Aside from an injury to quarterback Matt Moore, the UCLA
football team made it through the first two games relatively
unscathed.
However, after the Oklahoma game, the Bruins’ injury list
had a growth spurt.
Reserve fullback Pat Norton and defensive tackle Asi Faoa both
suffered high ankle sprains and won’t be available for the
San Diego State game this coming Saturday.
The situation is most dire at the tight end position. With Blane
Kezirian day-to-day and not practicing, and Keith Carter still not
recovered from injuries sustained in a car crash earlier this year,
the depth chart at tight end goes two-deep.
Marcedes Lewis, despite his partially dislocated shoulder, is
now the starter, with J.J. Hair, a redshirt freshman, backing Lewis
up. Should UCLA need another tight end, the Bruins might turn to
offensive lineman Shane Lehmann.
“Hair came in and played most of the second half [against
Oklahoma] and played well,” head coach Karl Dorrell said.
“He came in without any reps, but he was still able to do
some things for us.”
Additionally, strong safety Jarrad Page has not missed practice
despite a stiff neck.
Moore, who has been out since the Colorado game with a deep bone
bruise, is showing good progress. Although he has yet to practice
with the team, he has been throwing the ball around at practice and
expects to return against Washington.
Moore even believes he could be ready for this week’s
game, especially if quarterback Drew Olson goes down.
“I think I could play this week,” Moore said.
“But I don’t think they would ever let me do
that.”
San Diego State will also be without its starting quarterback.
Adam Hall suffered a high ankle sprain in the Aztecs’ first
game against Eastern Washington, and Matt Dlugolecki has started in
three games since then.
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In an effort to revamp the punt coverage team, Dorrell has added
new players and is also giving the punt coverage team extra reps.
The Bruins allowed Sooner punt returner Antonio Perkins to set NCAA
records in punt return yardage (277) and touchdowns scored on punt
returns (3).
“It was surprising (that special teams performed so
poorly),” Dorrell said. “We’ve been solid on
special teams for two weeks in a row, and then, in our third week,
not so solid on our punt coverage team.”
Dorrell also added that punter Chris Kluwe was unable to punt
away from Perkins. Still, Dorrell put his faith completely behind
his punter.
“Kluwe was pretty good the first two weeks,” Dorrell
said. “I’m not giving up on Kluwe.”
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Backup quarterback John Sciarra, arrested last month on charges
of disorderly conduct and providing false information to a law
enforcement officer, has pled not guilty on both counts.