Nick Ekbatani

The aftermath of the 59-0 shellacking Brigham Young laid on UCLA on Saturday had Bruins coaches poring over the film while trying to prop up their players' psyches Sunday. That will require a detailed review of the horror film -- for the Bruins -- that was shot in Provo, Utah. It will provide players, and coaches, a to-do list that must be at least partially handled before Saturday's game against Arizona. "When you take a tail-whipping like we took, the first thing you want to do is throw away the tape," Coach Rick Neuheisel said.

UCLA will send out an offensive line with plenty of experience Tuesday in the EagleBank Bowl. Whether that's a good thing is to be seen when the Bruins play Temple. Four of the five linemen got considerable playing time in 2008, with 32 starts among them before this season. That training, though, came during a 4-8 season in which the Bruins couldn't run the ball consistently -- but did consistently leave their quarterback fleeing for life and limb. "They're who we have and they're excited about playing," Coach Rick Neuheisel said.

UCLA's defense has spent much of the last three Saturdays chasing around opposing running backs and not catching them. Against Arizona, the Bruins will have something else thrown at them . . . literally. The Wildcats appear to have hit their Sonny Dykes' stride with the passing game. Since Nick Foles took over at quarterback, the Wildcats have been executing Dykes' spread offense "on all cylinders," UCLA Coach Rick Neuheisel said. Foles has passed for 1,097 yards and eight touchdowns in three weeks since taking over as the starter following a 27-17 loss to seventh-ranked Iowa.

UCLA's football team has topped 100 yards rushing only once in the last four games, getting 137 against California on the strength of starting tailback Johnathan Franklin . The Bruins, who were averaging a respectable 134 yards after three games, now rank No. 102 out of 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in rushing yardage. "I don't know that we've lost our way, sometimes down and distance has dictated it," Coach Rick Neuheisel said, adding, "There is no question that we need to be an effective running team."

UCLA's football team has topped 100 yards rushing only once in the last four games, getting 137 against California on the strength of starting tailback Johnathan Franklin . The Bruins, who were averaging a respectable 134 yards after three games, now rank No. 102 out of 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in rushing yardage. "I don't know that we've lost our way, sometimes down and distance has dictated it," Coach Rick Neuheisel said, adding, "There is no question that we need to be an effective running team."

UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft and the Bruins' offense labored Friday, flailing away during a no-pads practice. The low point was three consecutive passes that Craft had intercepted. "It was sloppy," Craft said. "On a day like this, when we come out without shoulder pads, it's hard to keep mental focus. It wasn't a total loss, but it wasn't what we wanted out of it, and it wasn't what I wanted out of it." The performance on offense didn't have Coach Rick Neuheisel pressing the panic button, but his assessment of Craft was that "this was the first day in a while that I thought he took a step backwards."

UCLA will send out an offensive line with plenty of experience Tuesday in the EagleBank Bowl. Whether that's a good thing is to be seen when the Bruins play Temple. Four of the five linemen got considerable playing time in 2008, with 32 starts among them before this season. That training, though, came during a 4-8 season in which the Bruins couldn't run the ball consistently -- but did consistently leave their quarterback fleeing for life and limb. "They're who we have and they're excited about playing," Coach Rick Neuheisel said.

Quarterback Kevin Prince and tailback Johnathan Franklin had the type of days needed for the UCLA offense to be effective. It just happened on a day the Bruins' defense collapsed in a 45-26 loss to California. Franklin, playing on a tender ankle, had 101 yards rushing, including a 74-yard touchdown run. "It was a counter and I was patient, then hit the hole," Franklin said. "Then it was just like practice, just finish the run in the end zone." As for his injured ankle, Franklin said, "It's nothing but pain."

With UCLA needing to jump-start a sluggish running game, all eyes have focused on tailback Kahlil Bell and his sore ankle. Bell looked relatively sound during Wednesday's practice and said he was ready to play against Arizona on Saturday, but that doesn't mean he will. "It really will be on me," Coach Rick Neuheisel said. "I haven't made up my mind as to whether or not I'm going to let him, just because it's a long year and this is only Week 3." Bell said he understood his coach's concern.

The subject is bound to come up this week. Rick Neuheisel knows he can't avoid it. With his team playing at Washington on Saturday, the UCLA coach will return to a place where he has some less-than-pleasant history. "I have truthfully not thought about it for a long time," he said. "But now that it's here, I've been forced to think about it." Neuheisel spent four seasons coaching the Huskies before the university fired him over his involvement in an NCAA basketball betting pool.

UCLA's defense has spent much of the last three Saturdays chasing around opposing running backs and not catching them. Against Arizona, the Bruins will have something else thrown at them . . . literally. The Wildcats appear to have hit their Sonny Dykes' stride with the passing game. Since Nick Foles took over at quarterback, the Wildcats have been executing Dykes' spread offense "on all cylinders," UCLA Coach Rick Neuheisel said. Foles has passed for 1,097 yards and eight touchdowns in three weeks since taking over as the starter following a 27-17 loss to seventh-ranked Iowa.

Quarterback Kevin Prince and tailback Johnathan Franklin had the type of days needed for the UCLA offense to be effective. It just happened on a day the Bruins' defense collapsed in a 45-26 loss to California. Franklin, playing on a tender ankle, had 101 yards rushing, including a 74-yard touchdown run. "It was a counter and I was patient, then hit the hole," Franklin said. "Then it was just like practice, just finish the run in the end zone." As for his injured ankle, Franklin said, "It's nothing but pain."

The aftermath of the 59-0 shellacking Brigham Young laid on UCLA on Saturday had Bruins coaches poring over the film while trying to prop up their players' psyches Sunday. That will require a detailed review of the horror film -- for the Bruins -- that was shot in Provo, Utah. It will provide players, and coaches, a to-do list that must be at least partially handled before Saturday's game against Arizona. "When you take a tail-whipping like we took, the first thing you want to do is throw away the tape," Coach Rick Neuheisel said.

UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft and the Bruins' offense labored Friday, flailing away during a no-pads practice. The low point was three consecutive passes that Craft had intercepted. "It was sloppy," Craft said. "On a day like this, when we come out without shoulder pads, it's hard to keep mental focus. It wasn't a total loss, but it wasn't what we wanted out of it, and it wasn't what I wanted out of it." The performance on offense didn't have Coach Rick Neuheisel pressing the panic button, but his assessment of Craft was that "this was the first day in a while that I thought he took a step backwards."

With a subpar UCLA pass offense facing USC's highly ranked defense Saturday, Coach Rick Neuheisel has a theory about why his team is struggling through the air. And he says the Bruins aren't alone. Neuheisel sees across the nation a paucity of young quarterbacks prepared to operate in the pro-style offense that many colleges employ. "So many of the high school offenses are spread," he said. "They get in the gun . . .

UCLA offensive lineman Sonny Tevaga returned to practice Tuesday insisting that he has an improved attitude about football. Coach Rick Neuheisel left Tevaga home when the Bruins traveled to Washington last weekend, unhappy with his level of commitment. The sophomore said he was in a rut. "Just walking around slumped, you know what I mean?" Tevaga said. "Just having a bad attitude."