UCLA Bruins
2010 record: 4-8 overall, 2-7 conference
2010 Bowl Game: N/A
2010 ATS: 3-9
2010 O/U: 6-6
Returning starters: 15 total (7 on offense, 8 on defense)
Over the month of August, our team of writers will be previewing the top teams heading into an exciting 2011 campaign. The college football handicappers at Maddux Sports are also preparing and have season-long packages readily available for clients.
Let’s take a trip to Southern California and take a look at Rick Neuheisel’s fourth year in Westwood.
Offense
UCLA desperately needs a quarterback to step and take control of the offense, as Richard Brehaut and Kevin Prince are front-runners in camp to start the season behind center in Houston on Sept. 3.
Brehaut started seven games and played in nine contests overall in 2010, completing 119 of 212 passes with six touchdowns and seven interceptions.
New offensive coordinator Mike Johnson takes over for the departed Norm Chow, as many that followed the program closely started to see a rift between Chow and head coach Rick Neuheisel, as the team moved toward a Pistol-oriented offense.
Junior running back Johnathan Franklin ran for 1,127 yards a year ago and the unit welcomes back its top seven rushers from 2010. UCLA finished fourth in the conference and 32nd nationally in rushing offense last year.
Nine of the top 10 receivers from a year ago also return, as seniors Taylor Embree and Nelson Rosario will line up opposite each other. Embree is the leader of the group after catching 32 passes for 409 receiving yards.
The offensive line brings plenty of quality starting experience to the table, returning two players who started 10 of 12 contests a year ago and two others who started in 2009, but sat out last season.
Defense
The unit returns eight starters in total and the strength is likely to be on the defensive line, as six players with starting experience are found and will add a healthy Datone Jones to that mix.
Jones missed last season with a foot injury, but started all 13 games in 2009, ranking third on the squad with four quarterback sacks.
First-year defensive coordinator Joe Tresey has been brought in to resurrect a defense that ranked 86th nationally in scoring defense, as he’s an architect of a pressure-heavy system that he used while spending time at Cincinnati and South Florida.
A pair of starters return in the linebacking core, led by Sean Westgate, who finished with 90 tackles a year ago and all-conference honorable mention honors. He will be joined in the front seven by middle linebacker Patrick Larimore, who started seven games before going down with a shoulder injury.
The secondary returns three starters from 2010 and several talented reserves that has Neuheisel excited. Senior All-America candidate Tony Dye will lead the group from his strong safety position.
Special Teams
The placekicking job is up for grabs and many around the program expect redshirt freshman Kip Smith to assume the role. He displayed a good leg in spring practice and earned All-America honors during his prep years in Colorado.
Junior Jeff Locke is entrenched with the punting responsibilities, averaging a net average of 41.3 yards a year ago, which led the nation.
Senior wide receiver Josh Smith served as the main kickoff returner in 2010 and ranked 13th in the conference in all-purpose yards.
Embree figures to handle the punt return responsibilities after ranking sixth in the Pac-10 last year.
Against the Spread
After three-straight years of winning numbers against-the-spread, UCLA failed miserably in the department a year ago. The Bruins have still managed to post a solid 10-6 ATS record when playing as a home underdog.
Bet On
Hosting Texas in Week 3 is likely to produce a winner for backers, as the team is 3-0 ATS in the last three meetings, including a 34-12 road win last year as 15.5-point underdogs.
Fade Away
A dangerous home game awaits the Bruins against the Washington State Cougars on October 8, as the contest is sandwiched in between road games against Stanford and Arizona. UCLA is 2-8 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
