For the first time since…forever, Richard Brehaut will start for UCLA at quarterback with Kevin Prince healthy as announced by coach Rick Neuheisel on his weekly Sunday evening teleconference.
Neuheisel said Brehaut “deserves to play” after he attempted to save Saturday’s game against Texas. Prince threw three interceptions in the first quarter and Brehaut was brought in.
Neuheisel said it will be no different from other weeks when both quarterbacks have been available, suggesting he’s not putting total confidence in either, despite being a quarter of the way through the season.
“We’re going one week at a time,” he said. “It’s Oregon State week and right now, Richard is going to be the starter for the Oregon State game.”
Both have different strengths ““ Prince is the better runner, Brehaut has the better arm ““ yet Neuheisel hasn’t yet used them both at the same time or alternated plays with them much like Texas did Saturday. Brehaut started against Oregon State last season and picked up UCLA’s only win in its final seven games.
Prince felt clicking in his previously injured right shoulder Saturday and got it X-rayed shortly before halftime which could be contributing to the decision. Prince said he was fine after the game.
Freshman quarterback Brett Hundley has yet to take a snap this season, keeping his redshirt year available. Neuheisel talks about a plan to install a package of plays for Hundley but said his preparation is holding him back.
“He and I talk all the time,” Neuheisel said of Hundley. “I told him I want him to work this week like he’s going to be ready and then we’ll determine whether or not that’s the case.”
Injury notes
Neuheisel said redshirt freshman kicker Kip Smith’s hip flexor is still strained, and he would talk with the training staff to see if he’ll be available. He may not need to be if redshirt junior Jeff Locke keeps kicking 50-yard field goals like he did Saturday.
Redshirt senior offensive lineman Sean Sheller is out indefinitely after he broke his right forearm. For the first time in a long time, the Bruins have some semblance of depth on the line. Neuheisel mentioned sophomore Chris Ward, redshirt sophomore Albert Cid and redshirt sophomore Greg Capella as options to reshuffle the line with.
Redshirt junior cornerback Andrew Abbott will go through the training staff’s concussion protocol after he took the hit from an illegal block Saturday.