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TB
Chris Markey |
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2005
Statistics |
Coach:
Karl Dorrell
22-15,
3 years |
2005
Record: 10-2 |
|
at
San Diego State |
WON
44-21 |
RICE |
WON
63-21 |
OKLAHOMA |
WON
41-24 |
WASHINGTON |
WON
21-17 |
CALIFORNIA |
WON
47-40 |
at
Washington State |
WON
44-41 (OT) |
OREGON
STATE |
WON
51-28 |
at
Stanford |
WON
30-27 (OT) |
at
Arizona |
LOST
14-52 |
ARIZONA
STATE |
WON
45-35 |
at
USC |
LOST
19-66 |
SUN
BOWL |
vs.
Northwestern |
WON
50-38 |
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2005 Final Rankings
AP-16, Coaches-13, BCS-16
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2006
Outlook |
Karl
Dorrell managed to guide a team with
a potent offense and a porous defense
to a 10-win season, and the offense
should be equally, if not more dangerous
in 2006. Depth is almost no question
offensively where there are at least
two capable halfbacks, a host of wide
receivers, two capable quarterbacks
and six offensive linemen with starting
experience.
The
addition of junior Taylor and Terrence
Austin to an already deep wide receiving
corps will only help Ben Olson's emergence
as a starter. The only question is
how efficient can this offense be?
Last year's perfectly balanced offense
took care of the football and put
up points against every team it played.
Can this offense, which may get more
big plays, be as consistent with their
all-world recruit Olsen at the helm?
With
strong returning special teams players
the key to the season will likely
be the defense. How many times can
you win 10 games in a season giving
up 34 points and 468 yards per game?
Dorrell and new defensive coordinator
DeWayne Walker will put a defense
on the field that will be an asset
instead of an eyesore, that’s
why Walker was brought on board. Health
is an issue, but even an injury-depleted
defense showed flashes of improvement
this spring.
Will
that continue and translate onto the
field in the fall? Bottom line, it
can't be much worse defensively, and
some young talent will help this unit
improve, even if it is still far from
dominant.
The
schedule will help a team that will
be young. Four of the first five games
are at home and those first five are
against teams with a combined 18-38
record in '05. Get past Utah in the
opener and things may seem Ok, but
the conference onslaught, broken up
by a visit to South Bend, will humble
the Bruins. Southern Cal to close
is at “home” and is winnable.
Bruin fans cannot see more losses
as a huge step back, and progress
to give them momentum into ’07
cannot be undervalued with the new
QB.
Projected
2006 record: 7-5
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UCLA
*POWER RATINGS |
Offense |
Defense |
QB
- 3.5 |
DL
- 3.5 |
RB
- 3.5 |
LB
- 2 |
WR
- 4 |
DB
- 2.5 |
OL
- 3.5 |
.. |
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RETURNING
LEADERS |
Passing:
Ben Olson, 4-2-0, 11 yds., 0 TD
Rushing: Chris Markey, 110
att, 561 yds., 3 TD
Receiving: Joe Cowan, 35 rec.,
469 yds., 3 TD
Scoring: Brandon Breazell,
6 TD, 36 pts.
Punting: Aaron Perez, 54 punts,
39.9 avg.
Kicking: Jimmy Rotstein, 5-5
PAT, 5 pts.
Tackles: Dennis Keyes, 57 tot.,
41 solo
Sacks: Justin Hickman, 5.5
sacks
Interceptions: Michael Norris,
Rodney Van, Trey Brown, Eric McNeal
- 1 each
Kickoff returns: Chris Markey,
17 ret., 22.5 avg., 0 TD
Punt returns: Chris Markey,
3 ret., 16.0 avg., 0 TD
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DE
Justin Hickman |
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UCLA |
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OFFENSE
- 5 |
----RETURNING
STARTERS---- |
DEFENSE
- 7 |
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KEY
LOSSES |
OFFENSE:
Drew Olson-QB, Marcedes Lewis-TE, Mike
McCloskey-C, Robert Cleary-OG, Ed Blanton-OT,
Maurice Drew-TB (NFL) |
DEFENSE:
Wesley
Walker-OLB, Justin London-ILB, Spencer
Havner-ILB, Marcus Cassel-CB, Jarrad
Page-SS |
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2006
OFFENSE |
Quarterback
Ben Olson will take over for Drew Olson
to be seeing his first legitimate playing
time since prep (2001). That will be the
ultimate test for Olson. No one questions
the redshirt sophomore’s physical
tools, he spent the offseason working to
tighten up his throwing motion and Dorrell
complimented his decision-making in the
spring. The coaches can’t change the
fact that Olson threw all of four passes
last season and will be leading an offense
that is likely to throw 350-400 times, but
he has the tools as he was the nation’s
top rated QB in 2002 when he was recruited.
