Despite coming off an electrifying 10-2 season and a victory in the Sun Bowl, the UCLA Bruins still feel as if they have something to prove. And apparently, so does the rest of college football.
The team is currently ranked No. 33 in a USA Today poll after finishing last season at No. 13. The Bruins are dealing with the loss of three huge offensive threats, but return with a solid, experienced team for the 2006 season.
Quarterback Drew Olson, who accumulated more than 8,500 yards through the air during his four-year tenure, is now gone and another Olson (Ben, not a twin) is now in his place.
Star running back Maurice Drew-Jones has gone on to larger and more prosperous things and, sadly, takes his surnames with him.
Also gone from the Bruins is 2005 Mackey Award-winner Mercedes Lewis, who was the leading receiver on last year’s squad.
Despite losing all of their main offensive threats to the NFL, the Bruins are still returning 12 starters (five on offense, seven on defense) from an extremely talented squad.
Ben Olson, who redshirted at BYU for one season before going on an LDS mission, will weather the storm as quarterback for the Bruins.
UCLA’s shoe-filler at running back will be junior Chris Markey. Markey finished last season with 561 yards on 110 carries and scored three touchdowns to finish second on the team.
Many believe Markey will be a first-team conference back this year as he assumes the starting role. He is also expected to handle all of the returning duties, which is yet another duty that belonged to the versatile Drew.
The wide receiver slot is one of the more experienced positions on the team this year, as the Bruins return three players with more than 30 receptions.
Olson’s main bulls-eye downfield this season may be senior Joe Cowan, whose blazing speed and Moss-esque physique have mystified opponents in the past. Cowan, however, is battling injury problems and his status is up in the air. Juniors Marcus Everett and Brandon Breazell will also get a significant number of catches this season.
Bruins fans are also excited about the return of redshirt senior Junior Taylor, who missed virtually the entire 2005 season after suffering a knee injury in last year’s Oklahoma game.
Up front, UCLA has improved its run-blocking and pass-protection schemes considerably over the past two seasons, but it will have to rebound from the departure of center Mike McCloskey and guard Robert Cleary. Both linemen had a substantial role upfront and were multi-year starters for the Bruins.
On defense, the Bruins are returning a solid core of experienced players, but not the kind of experience you’d necessarily want. The defense allowed an average of 34.2 points a game last season (worst in the Pac-10), and yet, the team still managed to reach double-digit wins.
Seven players from last year’s squad are back as the Bruins take on five ranked opponents, four of which are on the road.
On the defensive line, UCLA has the potential to dominate with all-Pac-10 senior defensive end Justin Hickman coming off of a 5.5 sack, 31 tackle season. Kevin Brown and Brigham Harwell are also returning on the defensive line for the Bruins this season. Harwell had 35 tackles and five sacks, while Kevin Brown made a strong showing in 2004 before suffering a season-ending ankle injury last year.
The Bruins will find themselves in a world of hurt this season, as they lost three seniors at the middle linebacker position, including the team’s leading tackler, Spencer Havner. However, John Hale, Christian Taylor and Eric McNeal all return with extensive experience at the position.
UCLA must cope with the loss of the two most prominent members of its defensive backfield but has fine replacements. Redshirt junior Dennis Keyes returns at free safety for the Bruins after recording 57 tackles last year. Notables Trey Brown and Chris Horton will also start in the secondary for the team.
The Bruins are also in a coaching transition on defense, as this will be the first year for coordinator Dewayne Walker.
“We’ve got a pretty good idea going in there against their defense,” Ute junior tailback Mike Liti said. “They’ve got a new defensive coordinator and defensive coaches, so it’s kind of hard for us to watch film. We mostly watch personnel instead of schemes.”
Despite losing such gifted athletes, the Utes are extremely leery of UCLA’s team.
“Junior Taylor is an exceptional wide receiver. They’ve got a tailback (Markey) who is really no drop-off from the guy they lost in the draft last year,” said U head coach Kyle Whittingham.
As a whole, UCLA has a very talented, speed-oriented team, but with the loss of its major stars, many are calling this a rebuilding year.