UCLA to face a wounded Duck offensive
Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli tore down the Bruin defense on Oct. 11, 2008, rushing for 170 yards and picking up a touchdown on the ground. Masoli will likely miss Saturday’s game with a right knee injury, but UCLA defensive coordinator Chuck Bullough said the Bruins are prepared for Oregon’s quarterback-option offense.
By Matt Stevens
Oct. 8, 2009 10:48 p.m.
Last year Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli picked apart the UCLA defense dancing up and down the field for 170 yards rushing and a touchdown.
A year later, it looks like the Bruins may be able to breathe a small sigh of relief.
The Ducks’ agile passer practiced on a limited basis this week in trying to recover from a right knee injury he suffered against Washington State. He is questionable at best for Saturday, but all signs point to backup Nate Costa taking the snaps.
Coach Rich Neuheisel, of course, says it doesn’t matter which opposing quarterback is behind center.
“I haven’t heard coach (Chip) Kelly calling and telling me that’s what they’re going to do,” Neuheisel said. “We’ll prepare for Oregon.”
Preparing for Oregon means preparing for Kelly’s intricate quarterback-option offense, which is why Masoli’s potential absence is so important to Saturday’s game. The Ducks draw much of their offensive firepower out of the shotgun, running plays that allow the quarterback the option of handing the ball off, running himself or simply passing.
UCLA defensive coordinator Chuck Bullough said that regardless of which quarterback starts, he knows Oregon will run the same offense ““ one that may cause many headaches if the Bruins tackle as poorly as they did trying to stop Stanford’s Toby Gerhart.
“They make you play assignment football,” Bullough said. “Everybody has got to be in their gap, and what that creates is whoever has the ball, it creates one-on-one tackles. You have to make those one-on-one tackles because everybody is in a gap, and if you miss a tackle, there is nobody there.”
Senior cornerback Alterraun Verner, said there is concern about Oregon’s versatility.
“Their offensive is difficult because they have so many options,” Verner said. “It is really hard to key in on just one thing that they do.”
But without Masoli as the offense’s maestro, the No. 13 Ducks may be at their most vulnerable heading into the Rose Bowl. The team is still without its running back LeGarrette Blount who was suspended indefinitely after he punched a Boise State player in the Duck’s opening game. Oregon is also without starting cornerback Willie Glasper, who tore his ACL on Tuesday.
This bodes well for a Bruin team that Neuheisel said has moved on from the mantra of “run the ball or die trying.” But the team has problems of its own ““ namely, who will be throwing the ball and trying to pick on Glasper’s replacement.
Since the moment redshirt freshman quarterback Kevin Price discovered his jaw was fractured, the goal was for him to return in time for this weekend’s game. Prince was cleared to play Wednesday and has taken the vast majority of the first team reps.
Neuheisel was unwilling to name a starter as of Thursday, but Prince said he certainly thinks he’s it.
“I mean, I’m taking all the one-reps,” Prince said. “I would hope I start. If the coaches don’t go that way that’s their decision but I’m preparing like I’m going to play.”
Offensive coordinator Norm Chow was also uncertain about who would stand under center on Saturday.
“He’s done a nice job,” Chow said of Prince. “He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do and he seems like he is ready to go.”
