Monday presser quick hits

UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel said his team is looking forward to getting back to the Rose Bowl and playing a revitalized Washington State team who must be feeling pretty good about itself after their thrilling comeback against Colorado on the road.

The Cougars will be hungry after falling short against the Bruins a year ago. It is going to be a great test for UCLA and they are looking forward to it and hopefully getting their record to 2-1 in conference and 3-3 overall.

After looking at the Stanford tape, Neuheisel said there are lots of things to be encouraged about and there is lots to fix. The Bruins will be working hard to get things done and get that record to 2-1 in conference.

The major thing that Stanford did was totally dominate UCLA on third down. Stanford was constantly in third and short situations a good percentage of the time and they are able to be in that situation then that makes them even tougher to stop.

Neuheisel thinks his team is on the verge of breaking out. At halftime during the Stanford game were fired up. When they stop making mistakes that are game changers then they will become the team they know that they can be.

Neuheisel said the team isn't going backward will continue to go forward and going to be better for the experience. Neuheisel told the team that they want for nothing and they everything they need and there isn't anything on the outside that they need. They only have to improve incrementally a little each week and they will turn the corner and the program will become what everyone wants it to become.

Neuheisel was asked about the first drive and why it stalled on the one. On the first play, Richard Brehaut probably should have pulled the ball and gone to the outside. On the second play, Derrick Coleman has made that already this season and probably could have scored. On third down Stanford won the line scrimmage and pushed the UCLA offensive line backwards. On fourth down they could have made a different call and did so when faced with the same situation later in the game and scored on a Brehaut pass to Joseph Fauria, but the first time around it was not meant to be. For the most part though, UCLA has been good in the red zone this season.

Click This is Neuheisel's most unusual season regarding place kicking of his career. UCLA has missed four out of their last five extra point attempts. Jeff Locke has to work on his confidence and trust his swing.Here to view this Link.

Starting place kicker, Kip Smith and second team kicker, Joe Roberts has been hurt. Smith could see action this week. Tyler Gonzalez, the young man who managing the Bruin soccer team, will be evaluated this week for extra points.

Neuheisel thinks the talent UCLA is better, especially at the skill positions. There is still depth issues along the offensive line.

The Bruins may face, the Cougar's starting quarterback who started the season before an injury fell him in Jeff Tuel. If he can't go the Bruins will face red hot Marshall Lobbestael.

Either way, the Bruins will face a team that knows how to make a comeback as they showed last week against Colorado and the way they roared back a year ago, though still a losing cause, against the Bruins.

The injury report is as follows: linebacker David Allen has a knee injury and will be questionable. F-back Anthony Barr had meniscus surgery on is his right knee and will be three to four weeks. Safety Tony Dye, neck injury, is probable. Defensive tackle Justin Edison head injury is questionable. Safety Dalton Hilliard, shoulder, is probable. Linebacker Glenn Love has a leg injury is questionable. Safety Alex Mascarenas is questionable. Cornerback Sheldon Price, knee, is questionable, but will not have surgery. Kicker Kip Smith, leg, is questionable. Offensive guard Chris Ward, shoulder, is probable and linebacker, Sean Westgate, hand, is probable.