UCLA shuffling line's lineup
UCLA FOOTBALL FYI
Bruins continue to shuffle personnel on offense, trying to invigorate stagnant running game.
Stability on the offensive line has its benefits, but as UCLA's 3-6 football team struggles with its running game, the Bruins are past the point of traditional thinking.
So Coach Rick Neuheisel will move senior Micah Reed back to starting center Saturday at winless Washington, and he says more adjustments are possible based on who's performing at the highest level the rest of the season.
Reed was suspended for last week's loss against Oregon State, and replaced by sophomore Jake Dean.
Asked about his hold on the position, Dean said, "Micah's been getting all the reps. I really don't know. I'm sure the coaches could tell you."
And Neuheisel did, saying, "Jake's been beat up. He's not as strong as Micah."
As the Bruins try to boost a sagging rushing average of 77.8 yards a game and an offense that ranks eighth in the Pacific 10 Conference, Neuheisel said those results demand an alternative strategy to handling the line.
"We would not be changing the offensive line if we thought staying the course was the right thing to do," he said. "Part of improvement is creating competition."
Pugmire is a Times staff writer.
lance.pugmire@latimes.com
Times staff writer David Wharton contributed to this report.