In other words, we feel that it shouldn’t
take much time to shake off the inevitable
rust. Those will be the key questions. Classmate
Pat Cowan is the probable backup, though
he has a strong grasp of the offense and
has good athletic ability, too, so he may
make this a tighter race than most expect,
which is all good for the Bruins.
Running
Back
The Bruins ran the ball less than 30 times
in a game just twice last season. With that
many carries, Dorrell and the offensive
staff like to use two backs. The Bruins
will again be strong and deep in the backfield.
Junior Chris Markey averaged 5.1 yards per
carry, piled up 580 yards and caught 17
passes last year in Drew’s shadow,
finishing the year with an MVP performance
in the Sun Bowl. Markey has excellent vision,
balance and quick acceleration to compliment
his shifty style. Sophomore Kahlil Bell,
a near physical double of Markey, should
respond well to an increased workload after
averaging 6.1 yards per carry last year.
Bell, not highly recruited, doesn’t
have blazing speed but is a powerful one-cut
runner. All-conference Michael Pitre returns
at fullback and though he doesn’t
log the snaps his backfield-mates do, the
240-pounder is a powerful blocker and effective
when he gets touches the ball. This unit
just needs to be given the chance and it
could “carry” the offense even
more.
Receiver
The Bruins lose their top target (TE), but
Olson will have a talented, deep set of
wide receivers to work with. Three returning
receivers have caught at least 30 balls
in a season, led by flanker Joe Cowan. Cowan,
a senior, is has big-play ability but thrives
on using his massive frame (6-4, 220) and
good hands. Marcus Everett has good size
as well and, after starting just six games
in ’05, still caught 32 balls. Classmate
Brandon Breazell had a standout performance
in the spring and, though undersized, should
prove a speedy threat and will certainly
factor into the rotation. The key may be
Junior Taylor, a player who was a dangerous
threat in ’04 before a knee injury
sidelined him for ‘05. If healthy,
Taylor has the most big-play potential of
the top returnees. Two young players, sophomore
Gavin Ketchum and super-quick freshman Terrence
Austin (turned down Miami and Notre Dame,
among others) should add a deeper threat
to the controlled passing game.
Tight
End
J.J. Hair will likely step in for Lewis
as the starter. Hair excels as a blocker
but what passes are directed at the tight
ends are likely to go to sophomore Ryan
Moya. Moya has decent size (6-2, 230) but
has good hands and averaged more per catch
(15.3) than anyone with 10 or more catches
last season. The chances of either player
making Bruins fans forget Lewis is unlikely,
but the duo should be more than adequate,
surrounded by a ton of talent.
Offensive
Line
The biggest unknown is along the line, which
lost three dependable starters from a group
that paved the way for a dangerous offense.
A solid, versatile group is essential for
an offense that prides itself on balance,
and Mauling guard Shannon Tevaga leads a
group of six returnees who have some starting
experience, though two of those players,
Chris Joseph and Robert Chai are working
back from injuries. Tevaga, who has started
18 straight games and earned honorable mention
all-conference last year, will be one of
the best linemen in conference again. The
group will have the benefit new coach Jim
Colletto, who is renowned for his work in
this area. Early in spring, Tevaga was working
with P.J. Irvin at guard, tackles Noah Sutherland
and Brian Abraham and center Nathaniel Skaggs,
who started the Sun Bowl. Skaggs was only
converted from the defensive line during
the bowl practices and could be one to watch
as he acquitted himself well at a critical
position in a pressure situation. JUCO transfer
Nick Ekbatani will factor in as well after
showing glimpses in the spring and guard
Aleksey Lanis is massive (6-6, 338) and
talented, but was not overly impressive
yet. The Bruins added a strong recruiting
class but it’s unlikely any freshmen
reach the field this fall. If they do play,
it will reflect the lack of production from
those ahead of them, and UCLA will likely
be struggling at that juncture.
