009-014 Outlook
6/3/11
4:12 PM
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2011 BRUIN OUTLOOK > UCLA Football
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CLA head football coach Rick Neuheisel begins his fourth season at the helm of the Bruin program and will prepare his team to begin play in the new Pacific-12 Conference in 2011. Colorado and Utah join the league on July 1 and both appear on the schedule this fall. The Bruins enter camp with some new faces on the coaching RICK NEUHEISEL staff, including coordinators Mike Johnson, on offense, and Joe Tresey, on defense. A solid recruiting class complements a veteran group which returns 15 players on each side of the ball who own previous starting experience. NOTABLE — The Bruins begin play this season in the Pacific-12 Conference which welcomes Colorado and Utah to the league … UCLA is in the South along with USC, Arizona, Arizona State and the two new conference members … The winner of the North will meet the winner of the South in the Conference Championship Game on Dec. 2 … Coach Neuheisel’s squad returns 15 position starters, eight on defense and seven on offense, and 30 overall players with starting experience under their belts … In addition, three starting players in 2009 who sat out the 2010 season are set to return to the field this fall — DL Datone Jones, OL Kai Maiava, OL Jeff Baca … The 2011 season kicks off on the road with a visit to the University of Houston on Sept. 3 … The non-conference slate also features the program’s first game against San Jose State in the home opener on Sept. 10 and a battle with the Texas Longhorns on Sept. 17 in the Rose Bowl … Television has already pre-selected for broadcast the games on Sept. 3 at Houston — FSN, Sept. 17 versus Texas — ABC, Oct. 20 at
Arizona — ESPN and Nov. 26 at USC — FSN … Due to the conference championship game, the contest at USC this season will move up to Thanksgiving weekend in the Coliseum … Four of this year’s conference games will be held in the Rose Bowl … Five league battles are on the road, including the first two Pac-12 games at Oregon State (Sept. 24) and at Stanford (Oct. 1).
THE BRUIN DEFENSE DEFENSIVE LINE WHO’S RETURNING — The front line will be under the direction of new assistant coach Inoke Breckterfield. The unit returns six players with starting experience and will add Datone Jones to that equation. The redshirt junior defensive end sat out last year with a foot injury after starting all 13 games in 2009 when he recorded 11.0 tackles for loss in a season which earned him sophomore all-America honors. Tackle Cassius Marsh (So.) was named to the Rivals.com 2010 Pac-10 All-Freshman team after making four starts and
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