AP Photo / The Orange County Register, Armando Brown
UCLA head football coach Rick Neuheisel speaks to members of the media during a press conference, on Monday, Aug. 10, 2009 at UCLA Media Day on the campus of UCLA in Los Angeles.
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — The high point of UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel's debut season at his alma mater was a rip-roaring season-opening overtime victory over Tennessee last September.
Neuheisel just hopes his second squad of Bruins won't create similar memories for new Volunteers coach Lane Kiffin in the return matchup this weekend.
Neuheisel is hoping to find a balance between intimidation and excitement this week as the Bruins prepare to brave the neon-orange nightmare for visiting teams known as Neyland Stadium.
"We're going into one of the great venues in college football," Neuheisel said Monday. "More than 100,000 people will be there. They're all going to be in orange. It's what you dream about as a kid. We're going to soak that up for a brief time, and then we've got to forget about it and just concentrate on what's between the lines."
For a team with 12 freshmen or sophomore starters on the depth chart, that's easier preached than practiced.
And for all the excitement of last season's 27-24 victory over the Vols, which featured two last-minute swings before Kai Forbath's winning field goal, UCLA won just three more games all season. Just one of those was on the road, against inept Washington.
The Bruins comfortably beat San Diego State 33-14 last weekend in Neuheisel's second opener, but the coach was quick to remember that last season's win over Tennessee was followed by a 59-0 loss to Brigham Young. He doesn't plan to make an issue of either his first win or his first loss.
"This is a different team than a year ago," Neuheisel said. "Are there lessons we can take from last year? Certainly, but I don't think bringing up 59-0 is one of them. What we're doing is improving the 2009 version.
"Regardless of the outcome of this week's game, we're going to keep improving," he said. "I hope we get more points than Tennessee, but if we don't, we've got to keep improving and climbing the staircase toward being a national player again."
Most of the Bruins' roster hails from the West Coast, so the prospect of visiting a traditionally strong Southern program is particularly appealing to the players who grew up watching SEC football on television. Rahim Moore, the sophomore safety who had three interceptions against the Aztecs, sees the trip to Tennessee as a career highlight.
"Even though we beat them last year, that doesn't mean anything," Moore said. "I'm sure they're going to be waiting for us."
But he said SEC teams might underestimate the Bruins. "They think that a lot of our guys are soft, and I don't think you can't label anybody as soft or not so tough until you play them," Moore said.
While UCLA has showed remarkable progress since last season's unimpressive ending, Tennessee also appears to have improved since coach Phillip Fulmer's final season last year. Kiffin's re-energized Vols demolished Western Kentucky 63-7 last weekend, and their remarkable rushing attack has caught the UCLA defense's attention.
The Bruins gave up touchdowns on San Diego State's first two drives Saturday but shut out the Aztecs the rest of the way. After yielding 29 points more than 337 yards per game last season, UCLA's defense appears faster and smarter.
A trip to Knoxville could change all that, but Neuheisel sees it as an opportunity for growth and maturity regardless of the final score.
"At the end of the day, forget about it," Neuheisel said of the pomp and noise the Bruins will face. "You deserve to be here. You wouldn't be here if you didn't deserve to be."
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Comments » 34
Phowell23 writes:
Bruins are soft, Go Vols!
blitzshoot writes:
Beat'em like a bad habit. Make it hurt!
VolChick2009 writes:
"Regardless of the outcome of this week's game, we're going to keep improving," he said. "I hope we get more points than Tennessee, but if we don't, we've got to keep improving and climbing the staircase toward being a national player again."
Sounds like Rick already knows what awaits him and his powder puff blue Bruins.
Wonder if he is aware of what happened the last time the PAC-10 sent a freshman QB into Neyland Stadium on a hot summer day???
Madkels writes:
Time for some payback. Focus on UCLA and forget about week 3. Let's send a message that says the Vols are back and ready for anyone. Bring on the Bruins.
dvhill100 writes:
Coming up for the game from Charleston. Ready to soak up the atmosphere, a little Jack, and make some orange noise. Should be a great game.
VolChick2009 writes:
Those UCLA boys are gonna be in shell shock when they run onto the field and hear 100,000 people going crazy......I almost feel sorry for their QB. Ok, no I don't.
Down_The_Field writes:
moore..."they think we're soft..."
we're only thinking it.....you're the one saying it...
once i walked out of the stadium last saturday, i thought to myself that we'd be ucla big. maybe this team's already beat.
Hounddog writes:
Focus. Beat UCLA.
Let's play football. Hounddog.
DrWitch writes:
DrWitch say Saturday is great day for Vols. DrWitch say UCLA no stop Vols running backs. Bones never lie.
jinbenton writes:
Haven't posted lately, but I feel like this is an appropriate time. WKU is not an upper echelon team, but they were a good measuring stick for this team to start with. Under CPF, I don't believe we would have scored nearly as many points and the hilltoppers would have probably scored more than 7. New attitude was very evident Saturday. I was fortunate enough to be in the stands for the beginning of the Kiffin era. I have been saying that I believe there are some teams we will sneak up on this season and after this past weekend, I am even more convinced. Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Bama all seem like real possibilities. May get surprised but I think they are all beatable. And Florida may win, but they will know they have been in a war. This is the start of something big in Knoxville.
GO VOLS!!!!!!!!!