OFFENSIVE
BREAKDOWN
This offense has improved in each of Dorrell’s
previous three years. They are unlikely
to improve again (23rd ranked in ’05),
but they should have plenty of efficiency
and firepower to worry opponents. The key
will be consistency. As explosive as the
offense was last season, it was its ability
to constantly put drives together and avoid
turnovers (only 15 total) that made it lethally
wear out foes. With Markey, Bell and Pitre
in the backfield and a host of wide receiving
talent, the questions lie in the performance
up front and at quarterback. Olson must
play well enough to win early and improve
as the year goes along, avoiding the big
mistake that puts the defense in a tough
spot. The line has talent but must jell.
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OG
Shannon Tevaga
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UCLA
2006 DEPTH CHART
Returning Starters/Key
Players |
OFFENSE |
QB |
Ben
Olson-So (6-5, 227) |
Pat
Cowan-So (6-4, 215) |
FB |
Michael
Pitre-Jr (5-11, 240) |
Jimmy
Stephens-Jr (6-2, 244) |
TB |
Chris
Markey-Jr (5-11, 203) |
Kahlil
Bell-So (5-11, 206) |
WR |
Marcus
Everett-Jr (6-1, 200) |
Gavin
Ketchum-So (6-4, 199)
Junior Taylor-Sr (6-1, 203) |
WR |
Joe
Cowan-Sr (6-4, 220) |
Brandon
Breazell-Jr (6-0, 165) |
TE |
J.J.
Hair-Sr (6-5, 248) |
Logan
Paulsen-So (6-5, 237) |
OT |
Brian
Abraham-Jr (6-6, 300) |
Noah
Sutherland-Jr (6-4, 290) |
OG |
Shannon
Tevaga-Jr (6-3, 310) |
Chris
Johnson-So (6-3, 280) |
C |
Robert
Chai-Sr (6-3, 285) |
Nathaniel
Skaggs-So (6-4, 275) |
OG |
Aleksey
Lanis-Fr (6-6, 338) |
P.J.
Irvin-Jr (6-4, 310) |
OT |
Nick
Ekbatani-So (6-5, 280) |
Scott
Glicksberg-So (6-4, 300) |
K |
Brian
Malette-So (5-11, 179) |
Jimmy
Rotstein-So (6-0, 160)
Justin Medlock-Sr (suspended) |
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2006
DEFENSE |
Defensive
Line
New coordinator DeWayne Walker comes over
from the Washington Redskins and has vowed
to be more aggressive. That starts with
the attitude up front. One thing that will
help this team is if DT Kevin Brown, the
Bruins’ best lineman, can get healthy.
Brown had five sacks in ’04, but missed
last season with an ankle injury and was
not playing during spring. This unit simply
has to play better after it surrendered
nearly 233 yards per game rushing in ‘05.
DE Justin Hickman, battling broken ribs
in the spring, had 5.5 sacks last year but
must be tougher against the run as the lone
senior returning starter. DT Chase Moline
could make a difference as well. Moline
battled as a freshman but was ultimately
undersized, coming to UCLA at less-than
260 pounds last summer. Listed at 274 pounds,
Moline should have more impact, though he
also missed time in the spring as did starting
tackle Bringham Harwell, who was second
on the team in tackles-for-loss last year.
Harwell has excellent quickness.
Linebacker
The emphasis here will be on tackling. Not
only did the Bruins struggle in that area
last season – opponents averaged 5.4
yards per carry, a direct reflection on
the quality of a defense to make basic tackles
– but it lost its best player and
playmaker in Spencer Havner. Two other starters
left, too, so addition by subtraction will
have to be the hope. This year’s group
will be speedy…by default. None of
the backers weighed more than 225 pounds
entering spring. Eric McNeal moves from
a safety position to the weak side. The
coaches hope McNeal can pick up the position
quickly and that his speed can make up for
any mistakes he makes. McNeal’s experience
makes him an odds-on favorite to start,
but outside of that the positions appear
wide-open. Reggie Carter, a redshirt freshman,
will get a long look in the middle. John
Hale got seven starts as a true freshman
last season and should fill the void on
the strong side. However, he was not particularly
impressive in the fall, making just 20 tackles
and doing little else in his 11 games.
Defensive
Back
UCLA’s secondary managed just five
INTs (team had eight) last season and surrendered
more than 235 yards a game passing. The
pressure should increase on the secondary
as Walker’s more aggressive scheme
has the corners out on an island. FS Dennis
Keyes and corner Trey Brown return after
each ranked in the top five in tackles,
a bad trend. Keyes took a backseat to four-year
starter Jarrad Page but will be the leader
this year and must make more game-changing
plays. He’ll likely be paired with
redshirt freshman Aaron Ware, the younger
brother of former UCLA standout Matt Ware.
