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UCLA Bruins vs Houston Cougars Football Preview

When UCLA and Houston play the back end of a home-and-home series, Houston will be out for revenge, but it’s UCLA which will need to answer its critics in an authoritative manner.

After the second 4-8 season in his three years at UCLA, it’s put-up-or-shut-up time for Rick Neuheisel in Los Angeles. After forcing lauded and longtime offensive guru Norm Chow into a pistol offense, an attack that was nothing like the systems Chow implemented at USC and BYU, Neuheisel looks to new coordinator Mike Johnson to improve the team’s production. Johnson has reportedly spent quite some time studying the spread offense and can’t take the UCLA offense anywhere but up. The Bruins’ distinctly unproductive unit was ranked below 100 (out of 120 FBS teams) in total yards and points last season.

UCLA’s trouble can’t all be pinned on Neuheisel or Chow in the sense that neither man ever had a healthy quarterback to lead the offense. Richard Brehaut and Kevin Prince both return after splitting time last season due to injuries, and each might find time early in the season as both have continued to battle injuries in camp. However, the thing UCLA coaches have to understand is that quarterbacks keep getting injured because the team’s line play remains suspect. Continuing the chain reactions for a little bit, it’s worth realizing that UCLA’s line play is subpar because the Bruins put themselves in so many third-and-long situations. UCLA can’t maneuver itself into favorable down-and-distance situations that keep defenses guessing.

Whether the starting signal caller is Brehaut or Prince, either quarterback will have Johnathan Franklin to aide them; Franklin rushed for 1,127 yards last year. It’s not as if the offense is entirely at fault, either: The Bruins’ defense allowed 420 yards and 30 points per game in 2010.   Still, it’s the offensive side where UCLA has to make the most progress in 2011, and everyone in Westwood knows it. 

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Houston is bolstered by the return of Case Keenum, who was following up two-straight 5,000-plus yard passing seasons in 2010 before an injury against UCLA ended his season. The fact that he got injured against UCLA will make Keenum that much more intent on smoking the Bruins this time around. Granted a fifth-year of eligibility, Keenum has an eye on the all-time NCAA passing record, needing 3,487 yards to pass Hawaii’s Timmy Chang. Despite losing Keenum, Houston still finished last season as a top-15 offense.   The weapons that made that Cougar offense purr are back. Keenum is joined by receiver Patrick Edwards, who has two-straight 1,000-plus yard seasons, and leading rushers Bryce Beall (870 rushing yards) and Michael Hayes (629 yards). Whatever UCLA’s offense does won’t matter if a motivated Keenum and the rest of the Houston offense can deliver the goods on opening day.

By Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer