HOUSTON “”mdash; UCLA’s redshirt freshman kicker Kip Smith knelt on the sideline and stared into the distance as the seconds ticked off the clock during his team’s 38-34 loss to Houston to open the season.
Teammates tried to pick him up, while opposing fans tried to tear him down. Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Greg Capella came over to offer some words of encouragement, but he was drowned out by off-key renditions of “Na Na Na Na,” as Cougar fans waved the Bruins off the field.
Smith was undoubtedly replaying the 32-yard field goal he pushed to the right in his head, or it could have been the extra point that was blocked one drive later. Either way, it was too much for him to handle. As soon as the final whistle sounded, Smith disappeared into the locker room despite coaches’ attempts to corral him into shaking the Houston players’ hands. His postgame meeting with reporters was barely audible as his voice quivered.
“I don’t know anybody on the other team,” said a dejected Smith after the game. “I don’t need to talk to them.”
Coach Rick Neuheisel put his full confidence in Smith late last week when the place-kicking position battle was anything but settled. Smith was inconsistent in practice, but Neuheisel’s only other option was redshirt junior Jeff Locke who also handles punts and kickoffs.
The four points that Smith could have accounted for were the difference in the game.
“We’ll find a way to rally and if Kip’s called on again, we’ll rally behind him,” Neuheisel said. “Nobody’s going to point any fingers.”
Quarterback shuffle
Many fans and experts criticized Neuheisel’s plan to play two quarterbacks in Saturday’s game, but given redshirt junior Kevin Prince’s injury history, Neuheisel was playing it safe.
Prince sustained a mild concussion as he tried to pick up a first down near the sideline on his second consecutive running play early in the second quarter. He said he was trying to get out of bounds, but Houston’s D.J. Hayden had other plans. Prince remained down on the sideline for several minutes before being ruled out to return.
“I blacked out,” Prince said of the play. “I just remember I flipped, and the next thing I remember I’m on the bench.”
After dealing with injuries to his knee, shoulder and jaw, concussions are fairly new on the list for Prince.
“It’s very frustrating,” said Prince, who had not sustained a concussion since the 2009 season. “Going through camp, being able to participate the whole time, then to play one quarter and be done with it that quick.”
Junior Richard Brehaut finished the game admirably, tossing two touchdowns.
“We didn’t skip a beat,” redshirt junior tight end Joseph Fauria said of the switch. “We have a rare, good thing to have in college football and that’s two starting quarterbacks that can lead us to victory.”
Big man has big day
Fauria came to the UCLA program with a lot of hype surrounding him. He’s everything a coach wants in a tight end. He transferred from football powerhouse Notre Dame; he towers over cornerbacks and linebackers at 6-feet-8-inches; and he’s a local kid out of nearby Crespi High School to boot.
Fauria missed his chance in 2010. He was limited by a groin injury and totaled just three catches for 22 yards on the year.
If the season opener in 2011 is any indication, this is his year. Fauria was UCLA’s leading receiver and totaled career highs in catches and receiving yards, grabbing six balls for 110 yards.
“I thought I was going to ease into it a little bit,” Fauria said when asked if he expected his breakout day. “I did what I had to do to make plays and give us a shot.”
Injury update
Prince will undergo the concussion protocol tests Sunday before he is allowed to return. He said he was “hopeful” to play next week. Redshirt senior linebacker Glenn Love left the game during the first half with a dislocated left shoulder. Team officials were unsure of a timetable for his return.