, a big hitter and good tackler, and Keyes are proven players, but their backups, Bret Lockett and Aaron Ware, have mostly special teams experience.

Specialists
Redshirt freshman Kai Forbath once kicked a 57-yard field goal in high school, so the leg strength is evident. However, he replaces All-American Justin Medlock, who made 28-of-32 field goal attempts last season. Kicking on the groomed Rose Bowl turf is nice, but how will Forbath do under pressure? Junior punter Aaron Perez has yet to find his consistency, and the Bruins need to settle on a punt returner. A year ago, Dorrell tried a bunch of returners, many of whom had trouble catching the ball, and the role became a never-ending question.

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