Rick Neuheisel isn’t quite ready to give his passing game passing grades.
Despite overseeing a methodical beatdown of then-No.7 Texas on Saturday, the UCLA coach still sees a number of issues that need to be ironed out, namely in the aerial attack. With the Bruins’ non-conference schedule now firmly in the rearview mirror, a balanced and effective offense becomes all the more necessary.
“I believe we’re going to have to throw the ball,” Neuheisel said at Monday’s press conference. “I know how competitive this conference is, I know we’re going to have to throw it with some measure of success. We’ve got to start showing that.”
From Neuheisel’s perspective, the main problems in the passing game had to do with protection, which he said could stem from the heavy focus on run-blocking schemes.
While quality of the throwing game is one issue, it’s safe to say that the UCLA coaching staff never envisioned this kind of quantity, either.
Between Neuheisel, a former quarterback in his own right, and offensive coordinator Norm Chow ““ widely regarded as one of the great offensive minds in the game and developer of such dynamic quarterbacks as Steve Young, Philip Rivers and Carson Palmer ““ the Bruins have tended to be pass-heavy in recent years. But Saturday’s game against Texas ““ in which redshirt sophomore quarterback Kevin Prince was just five-of-eight for 27 yards, with one touchdown ““ showed everyone that UCLA could win while running the ball 86 percent of the time.
“I just don’t want to force the issue of throwing the football because of my background and because I love to throw the football,” said Neuheisel, who quipped that eight passing attempts would be an ideal first drive for him. “I want to make sure that we are doing what it takes to win football games.”
Against Texas, that meant running the ball, running the ball and running the ball some more. That style has suddenly become the trademark of this team, and it certainly lends itself to a whole new mindset.
“There are lots of weapons in football,” Neuheisel said. “One of them is ball control, another one of them is field position. By the ability to control the clock and control the field position, you can cause the other team to become a little bit more impatient.”
Impatience will be something that the Bruins have to avoid as they look to improve their passing attack; a rash of offensive injuries, a new offense and limited practice reps have all hindered the smooth development of the throwing game.
The schedule could turn out to be particularly favorable to the Bruins in that regard ““ they host Washington State this weekend and travel to Berkeley the following Saturday. But the Pac-10 schedule is sure to provide its fair share of tests, and it will be incumbent upon the Bruins to pass.