Bruins' running game has ground to a halt

Three yards? In one carry? Imagine that!

When all you have managed is 0.8-yards-and-a-big-bust, the grass does tend to look greener on the other side of scrimmage.

The Bruins have been running in place for two games now. They rank last among the nation's 119 major college teams, averaging 19 yards a game. The grim fact is, there are 29 players in the Pacific 10 Conference who have more net yards rushing than the Bruins' 38 as a team.

This has been the severe glitch in a plan to win through attrition. Keeping the score "manageable into the fourth quarter" is Coach Rick Neuheisel's mandate this season.

"You have to have a running game to do that," Neuheisel said. "You have to get first downs with it."

The offensive line, which will be Exhibit A in judging UCLA's 2006 recruiting class, has received the brunt of the criticism. But everyone has pleaded mea culpa. The solution, coaches say, will take time -- possibly beyond this season.

Asked whether UCLA can have a dominant running game, Neuheisel said, "I think it will take baby steps. Let's get to an average running game first. Then we'll think about good one, then we'll move on to the great. We've got to get to that average place first."

View from the trenches

UCLA took over on its own eight-yard line during its season opener against Tennessee, trailing, 14-10. The game seemed at the time to hinge on field position. The Bruins needed to grind out a few first downs.

Chane Moline lost four yards on the first play. Raymond Carter barely avoided a safety, losing three more on the next play. After an offside penalty on Tennessee, Carter lost two more.

Three plays, all backward -- among eight tackles for losses Tennessee made against the Bruins.

"What it has been to this point is there is always one guy who is making a mental mistake or not using proper technique," tackle Nick Ekbatani said. "His guy is making the play. It seems like there are four guys on the right body and we have one going to the wrong guy."

That it seems to be a different guy each time calls into question UCLA's much-ballyhooed recruiting class of 2006, which included seven offensive linemen -- Ekbatani, Brandon Bennett, Jake Dean, Andy Keane, Micah Kia, Sean Sheller and Sonny Tevaga.