UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft and the Bruins' offense labored Friday, flailing away during a no-pads practice. The low point was three consecutive passes that Craft had intercepted.
"It was sloppy," Craft said. "On a day like this, when we come out without shoulder pads, it's hard to keep mental focus. It wasn't a total loss, but it wasn't what we wanted out of it, and it wasn't what I wanted out of it."
The performance on offense didn't have Coach Rick Neuheisel pressing the panic button, but his assessment of Craft was that "this was the first day in a while that I thought he took a step backwards."
Craft has had more than a handful of interceptions in training camp, including three in the spring game. Some can be attributed to the defense being familiar with the offense, but Craft was also wild during seven-on-seven drills Friday.
"This was not a good day for Kevin," Neuheisel said. "I don't know what it was, whether something confused him today. We're going to need him to be more consistent than he was today."
Yet, Neuheisel was not overly concerned.
"It's like a starting pitcher with a clunker," he said. "I hope that it is just an aberration."
The solution now is to move on, offensive coordinator Norm Chow said.
"He started out rough," Chow said. "The key we've been preaching all the time is go on to the next play. I think it was a nice lesson to learn because he let it bother him today."
Defense stays strong: While the offense struggled, the defense continued to hone its game and develop depth. Datone Jones, an incoming freshman, has played himself into a position to get playing time.
"I love his tenaciousness," defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker said. "God gave him a lot of talent. He's still a little green, a little raw, but he has a real feel for the game."
Last season, the Bruins hit the jackpot with freshman defensive tackle Brian Price, who started five games. Jones will have a chance to ease into things.
"It's every player's dream to be in the mix the first year," Jones said. "There are not a lot of freshmen who are in my shoes. I got to grow up faster to be able to contribute to this team."
Whose line is it?: This much is known about UCLA's offensive line.
"Micah Reed will start at center," Neuheisel said. "He'll be out there, knock wood. And Nick Ekbatani will start somewhere."
The situation, though, seemed clearer in practice. Darius Savage and Scott Glicksberg were the first-team guards in the non-contact drills Friday. Ekbatani was at one tackle and Micah Kia at the other, though he was limited because of a broken left hand.
The concerns are Glicksberg, who is nursing a sore shoulder, and Kia, whom Neuheisel expects to be ready. Kia will be reexamined next week.
"It's all going to be a pain tolerance thing, and he's a tough guy," Neuheisel said.
Still, the line's depth chart would "never be totally set," offensive line coach Bob Palcic said. "If those guys play well and we feel good about the progress, we'll keep them in there the next week. If someone falters or someone behind them plays a little better or practices harder, that guy will deserve an opportunity."
Savage has come full circle in that area. Penciled in as a starter in the spring, he lost ground, then lost weight and moved back into the forefront.
"Darius lost 30 pounds, which he needed to do," Palcic said. "He was too heavy and lost some of his mobility."
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Comments » 28
gavol2572 writes:
His problem was that he was already seeing that BIG ORANGE DEFENSE in his head. GO VOLS
TopperVol75 writes:
I am not first....and I am d@mn proud!! Based upon this article, whomever the quarterback will be, I would be worried moreso about my protection from the offensive line than interceptions!!
NOLAvol writes:
Maybe it's just the pessimist in me, but... injury-riddled Pac-10 team, starting a bunch of freshmen, looking bad in practice ...this is sounding too easy! Hope our players aren't reading about all that's happening to the Brui(sed)ns -- but I'm sure they are.
Someone on the staff needs to right now start putting together a video of great athletic performances by teams/players overcoming adversity! We've all seen it before. Adversity robs a team of its high expectations, so the rest of the players go out, freed from the normal fear-of-failure, play at 110% on instinct & training -- and prevail!
Saw it again, yesterday: Argentina basketball team down by 30 points in the first half to USA, then lose their best player (Genobili) to injury... tie the score before halftime!
GreerVol22 writes:
NOLA, kinda agree. JA has been paintng us a gloomy picture of the west coast for a couple weeks now. Question is, do the Vols smell what John is cookin'?
lomas98 writes:
I've never seen a coaching staff talk as bad about a football team as this bunch. This team will try to prove the coaches wrong or they will lose all confidence and not win a game. I still don't buy all the doom and gloom.
MrBamSeydu writes:
GreerVol22: That is probably the worst and least informative comment I have ever seen on this site.
John Adams doesn't write every article that comes out of KNS. And noone has asked if someone "smelled what they were cookin" since the late-90's, brother.
Cherokee writes:
I agree that UCLA could still be dangerous and the Vol players should understand that. As far as this being a "trap" game, I don't see how your opening game on the road on primetime television against a name opponent could possibly qualify as a trap game. The Vols have ZERO excuses for overlooking this game. We've got UAB, the biggest joke of a joke conference, after this one. There is no reason whatsoever the Vols should not come out ready to play. If I had to peg a trap game on our schedule, Miss State might be a good candidate.
CoverOrange writes:
UCLA is going to come out running left and right. If they throw 10 times it will be a surprise. Depth in the Dline and resilience of the LBs will be the test for UT.
MrBamSeydu writes:
Miss. St will not be a trap game. They played us close last year, but I've got a feeling being at home against them this year will be different.
