Coach Karl Dorrell has wanted to emphasize the physical aspect
of football, but it wasn’t until Monday ““ when the team
practiced in shoulder pads and helmets for the first time ““
that the message actually got across. “They were anxious to
get going,” Dorrell said. “It was good to have a little
competition and get some hitting. We let them go and play, and we
had a very good practice as a result.” The most nervous
player may have been fullback Michael Pitre, who is coming back
from a neck injury. Still, Pitre caught several passes in the
backfield and drew the cheers of his teammates when, on a 5-on-3
drill, he pushed, shoved and pulled his way to a touchdown.
“I was a little cautious at first,” Pitre said.
“But the neck feels fine, and once I got hit, it reminded me
of how good it felt.” Last week, UCLA practiced in shorts,
and the players were not allowed to tackle each other. The Bruins
had to pull up from tackling or hitting other players. “It
was hard having to limit ourselves,” wide receiver Craig
Bragg said. “Contact is why you play football. It felt great
to finally fly around, get hit, and hit others, and overall, just
play football.”
A BIGGER BRAGG: Last spring, the buzz
surrounded former cornerback Matt Ware’s added bulk. This
year, it’s around the 6-foot-2 Bragg’s additional mass,
who, during the offseason, added 15 pounds of muscle to his frame.
“Last year, I thought I wore down as the season went
on,” said Bragg, who is now 205 pounds. Bragg led UCLA last
season with 73 catches for 1,065 yards and five touchdowns.
THE INJURED LIST: Center Mike McCloskey
continued to be kept out of practice with chest pain, and the hope
is that he will return to practice sometime this week. McCloskey
was supposed to return to practice Monday. “He still was in
pain while conditioning,” Dorrell said. “It could be a
bronchial issue.” Running back Maurice Drew, who sat out
Friday’s practice with a groin injury, came back and
participated in a full practice. Wide receiver Joe Cowan, who also
has a groin injury, participated, but not in all of the drills.
HITTING HARD: With the first day of contact,
the UCLA coaches went through a spirited drill during which the
offensive and defensive linemen were pitted against each other, and
a running back had to find a hole. It was the hardest hitting drill
of the day, and interested spectators came onto the field to get a
closer look. The loudest cheers came when Drew plowed headfirst
into the line, knocking down a defensive lineman in the
process.
NOTABLES: While no players stood out to
Dorrell, several Bruins did have good days. Aside from Pitre, Drew
had several good runs. Tight end Marcedes Lewis, while dropping a
couple passes, also had a spectacular catch and proved difficult to
bring down. Bragg was his usual consistent self.