Neuheisel cancelled yesterday’s evening practice to "reward" his players for working their rear ends off this camp. They got some extra hours off and Norm Chow got to throw the first pitch in the Dodger game. So the Bruins officially begin their preparations for the first game today as all practices from here on are closed. But as Dohn reports today, apparently our coaches have been sneaky by getting our guys ready throughout the camp:

Truth be told, though, UCLA's offensive and defensive coordinators have been doing some Jedi mind tricks, putting pieces of the game plan in throughout training camp in anticipation of the 18th-ranked Volunteers' Sept. 1 visit to the Rose Bowl.

"We have about 20 percent in," Bruins offensive coordinator Norm Chow said. "As coaches, we've talked about it a lot, but we haven't talked about it much with the players."

Much of the concepts UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker will employ were implemented as he tries to predict how new Tennessee offensive coordinator Dave Clawson, who was formerly the coach at Richmond, will utilize Southeastern Conference talent.

"To be honest with you, the stuff that I knew we would use, we practiced all camp against our offense," Walker said. "Now, when we start preparing for (Tennessee), it's not going to be all foreign to the players."

However, individual players have been watching film on the Vols, and middle linebacker Reggie Carter said the focus is on stopping the running game. Tailback Arian Foster ran for 1,293 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, and the offensive line has size.

But Tennessee is breaking in a new quarterback, Jonathan Crompton.

"They definitely want to run the ball," Carter said. "(Foster) is a big, fast back. They have a nice offensive line, a couple of good receivers. The quarterback has (limited experience). We have to get to him, and make him beat us."

We will get more into the Volunteers starting next week. But needless to say huge part of our game plan is going to be figuring how to stop their running game. Not only is Foster a solid back, he is going to be running behind a pretty experienced and talented OL. So it will be imperative upon our DL to continue their success against the running game from last two years. And the two guys who will be the main pieces for Walker’s defensive scheme will be Brian Price and Brigham Harwell. The OC Register has a profile on our Midway Monsters, who Walker calls "Big Daddy & Little Daddy":

"Hopefully, they'll be as good as advertised," Walker said. "We're counting on them. We need those guys to have big years."

While coaches have tried to lower expectations at other positions – quarterback, offensive line and secondary spring to mind – nobody is backing off big talk when it comes to these two big men.

"I think we're the best tandem in the country," Harwell said.

Their position coach, Todd Howard, staked a similar claim. Howard thinks he has the best defensive line since he arrived in Westwood before the 2006 season and he has had the sack leader in each of his previous two years.

"I think they should be able to play the run as well as anybody's tackles in all of Division I," he said.

Their chemistry was forged in only a handful of practices, but they swear it's tangible. They eat lunch together at midday, then watch film together, then make life miserable for UCLA's rebuilding offensive line in the afternoon. Walker calls them Big Daddy and Little Daddy.

Independently, each says the other player is "like a brother."

Can’t wait to see these two in action. It never materialized last year due to Harwell’s injury and the time it took to get Price’s paperwork straightened out the first few weeks of his freshman season. The Bruin defensive game plan is going to begin and end with those two. If they can bottle up the running game, forcing the QBs to get it done through air, it will put lot of pressure on opposing Ds, and perhaps make it easier for our young secondary to attack the offense.

Speaking of our young secondary, Neuheisel and his coaches are going to announce soon who is going to redshirt and who will play this season. Here are Dohn’s projections based on what he has been hearing:

Will play this season
DB Rahim Moore, DE Datone Jones, WR Nelson Rosario, WR Antwon Moutra, TE Cory Harkey and RB Aundre Dean

May play this season
LB Sean Westgate, DB Tony Dye, DB Aaron Hester, RB Johnathan Franklin and WR Jerry Johnson

Likely to red-shirt
OL, Connor Bradford, OL Jeff Baca, LB Donovan Carter, RB Derrick Coleman, QB Nick Crissman, DE Damien Holmes, LB Patrick Larimore, RB Milton Knox, P Jeff Locke, QB Kevin Prince and S E.J. Woods

None of this is set in stone and could easily change based on injury and performance during games/practices. It is interesting to see Dantone Jones in the top list. He must have been having an impressive camp to make his move up the depth chart. Otherwise I don’t see any surprises.

