In preparation for this week’s game against Washington,
the UCLA football team continues to reset its defensive schemes in
order to face star receiver Reggie Williams.
The defense will rotate both cornerbacks Matt Ware and Matt
Clark to cover the heralded Husky but maintain no single Bruin
player will defend him.
“For us to win this game, (Williams) has to not have a
good game, “ UCLA coach Karl Dorrell said. “It will be
more of a scheme, and we will not assign any individual to shut him
down. Our goal is to try and do something that will help keep him
in check.”
With Ware ““ one of the Pac-10’s best
cornerbacks”“ not covering Williams individually, the defense
hopes to be able to adjust to all of Washington’s offense and
its quarterback Cody Pickett more easily.
“We gotta make sure we change up our (defensive) looks,
because (Pickett) is good enough to know what the coverage is going
to be,” Dorrell said.
Ңbull;Ӣbull;Ӣbull;
With a half-game suspension given to defensive tackle Rodney
Leisle, coaches announced this week that fellow defensive tackle
Asi Faoa will start for him.
“Asi is the next player, and we consider him a co-starter
anyway,” Dorrell said. “So we feel like we’re in
good shape.”
Leisle was suspended after getting a personal foul and game
expulsion for allegedly punching a San Diego State player.
Leisle will return to start in the second half.
Ңbull;Ӣbull;Ӣbull;
After his second day of practice in full pads, quarterback Matt
Moore appears to be quickly rejoining the team.
But the coaching staff insists he’s still the number two
option and is far from looking like the starter he was at the
beginning of the season.
“He’s getting back to speed,” offensive
coordinator Steve Axman said. “Working back into number two
(spot on the depth chart). We feel good about that, and he’ll
be the number two quarterback of the game.”
Moore looked out of practice yesterday but seems to be
improving.
“He’s practiced twice and with no set backs,”
Dorrell said. “He’s coming around and knocking some of
the rust off, getting back to his shiny armor suit.”