Long-idled UCLA tight end Ryan Moya 'ready to go'

"Just to be back out there and have my feet on the field will be awesome," he said.

Moya has waited nearly two years for that moment. He missed the last seven games of the 2006 season after breaking his left calf bone. He sat out last season for personnel reasons.

Now, at last, he's playing again.

"It's been a long time coming, but I knew I would get back," said Moya, a junior. "I'm ready to go."

Moya had to battle minor injuries during training camp, the most serious being a hip flexor. With his time limited, freshman Corey Harkey got a closer look and showed that he was ready to play. That allowed Coach Rick Neuheisel and offensive coordinator Norm Chow the flexibility to use Moya at other spots on the field.

"I like being flexed out and they are putting me in motion sometimes," Moya said. "It plays to my strengths."

Moya had 11 receptions as a freshman and 12 as a sophomore before being injured. He is also a solid blocker.

"He's a gifted kid," Neuheisel said. "We were lucky that Corey Harkey was ready to play and can be another point-of-attack tight end. It gives us a little more versatility."

Going to California

This will be Tennessee's 10th visit to California. The Volunteers have a 2-6-1 record in the state, which includes a 14-0 loss to USC in the 1939 Rose Bowl that ended Tennessee's 23-game winning streak.

Tennessee and UCLA have split the four games they have played out west.

Park and ride

There will be free parking with shuttle service to the game. Parking is at the Parson's Parking lot at Fair Oaks Avenue and Walnut Street in Pasadena. The lot opens four hours before game time. The shuttle will be $2 per person round trip. Riders will need exact change.

chris.foster@latimes.com