OFFENSE

New offensive coordinator Mike Johnson has taken it upon himself to inject a little swagger into a passing game that has sunk to shocking depths, as the Bruins ranked 116th in the nation behind quarterbacks Kevin Prince and Richard Brehaut. Prince was sidelined for much of the season with a knee injury and participated little in the spring, but has good zip on the ball. Brehaut, meanwhile, tried to wrestle the position from Prince in the spring and fend off wunderkind freshman Brett Hundley, a highly rated prospect whom some UCLA fans view as the savior.

Johnson also needed to pump some life into a talented receiving corps that failed to live up to big expectations in 2010. There were drops aplenty, but Johnson takes over as wide receivers coach, and the veteran unit looked improved during the spring.

The Pistol is still the formation of choice in Westwood, and head coach Rick Neuheisel brought in long-time Nevada assistant Jim Mastro as running game coordinator to fine-tune a rushing attack that averaged 175.6 yards per game. Johnathan Franklin rushed for 1,127 yards last year, and he is backed up by the very capable Derrick Coleman

DEFENSE

The Bruins have talent on this side of the ball, but they also had talent last season under former coordinator Chuck Bullough, and that group sagged to 94th in the country in total defense and 86th in scoring defense. New sheriff Joe Tresey brings a rust-belt style to the position along with a pressure-heavy system that he employed at Cincinnati and South Florida. The players seemed to react well to Tresey’s demanding personality in the spring.

End Datone Jones has returned to his disruptive ways after he was forced to miss all of last season with a broken foot. He will lead a unit that is talented but very raw.

Sophomore Jordan Zumwalt is the man challenged with replacing NFL second-round pick Akeem Ayers at outside linebacker. He’ll join a unit that includes standout Patrick Larimore, who missed much of last year after shoulder surgery, and stalwart senior Sean Westgate.

Strong safety Tony Dye will lead a secondary that showed great promise at times last season, but also was raw and tentative. A new star is emerging in sophomore safety Dietrich Riley, and the Bruins are expecting more reliable play from cornerbacks Aaron Hester and Sheldon Price.

SPECIALISTS

Win some, lose some: The Bruins return one of the nation’s top punters in junior Jeff Locke, who finished fifth nationally in punting average last year, but 2009 Lou Groza Award winner Kai Forbath has graduated. UCLA’s return game has been lacking, so special teams coach Frank Gansz was sent packing. The returning gigs are completely open.

FINAL ANALYSIS

Heading into Year 4, Neuheisel took a scalpel to his coaching staff, and the success of that tinkering will go a long way in determining if there will be a Year 5 of the Neuheisel Era. UCLA, his alma mater, has underperformed, with a 15–22 record since he took the reins in 2008. The Bruins have fallen victim to bad luck, particularly at the quarterback position, but the program also has lacked a sense of urgency.

Now with Neuheisel on an increasingly warm seat, you better believe there is a pep in the Bruins’ step. Johnson and Tresey have brought a renewed sense of enthusiasm for the job, but both will learn the hard way if the injury bug continues to plague UCLA.