Kevin Pearson from the Press Enterprise led of his report focusing on Aundre Dean, who has been learning to "stay down" as a college running back. After few ferocious hits from Walker’s crew, suffice to stay Dean is learning lesson at an accelerated pace.

Elsewhere on the injury front, Micah Kia was back at Spaulding yesterday. He wasn’t taking part in drills, but he might be close:

One day after breaking his left hand while blocking on a field-goal attempt, left tackle Micah Kia was back at practice but did not take part in team drills.

Kia said the hand felt as good as could be expected and he did not think it would sideline him for the Sept. 1 opener against Tennessee. He was in a short cast that also limited the mobility of his fingers, which could be the biggest factor in keeping him from playing.

"Hopeful would be the (best) word," Coach Rick Neuheisel said. "He's going to be able to play. How effectively he can play, we'll have to wait and see."

Micah got to listen to this from Jay Z:

The coaches opened the practice yesterday with that tune. I am sure Kia and others got the message from the first line. 

Gotta love the Jedi mind tricks.

GO BRUINS.

Have to start this Hump Day with a bit of bad news. We lost yet another OL to injury yesterday. Left Tackle Micah Kia, arguably the most athletic and gifted OL in our roster left practice yesterday with a broken left hand. Going in this camp, Kia had the most experience in our OL depth chart, starting 8 games last season. However, note the injury is not season ending and there is a chance, he might be available for season opener. Let’s lead off with Brian Dohn’s report on Kia’s injury:

"We're past overly concerned," Neuheisel said. "On that Ouija Board, with concerning we're past overly. Yeah, this is concerning. No question about it."

Kia broke the hand early in Tuesday's practice while blocking on the field-goal team.

Brandon Bennett, who has not played in his first two seasons at UCLA, took Kia's spot with the first-team offense, and gave the Bruins an offensive line consisting of a converted tight end Nate Chandler at right tackle, Sonny Tevaga and Nick Ekbatani - both of whom did not play last season - playing the guard positions with converted guard Micah Reed playing center.

Instead of doing a woe is me routine, Neuheisel addressed the latest injury news with humor, while maintaining his relentless optimism. He talked about how it still might be possible for Kia to play with his hand in a cast against the Vols:

"Guys play with that all the time, especially if you still have the use of some of your fingers," Neuheisel said. "It'll keep him from holding. How's that?"

Obviously coaches and Kia will have to wait to hear the doctor’s assessment on his injury before making any kind of decision. But we have seen in the past how OL have a whole different threshold of pain tolerance than average human (or even football players). So I won’t be shocked if Kia comes back for the Tenn game. Let’s hope though he rests up and heals up.

As for Bob Palcic, per the LA Times he is not nervous:

The bumps and dings include Nate Chandler, a tight end turned tackle who sat out three days because of turf toe, and guard Scott Glicksberg, a converted tight end who is still bothered by a sore shoulder.

"I had this experience in the NFL, where you can go into a game with seven linemen sometimes," offensive line coach Bob Palcic said.

"I remember coaching in the Canadian League and going into one game with six guys. That one substitute had to know all the positions.

"That prepared me tremendously for what is going on here now. I'm shuffling a lot guys around, making sure they know all the positions. That's why I don't get quite as nervous at it, as a lot of people do."

Besides, Palcic said, "We have 12 days and I'm going to be living with these kids."

More on Palcic’s philosophy in putting together his OL from the Press Enterprise:

"If my third tackle is better than my third guard, then my third tackle is going to play guard. The five best guys, I have to get them out there. When it initially happens, it slows down progress but eventually you are working with the five best guys, and that's what's best for the football team."

If Palcic is not nervous, we shouldn’t worry too much. Again right now all we are looking for is these kids to give everything they have and get better as a team on a week to week basis.

