UCLA cracked the Associated Press poll last week, checking in at No. 23. It was the first time in a year that the Bruins have been ranked.
A year ago, the Bruins reached 11th in the poll the week before winging their way into Utah. They were unceremoniously dispatched, 44-6, by the Utes, which began the long decline that led to Karl Dorrell's firing.
A ranked UCLA team slips back into Utah this week to play Brigham Young University. But Coach Rick Neuheisel is staying away from any comparisons.
"Last year's team is last year's team," Neuheisel said. "But we have mentioned that we've been asked whether this team will lay an egg. It's a reminder to them that there are still people who don't believe and there's only one way to cause them to change their mind."
Defensive tackle Brigham Harwell, though, said the 2007 Utah game was on some minds.
"The veterans, we've talked about last year, going into Utah," Harwell said. "After that game, we went downhill. We've talked about how we can't have a good game one week, then the next week fall off. We can't take anything for granted."
For whom the Bell toils
Neuheisel said that tailback Kahlil Bell (high ankle sprain) has progressed and that "we're not ready to rule him out" for the BYU game.
Bell, though, would have to be practicing by Wednesday to have a chance to play in the game, Neuheisel said. If he cannot, Chane Moline, Raymond Carter and at least one freshman, either Aundre Dean or Johnathan Franklin, will handle the tailback job.
Fancy meeting you here
Neuheisel bumped into USC Coach Pete Carroll at Inglewood High School while recruiting over the weekend.
"Monopoly did not come up," Neuheisel said, referring to the UCLA ad that proclaimed the football monopoly in Los Angeles was over. Neuheisel did walk away from the meeting with one thought.
"I knew then we were on the right [recruit]," Neuheisel said.
chris.foster@latimes.com