The younger Ware dominated scout team practices
last season and was impressive in the spring.
His backup at FS, Eric McNeal, will be relied
upon as the only senior with much experience.
At corner, Brown returns and this legacy
(father was RB here from 1976-78) will improve
in the new scheme. A few more picks and
the vet could easily play himself into postseason
all-conference recognition. Rodney Van has
good size and much athletic ability, but
has not seen much action outside of special
teams.
DEFENSIVE
BREAKDOWN
Walker wants to be more aggressive. Well,
we see that he has some athletes to work
with, but it all starts up front. The opportunity
to be aggressive won’t present itself
if the defense is constantly facing second-and-3.
The injuries up front couldn’t have
come at a worse time. New system, new coordinator
and a promising set of players, would have
accounted for significant optimism. Instead,
the front seven remains a great unknown.
There will be a lot of pressure on Hale,
Carter and McNeal and the secondary will
only be as good as the players in front
of them. The defense looked good in the
spring, battling in scrimmages and playing
better as the spring season went on, but
that could be fool’s gold, given the
offense was replacing so many starters.
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DT
Kevin Brown
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UCLA
2006 DEPTH CHART
Returning Starters/Key
Players |
DEFENSE |
DE |
Justin
Hickman-Sr (6-1, 261) |
Nikola
Dragovic-Jr (6-3, 256)
Kenneth Lombard-So (6-1, 268) |
DT |
Kevin
Brown-Jr (6-2, 297) |
Chase
Moline-So (6-1, 274) |
DT |
Brigham
Harwell-Jr (6-1, 274) |
Jess
Ward-Fr (6-4, 284) |
DE |
William
Snead-Jr (6-4, 253) |
Bruce
Davis-Jr (6-3, 230) |
SLB |
John
Hale-So (6-4, 225) |
Kyle
Bosworth-So (6-2, 215) |
MLB |
Christian
Taylor-Jr (6-0, 220) |
Reggie
Carter-Fr (6-1, 225) |
WLB |
Eric
McNeal-Sr (6-2, 209) |
Aaron
Whittington-Jr (6-2, 210) |
CB |
Trey
Brown-Jr (5-10, 189) |
Michael
Norris-Jr (5-11, 185) |
CB |
Rodney
Van-Jr (6-1, 178) |
Byron
Velega-So (5-10, 177) |
SS |
Chris
Horton-Jr (6-1, 200) |
Bret
Lockett-Fr (6-2, 204) |
FS |
Dennis
Keyes-Jr (6-1, 192) |
Robert
Kibble-So (5-10, 175) |
P |
Aaron
Perez-So (6-2, 220) |
.. |
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2006
SPECIAL TEAMS |
Kicker
With a career field goal percentage of .750, fifth-year
senior Justin Medlock is at once both a strength
and this team's biggest question mark. As of spring,
Medlock was still suspended for violating team
rules. If he plays, UCLA will again have an advantage
in close games after going 3-0 in games decided
by four points or less last season. Medlock is
more than just consistent, kicking four field
goals of 50 yards or longer in his career. If
he's unavailable, it'll be one of two untested
sophomores, potentially leaving a gaping hole
in the UCLA special teams. Kickoff coverage was
solid and an improvement from '04. If Medlock
is back, this number will improve.
Punter
Sophomore
Aaron Perez doesn't have the strongest leg, but
he gets decent hang-time and put 19 kicks inside
the 20-yard-line last season. He'll need to duplicate
that type of performance to help a defense that
is still developing. Perez was in the middle of
the pack in net punting average but will improve
as his leg gets stronger and he benefits from
a year of experience. Perez allows for team net
results to continue being strong.
Return
Game
Markey
was the top kickoff return man last season, though
Bell and Breazell, the latter of whom returned
a pair of onside kicks for amazing touchdowns
in the Sun Bowl, should get more work with Markey's
increased duties in the backfield as the feature
back. The Bruins should be fine replacing Drew
in the backfield, but replacing a player that
had a 28.5 yard return average on 15 punts last
year will prove more difficult. Markey was solid
in limited duty and is the odds-on favorite to
replace Drew here as well. A shifty, quick runner,
Markey should prove dangerous.
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