For the short term, there was some good news as RT Mike Harris (who had suffered a sprained ankle earlier in the camp) could be returning this week. Also returning to practice this week will be Jess Ward (who the coaches moved from DT to OL last week), who is recovering from a knee surgery in December. Moreover, according to Micah Reed, Brandon Bennett stepped up in practice yesterday after taking Kia’s place in the lineup:

"I'm not just saying this, but Bennett really stepped up his game (Tuesday)," Reed said. "In one-on-one pass rush, I don't think he lost one rep. He was ready to play. So when his number was called, he was ready to deliver. I'm pretty excited about that."

If you are wondering why these kids are not showing any kind of woe-is-me attitude in the face of adverse developments, I will leave you with this comment from CRN in response to a question whether he will ask the coaches to back off during practice:

Asked whether he had thought of backing off practice because of the injuries, Neuheisel said, "That would certainly be an option. But if you stop being physical, you stop giving yourself a chance to play, because it is going to be a physical game. I can call [Tennessee Coach] Phil Fulmer and ask if we could just play touch. I don't think he'll go for it."

Yeah ... so let’s carry on ... there will be peace ...(oh just cue our band).

 GO BRUINS.

Gilbert and Telemachus have been blogging their hearts about all the Bruin action in Beijing. But something special happened today which deserves special attention.

Looks like we have another Bruin Olympic track star establishing her own legend in the mold of Jackie, Flojo, Joanna and Gayle. From the official site:

Alum Dawn Harper upset the Olympic favorite on Tuesday in the 100m hurdles final at the Beijing Olympic Games as she raced to the gold medal in a lifetime-best time of 12.54. Running out of lane five, Harper ran away to victory, defeating her nearast competitor by .10 seconds. Lolo Jones, the gold medal favorite, hit the ninth hurdle and stumbled to a seventh-place finish. Damu Cherry, the other American in the final, placed fourth overall.

Harper had looked incredibly strong and fast in the first and semifinal rounds and was on pace for a medal in today's final. With today's win, Harper joins Joanna Hayes (2004), and Gail Devers (1996) as Bruin Olympic gold medalists in the high hurdles. The win also marks the second straight Olympic Games in which a Bruin has won the gold medal in the hurdles.

"In the beginning, I did feel a little more jitters than I did in the first round," said Harper. "I had to kind of shake them off. I knew I needed to react to the gun, just focus on me and be quick and attack each hurdle."

On winning being a surprise: "I felt I was always capable if I focused on myself. But for others, yes."

On Jones hitting the 9th hurdle: "I felt something happen. I didn't know how serious it was. You have to focus on you because if I get caught up on her then who knows what happens to me."

Jackie is proud:

On Jackie Joyner-Kersee: "She wasn't able to come to the Olympics this year, but she sent me an email telling me that you can do it and stay focused. It's about you. Run your race on that day and that time. Focus on you."

As well as Bobby K:

Harper is coached by UCLA volunteer Bobby Kersee, one of the most prolific sprint and hurdle coaches in the world. Kersee also coached Kerron Clement to the silver medal in the men's 400m hurdles during the Games.

Congrats Dawn. Take a bow. You are the toast of our Nation tonight.

More on Dawn and rest of the Bruin stars making history in Beijing here. Gilbert and Tele are simply doing some amazing blogging, keeping all of us plugged in.

GO BRUINS.

jlegs already blogged the story early this am. We have a starter and the news is not a surprise to anyone who has been following our practice reports on a day to day basis:

Craft during scrimmage action. Photo Credit: dabruins07's photostream (flickr)

Neuheisel and Chow are going with Craft. Lonnie White (the former Trojan alum/UCLA beat writer who must have been subbing for Chris Foster out at Spaulding) from the LAT has comments from Neuheisel and his new starting QB:

"Kevin has earned it with consistent play," said Neuheisel about Craft, a junior college transfer getting his opportunity after senior Ben Olson suffered a foot injury at the start of training camp. "He has the best mastery of the offense at this point. The kids took it well, and they are all in his corner pushing for him."

Craft, who began his college career at San Diego State and then played at Mt. San Antonio College before transferring to UCLA in the spring, did not seem surprised with the news.