Huttdawg100 writes:
LOL
Hounddog writes:
DrWitch. Do you feel like a pair of brown shoes and you are wearing a tux?
Change your name. Stop stealing Witch Doctor's style. Embarrassing!
Focus. Beat UCLA.
Let's play football. Hounddog.
Huttdawg100 writes:
I watched last year's UCLA game with my grandmother in Memphis... Midway through the 4rth quarter, she asked if the defense took a trip to Disneyland during half-time.
Big Money Monte Kiffin is such an upgrade from Chavis; LSU fans are already calling for his job... I noticed that there were very few solo tackles against WKU. Moreover, Eric Berry did not have to make as many tackles, a good sign because he is a safety playing 10 yards off the ball. Any defensive recruit would want to play for Monte Kiffin.
I know I'm looking ahead, but I can't wait to see what he has planned for urban meyer's spread..
PennVol writes:
"Only" 98,000 at the WKU game. Hope we can start filling up Neyland again beginning this weekend. Everyone needs to get on board with this coaching staff and these young players. Gotta love Kiffin's attitude and pushing these guys even when they're way ahead. GO VOLS!
brokebackvol writes:
C'mon folks, keep it all in perspective...we have a new look and it's exciting, but if you think UCLA will roll over and play dead for us, don't count on it. The good news is this is a team Lane wants to beat more than we do, so the passion will be there no doubt.
PS: Witch_doctor cracks me up
PennVol writes:
I can only imagine the ribbing Pete Carroll would give Kiffin if we lose to UCLA. But Neuheisel will have them ready to go. Gonna be a tough game. This game also leads into the USC-Ohio St on ESPN so we should have lots of recruits tuning in.
Mr_Brownstone writes:
i want some serious revenge! this team started the downward trend last year, and put out jerry colquitt in 1994. hit 'em where it hurts.
Knock'em dead KIFF!
cmoore7 writes:
Prince threw two Ints and they gave up a fumble. Bruins had to block a field goal and return it for one of their scores. I think we win big again.
VOL03_NC writes:
UT defence will make enough points to win...
GO VOLS
Orangeblood13 writes:
focus boys just focus
Paybacks are a biatch
jeremy writes:
I thought the same thing.
jeremy writes:
I think UT will win, UT will cover but I don't see the blowout that many are predicting. I hope I am wrong on that count. GO VOLS!!!
UT-35
UCLA-24
AllVolAllDay writes:
The intensity and coaching through ALL 4 QUARTERS will definitely play a major role in the reclaiming stage! The way CLK and the other coaches continued to teach the young bunch showed them that they can never take a play off...we'll need that from them down the line, maybe even this weekend. I loved it, CLK & Co have me hook, line, and sinker...GO VOLS!!!
johnlg00#206211 writes:
No cheap shots; just good ol', in-your-face, orange-swarmin' slobberknockers! And lots of 'em; wash-rinse-repeat, all day long!
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I'll take it all day long--WITH nobody seriously hurt!
licknpromise777#651578 writes:
As long as Crompton has a decent game the Vols will do well..Because of our strong running game it is critical to use a lot of play action and force UCLA's linebackers into coverage..The middle of the field will be wide open and Oku and Stocker will have a field day!!! We will get our first look at one of many blitz packages Monte will unleash on Chow and his new QB..Vols 31 UCLA 20
Volomatic writes:
how do you expect UCLA to put up 24 points on us when they only put up 33 points against a very bad SDSU and you think 24 against us again I will say this game will be nowhere near as close as some of these scores I keep seeing posted. UT will win and by a lot I give it at least a 3 TD difference. This young QB put up a mere 177 yards against no one. When he starts to see bodies flying around smacking him to the ground he is going to start lobbing picks all over the place. He reminds me a lot of last years version of Crompton.
UT 52
UCLA 10
jeremy writes:
I hope you are right Volomatic... I just think that UCLA is at least 2 TD better than WKU and they scored 7 then factor in they have one of the best kickers in the country and that's how I got the 24. Also, our strength is the running game and their strength is their D-line. I will be at the game and I hope we throttle them like you said. Just think it will be closer than you. Like I said, I hope you are right on this one!!! GO VOLS!!!!
VolAlum2003 (Inactive) writes:
"At the end of the day, forget about it," Neuheisel said of the pomp and noise the Bruins will face. "You deserve to be here. You wouldn't be here if you didn't deserve to be."
The only reason the Bruins "deserve" to play in Neyland is that they are under contract to do so. C'mon Neuheisel, that's a pretty weak pep talk! You might as well say that your players "deserve" to be there because they got on the bus.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Makes sense to me, jeremy. I HOPE we crush them, and I DO think we will win, but I THINK it will be closer than some of our more optimistic fans think.
oldsmokey67 writes:
They also have 3 new offensive lineman starting on the road for the first time.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Ah, so! Well, then, it just gets better and better. As I have already said, just give me a solid win and nobody hurt and I will be a happy guy.
10cvalleyvol writes:
UCLA is going to see what Tennessee football is really about on this trip. Last year's game was not played against what they will see this year. They will be hearing Rocky Top in their sleep after what this year's team does to them on Saturday.
GO VOLS!!!!
doubledown writes:
The First time I saw UCLA play in the LA Colusium years back, fans could be spotted with aluminum reflectors to catch rays during the game.. Anyone for Starbucks before the game?
That's the kind of people we're playing this Sat. They don't know what football is all about other than a reason to get a tan.
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