For all it was supposed to be, this year’s spring football
session didn’t quite live up to expectations.
The many questions coach Karl Dorrell hoped to finalize still
remain unanswered. Instead of healing from last season’s
injuries, ever more players were sidelined and unable to practice.
And what was scheduled to be a final spring scrimmage and a preview
of what’s to come turned out to a be a modified practice.
“I don’t think anything was settled for sure (this
spring),” Dorrell said. “We’ve accomplished a lot
but we’re nowhere where we want to be. But I’m
encouraged about where we’re going.”
Of course, it’s understood that spring ball is not
necessarily the pinnacle of football proficiency, but the aim is to
gain a better understanding of where the team is headed.
Instead, what fans and spectators saw was a heavily depleted
team that tried to navigate through the month-long period without
injuring another player. It was a team attempting to fill the large
void left by departed seniors and finally understand the offense,
run this year by new coordinator Tom Cable.
“(Cable) has a positive attitude, and that’s what we
need,” quarterback Drew Olson said. “We need to get rid
of this stigma of a soft UCLA .”
But Cable will have his hands full with the offensive line when
the football team reconvenes in summer camps.
For an offensive line that struggled last season from a lack of
talent, this year problems have arisen over dangerously thin depth.
Coming into spring ball, some positions were only two deep, and
after the spring the Bruins finished without a true center due to
an injury to Robert Chai. That added to already-injured center Mike
McCloskey and tackle Ed Blanton, who hurt his knee last week.
Thus the offensive line will certainly benefit from the incoming
freshmen lineman. At least three could see significant playing time
and possibly challenge for a starting position.
While the offensive line struggled with injuries, the skilled
players showcased potential. Running back Maurice Drew, who sat out
the last few practices with an injury, looks to be the future. The
explosive tailback, a true freshman last season, is strong and
quick enough to help push the offense forward.
If Drew is the future for the Bruins, wide receiver Craig Bragg
showed he is the present. Bragg, who added 15-20 pounds in the
off-season, will be Olson’s primary target next fall. And
with the vast improvement of fellow wideout Joe Cowan helping to
spread the offense, Bragg’s final season could be his best
season yet.
As leader of the team, Olson appears more in command of the
offense with a more vocal presence on the field. But while he has
shown improvement this spring, he must stay healthy next fall.
Junior transfer backup David Koral has not shown the type of
physical ability to challenge Olson for the starting job and prior
backup Brian Callahan has yet to see playing time in two
seasons.
Also making strides on offense were running backs Michael Pitre
and Derrick Williams, as well as receiver Idris Moss.
Overall the Bruins’ offense, which was ranked near the
bottom of the Pac-10 last season, appears to have progressed.
On the defensive side, with the loss of the entire defensive
line and cornerback Matt Ware to the NFL, the unit doesn’t
look to be as strong as last season’s Pac-10-leading core.
The additions of junior college transfers, lineman Kyle Morgan and
defensive end Justin Hickman, will help, but still won’t lift
the unit to preform at that same level.
“Each team has its own personality, and this one is not
going to be the same as last year’s.” Dorrell said.
“This year, we’re going in a direction I like, but
it’s still going to be different.”