"Obviously, I'm real excited, but I understand that we still have to work hard," said Craft, who passed for 4,231 yards and 44 touchdowns last season playing for his father, Tom, at Mt. SAC.

For his part, Forcier is taking the news in stride:

"I'm not reading anything into it," Forcier said. "I'm trying to keep getting better every day. Kevin's doing a good job out there. I'm going to keep proving myself. We're battling out there. It doesn't mean the job is closed. Competition is a good thing. Anything can happen. You saw that with Pat (Cowan) and Ben (Olson). I have to be prepared."

Craft is UCLA's third starting quarterback for the 2008 season, and the Bruins have yet to play a game. Cowan was named the starter, then suffered a season-ending knee injury in the spring, and Olson is on crutches and out with a broken right foot. Craft will take the majority of the snaps now as UCLA begins its preparations for Tennessee on Thursday.

Forcier needs reps for improvement, but his reps will be curtailed.

"I was very impressed with (Forcier) and continue to be," Neuheisel said. "I won't bat an eye if I need be to put him in the game, because I think he'll make something good happen. I just want him to know more. I want him to be an expert. I want him to be able to teach a class on UCLA offense. I don't think he's ready to do that."

Reading between the lines, I get the sense Neuheisel sat down with both of these guys before going public with the announcement, and explained to them the thought process behind the coaches’ decisions. From their comments it sure sounds like all of them are in the same page as they know what coaches are expected from them and how they can’t afford to relax because the formality of announcing a starter, doesn’t mean competition stops at Spaulding.

As for Craft’s immediate guru – Norm Chow – he laid out what he is expecting from his young QB in the coming weeks:

For offensive coordinator Norm Chow, the goal is to now get Craft ready to lead UCLA's young offense against the Volunteers on Sept. 1.

"I think that [Craft] has known since Ben went down, that the job would be his if he performed as he should," Chow said. "Hopefully, he'll step up and do what he has to do."

And where does Craft need the most improvement?

"Making quick decisions," Chow said. "He has to get the ball out to help the offensive line a little bit. . . . You don't have to throw a touchdown pass on every down. He's improving in that area."

And more from CRN on how Kraft has a "long way to go" to turn into a "finished product":

"He's got a nice command of the offense, and given his experience - since he's been under the lights before - the effort he's put forth and the throws he's made," Neuheisel said. "That doesn't mean he's error-free. It doesn't mean he's a finished product. I think he has a long way to go. I think he's capable of getting there."

While the coaches are methodically sorting out the QB situation, Bob Palcic continues to look for the best combination among the guys up front:

Nate Chandler was back from a foot injury Monday and worked out with the first team at right tackle, while Nick Ekbatani moved from right tackle to left guard.

Offensive line coach Bob Palcic is still tinkering with the line since he hasn't found a combination he likes.

"I'm still looking for the five best players," Palcic said. "That may continue to change until I feel totally comfortable that the five best are out there. It could be any time. I just really don't know. We'll keep the competition level high and keep working these guys hard. Eventually, we'll develop into a cohesive unit."

In addition to developing them into a cohesive unit, Palcic is also looking for a leader:

Offensive line coach Bob Palcic said his unit knows its assignments but has yet to consistently carry them out. He is also looking for a leader.

"I can't create one," Palcic said. "Someone has to take the bull by the horns and become the leader."

Hopefully someone will step up as they continue to grind it out every day. This is not going to happen over night. It’s going to happen through repetition, dedication, commitment, and total focus and attention to some of the best coaches in the game.

GO BRUINS.

Today is apparently WWL’s Pac-10 preview day (at least in the online section of their college football page). And the headliner happens to be none other than CRN. You can already see WWL's Ivan Maisel's sit down with CRN below.  In addition to that interview Maisel has written up (yet another) profile piece on CRN with the angle of the prodigal son of Westwood looking for "redemption":

Maisel’s piece is extensive and hits on lot of familiar themes we have been reading in Neuheisel profiles this year. Yet Maisel managed to squeeze in some new comments from Neuheisel on how he is not the same person who left Washington five years ago and some new stories re his original and latest arrival in Westwood. First, Neuheisel told Maisel about how his decision making process (to date) as head football coach at UCLA has been different than the one he was used to as the head guy at UDub:

He hasn't coached a game yet, and given the Bruins' injuries at quarterback and the lack of experienced offensive linemen, that may be a blessing. But when Neuheisel talks about the task before him, he doesn't sound like the coach who left Washington five years ago.

