It’s all a numbers game for the UCLA rushing attack.
First, the sobering digits: The Bruins finished 94th in the country in rushing yards last season, and ended up tied for 106th in touchdowns on the ground. In his opening remarks at fall media day, coach Rick Neuheisel singled out the running game as a facet that needed vast amounts of work.
Some numbers proved inspirational: The University of Nevada had three different players rush for more than 1,000 yards last season, a staggering statistic that prompted Neuheisel and offensive coordinator Norm Chow to borrow the Pistol offense, a formation that the Wolfpack run almost exclusively.
Finally, some figures are hopeful: In redshirt sophomore Johnathan Franklin and junior Derrick Coleman, UCLA has two backs who saw significant time last season and should benefit tremendously from a year of seasoning. And in Malcolm Jones, Jordon James and Anthony Barr, the Bruins have three highly talented freshmen who could contribute from the get-go.
“(The running game) is going to be a huge, huge point of emphasis,” Neuheisel said. “It’s the reason we had to change. It’s the reason we had to go find some other answers. We couldn’t just play a pat hand when the hand wasn’t a winner.”
Neuheisel certainly has a full house in the backfield, where the Jones-James-Barr trio joins incumbents Franklin and Coleman to form a group that suddenly has the potential to be dynamic and versatile. Coleman is the biggest back, while Franklin and James are both shifty runners who can break off big runs. Jones might be the most complete back of the bunch, as he demonstrated with a strong performance at the Bruins’ fall scrimmage.
Then there’s Barr, a physical wonder with the size and hands of a possession receiver, but also the speed and running ability of a back. If the last few weeks of practice are any indication, Barr could be used in a number of different ways in UCLA’s new offense.
“We’re all different types of backs,” Franklin said. “We’re looking good. I think we’re definitely versatile. You can use each of us in different situations, so it’s good to see that.”
Franklin will likely see the bulk of the action to start the season off. The redshirt sophomore led the Bruins in carries and yards last season, but was plagued by fumbling issues that he addressed in the offseason by carrying a ball around campus and preventing his teammates from taking it from him.
“It was just a mental thing,” Franklin said. “Getting over the fact that I’m not a fumbler, and just run and not think and have fun.”
Although Franklin will likely get first crack at taking handoffs, the competition for carries has continued to percolate throughout fall practice. Coleman has been consistent, and Jones has everyone drooling with his all-around running ability.
“I think anyone can be the starting running back,” Jones said. “It’s all about hard work and competition to see who can come out on top and be consistent.”
No conversation about UCLA’s revamped running game is complete without discussion of the Pistol, the offense borrowed from Nevada that combines elements of the shotgun and the veer.
The formation sees the quarterback line up in an abbreviated shotgun with the tailback directly behind him. It also features an F-back position that demands both an ability to block and to make plays. When it comes to that kind of versatility, perhaps no Bruin is better suited for the role than Barr, the freshman out of Loyola High School.
Showing an ability to catch any ball thrown his way and displaying impressive athleticism, Barr has often been the talk of practice.
“It’s all about learning my stuff,” he said. “Just trying to battle it out at the F-back position, trying to learn the stuff, make the least mistakes.”
With Morrell Presley and Christian Ramirez also getting looks at F-back, Neuheisel calls it “a position that we feel real good about.”
Whoever lines up at both tailback and F-back will be counted on to make plays and develop a more formidable ground attack. Unlike in years past, the Bruins have no shortage of options to turn to, and they’ll have a new-look offense with which to experiment.
“Hopefully we can put our own spin on it,” Neuheisel said of the Pistol. “It’s a movement. To run the football is pivotal to our success.”
_With reports from Sam Strong, Bruin Sports senior staff. _