Here is my "One Man's Opinion" breakdown of our schedule/results:
UT 34 UCLA 13
UT 48 UAB 9
UT 27 UF 26
UT 20 AUB 27
UT 39 NIU 7
UT 21 UGA 34
UT 34 M ST 10
UT 41 BAMA 31
UT 31 USC 28
UT 55 WYO 13
UT 21 VANDY 0
UT 41 UK 10
10-2 and playing in our first BCS bowl since 99. We miss out on the SEC championship because UGA goes 10-2 also but wins the tiebreaker head to head just like we did last season over them.
mdvol writes:
I think the Vols will dominate the game but NOT win by a large margin. The Vols are going to try and run, run, run. Neuheisal is going to bring 8 in the box, then 9, etc. Neuheisal said on Atlanta radio he expects it to be a field position, smash mouth game with not a lot of risk taken with Crompton. His words, not mine. Vols 24-13.
writer#358485 writes:
I won't predict individual games, but I suspect Tennessee will have a good to great year this year. We've got a lot of young talent and some young talent from last year that now has a year of experience in a tough conference. I think some people worry to much about the spread offense. It's like any other new offense (single wing, wishbone, Pro set, Spurrier's throw long on every down, etc.) defenses catch up with it and I think we're about at that stage. The secret to defeating any offense is to have your defense play in the other team's offensive backfield. If our defensive front can get better penetration than they did at the start of last year, we'll be in good shape. I look for a defensive rebound from a down year or two and if the breaks go our way--like having a kid use the football to break his fall when the defense was closing on him as in 1998--I think good (last year) could be great this year. Defense still wins championships and any offense can be stopped with a solid, well-prepared, rugged, durable, penetrating defense.
moes1#276563 writes:
Just thought everyone would like to know that this paper turns your comments into the web. Along with your real name and username. From there anyone can get whatever they want including your home address and telephone. This is my last comment. I am very disapointed in KNS.
VOLS85 writes:
Three INT's on three attempts...is that even possible? You'd have to make a concerted effort to do something that terrible...
writer#358485 writes:
Well, moes1, I suspect you are right. However, anyone who believes personal information can be protected on the Internet hasn't been paying attention. Any time you do anything on the Internet, including just browsing, you are giving away information about yourself. The only way to prevent that is not have your computer connected to the Internet at all--not very realistic in today's world. The only other option is to not have much to hide other than your banking information, which while somewhat better protected still is vulnerable to a determined bad guy.
I guess I keep posting and browzing because I enjoy the interaction and the widespread knowledge base. Like with flying, I can avoid the risks entirely, but I won't get very far very fast.
MrBamSeydu writes:
Kosmo: My rationale for picking us to beat UF is because a) we're at home b) they are our biggest rival and I am making a bold prediction that Teblow will have some sort of injury either prior to UT/UF or during the first half of the game c) I can allow myself to predict a loss to any other team but Florida
:)
MrBamSeydu writes:
PS- If you'll remember, Teblow had a shoulder tweak prior to the UGA game last year and look what happened. I'm not saying he will be severely injured but it will be something minor that bugs him enough to throw 2 INT's and he'll be less apt to do 43 QB draws on us like he did last year.
VOLS85 writes:
This just in, Lou Holtz is still the same tard that he has been throughout history:
On College Gameday he picked South Carolina and Auburn to challenge for the SEC, and picked Notre Dame to win 11 games...
Why do they allow him to retain a job?!
writer#358485 writes:
The way to beat Tebow is to tackle him high and low, which involves the defense being in the right place at the right time--preferably in Florida's offensive backfield. I think we'll get him this year. Others have, we can.
writer#358485 writes:
VOLS85, some things never change, like the AP sportswriters picking Ohio State and SoCall in the top three or the commercial media running favorable stories for one political candidate 3-to-1 over the other. Fortunately football games are decided on the field and elections decided at the ballot box. The media is inane, always has been, always will be, and television is the worst. That's one reason the Internet is such a boon to humanity--commercial media editors don't control most of it. You can find unvarnished truth if you look hard enough.
writer#358485 writes:
Good comments supersmo18. The difference between 9-3 and 12-0 will be the defense coming on strong, early and the breaks going our way. About like always. And that's a good position to be in. We play with the big boys and have a shot at all of them (or, maybe they have a shot at us). Hurry up next Monday and Go Vols!
writer#358485 writes:
Does anyone know when the "odds" come out on next week's games? I don't approve of gambling, but the LV oddsmakers seem to always have the most accurate reads on the games. I like to get their take and then I have a pretty good idea if we're playing for an upset, or to live up to expectations.
cjraney writes:
mdvol-
I agree but think we will gradually build up the pt total: UT 34 UCLA 16
The Vols will rack up 250yds rushing. I hope.
Ralph_Crampton writes:
Writer...one player like Tebow is not able to beat Vols by himself...The Florida sensation is surrounded by super prospects that are big and quick. The gators, I hate to think of it, have more talent than most any team in SEC. The sunshine state is loaded with awesome football players. The Vols have good young players also, let us hope on that day we play gators that we can win someway or another.
mlbrown5454 writes:
The odds are out and this link matches what I saw in the paper. 7 point favorites across the board. If anyone is going to the game, stop by Vegas and put some $ down for me.
http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/odds?spo...
thesavageorange writes:
Swearinger a Vol.
thesavageorange writes:
For those who don't know, DJ Swearinger is a 5'11 191 lb safety from Greenwood, SC.He runs a 4.4 and holds a 3.3gpa.He is also rated the 4th most physical S in the country.We beat out Auburn, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Vanderbilt,Michigan & Clemson.
posivol writes:
D.J. Swearinger, who resides just outside the ESPNU 150, has committed to sign with Tennessee, according to affiliate Web site TheBigSpur.com
gobigorange writes:
We could go ubdefeated if our defense has learned to tackle better than in previous years.If they still arm-tackle we could lose 3-4 ballgames.GO VOLS!
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