He isn't.

"The one thing that's been different about this job and the jobs previous for me," Neuheisel said, "has been that I haven't succumbed to that feeling like, 'You're behind.' There's always a feeling like you're behind. There is always a sense of urgency, like 'I've got to do this or we're going to fall behind on that guy (recruit). We're going to fall behind on this guy.'

"And I haven't succumbed to that, doing something that I haven't thought out and made sure that we do it the right way. At the end of the day, there is time. What there isn't time to do is go back and fix mistakes that were made in haste."

In other words CRN will be living by the word of some legendary Coach who preached the axiom of "be quick, but don’t hurry."  Well Neuheisel will have time on his side at UCLA. He has already shown his quick impact in his ability to bring in Norm Chow while holding on to DeWayne Walker. He will get his share of recruits if he goes on to build this program with the same methodical tenacity and relentless his counterpart has shown over at the basketball front. It will take time. But the greater community of alums and students will back him as long as goes on about rebuilding our program the right way.

And one of the main reasons we are going to give him this room is because his story on how arrived and made a name for him at UCLA. From Maisel on Neuheisel’s path to UCLA as a walkon:

"At the end, I was trying to decide if I was going to Princeton or UCLA," Neuheisel said, "and I had really made up my mind I was going to Princeton, because I hadn't heard from UCLA. And now that I'm on this side of the fence, I understand why I hadn't heard -- I wasn't that important.

"But I got a phone call like four days before (the Bruins) were going to start camp. And Terry says, 'Are you going to be there?'

And I said, 'Coach, I think I'm going to go to Princeton; they've shown that they want me and need me and all that kind of stuff.'

So he says, 'That's probably a good idea. Especially if you don't think that you can play at this level.'

Well we have read the stories about what followed in Westwood. Maisel’s piece goes on to provide more stories about Neuheisel keeping at it – relentlessly (something Forcier, Dean, Moore and all other young Bruin underclassmen I am sure can relate) – at Spaulding, while fighting away the freshmen homesickness (familiar to many of us) day after day. We know how the story of Neuheisel as a UCLA student ended in his senior season in Westwood. Here is how the Neuheisel as the head coach of UCLA era started (also recounted in WWL's OTL interview w CRN)

On Dec. 31, the day UCLA introduced him as its coach, Neuheisel had coffee with the chancellor emeritus, Charles E. Young, and then took a walk across campus.

"So I'm standing right in front of Royce Hall and Powell Library and I'm up on the top of Janss Steps," Neuheisel said, referring to the 87 steps named for the family that sold to the state the land that would become UCLA. "It's one of the most beautiful places on campus because you look out and there's Bel Air to the left and Beverly Hills behind you and you're looking down on all the athletic facilities and the dorms are in front of you." Neuheisel soaked it all in and nodded to himself.

"And it was like, 'I'm back,' " Neuheisel said. "And I kinda did that Rocky thing at the top." As he raised his arms above his head, basking in the moment, "Some poor student behind me is like, 'Are you okay, sir?' "

From the top of Janss Steps, Neuheisel called his parents. This time, he didn't tell them he wanted to come home. He already had.

And here is a little shot of Neuheisel’s (and our) home:

Janss Steps. Photo credit: twinkl1o04's photostream (flickr)

We know it will take him a while to make things right again in Westwood. But that is all right. Reading that article once again gives the impression how a guy is finally at peace with the strength and weaknesses of what makes up his identity. Given what we have seen from him last few months, we feel even better about UCLA decision to bring him home. Given the way he has handled himself with a chip on his shoulder, we all feel good that he is going to shine though as a head coach, just like he did as a walk on Bruin quarterback. It’s just a matter of time. But as we said above, no need to hurry. He is home.

GO BRUINS.