QB competition continues as Rosen, Neuheisel square off in 11-on-11s

SAN BERNARDINO — UCLA football’s practice on Wednesday evening was relatively lax, with the players wearing shorts instead of pads.

But the quarterback competition continued.

Redshirt junior Jerry Neuheisel and freshman Josh Rosen traded off series during the 11-on-11 portion of practice, which lasted for about an hour. Redshirt junior Mike Fafaul – who was said to be in the running for the starting quarterback spot – did not take a single snap during 11-on-11s.

By the end of practice, Neuheisel and Rosen both got their fair share of reps. Rosen performed just slightly better – completing 18 of 26 passes for approximately 115 yards and two touchdowns; Neuheisel went 12 for 21 for approximately 100 yards and a touchdown. Neither quarterback threw an interception.

It wasn’t a full scrimmage with tackling – that will be saved for Friday at 5 p.m. on the campus of Cal State San Bernardino – but at this point, the quarterbacks are being graded on everything, so even nights like these are worth taking note of.

“Every day they’re graded 24 hours a day they’re graded on something,” Mora said after Tuesday’s practice.

Rosen likely received the highest grade after 11-on-11s on Wednesday. It’s not merely because his stats were slightly better than Neuheisel’s, but also because Rosen excelled in the one area he said he needed work in.

“I need to keep up consistency,” Rosen said after Tuesday’s practice. “Sometimes I get the same play and two different things. … I just gotta learn how to calm down and control my emotions.”

Rosen did a good job of minimizing his risks and settling for the checkdowns when necessary on Wednesday night. His first three passes in 11-on-11s were all completions in the flat to running backs, and he only had one pass on the night that was close to being intercepted.

Neuheisel – who’s known more for his smart passing decisions – held onto that reputation Wednesday night, rarely taking risks downfield and throwing the ball away on three occasions when nothing was open. Neuheisel wasn’t entirely conservative, however, as he turned in the best downfield throw of the night – a 30-yard streak to redshirt sophomore receiver Eldridge Massington on the left sideline.

By comparison, Rosen’s best long throw of the night was a 20-yard corner route to redshirt senior receiver Logan Sweet. For the most part, Rosen was nickel-and-diming his way down the field on Wednesday night, which is one of the reasons he completed more passes than Neuheisel.

Neither Mora nor offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone were available to comment on whether Fafaul’s absence from 11-on-11s signaled his elimination from the quarterback competition.

Freshman defensive back shows promising start

UCLA’s cast of cornerbacks isn’t the tallest – three starters are 5 feet 10 inches or shorter – but one freshman stands out among the pack.

DeChaun Holiday, standing at 6 feet 2inches, looks like a wide receiver on the defensive side of the ball at times, and has drawn high praise from the Bruins’ top receiver on offense – senior Jordan Payton.

“DeChaun Holiday – we think that kid is gonna be pretty good,” Payton said after practice Tuesday. “He’s got length and that size is pretty hard to deal with.”

Defensive backs coach Demetrice Martin also commented on another one of Holiday’s attributes that rises above some other players his age.

“He just doesn’t panic right now like most freshmen do,” Martin said Wednesday night. “He has a sense of calmness about himself.”