** UCLA was down to three healthy quarterbacks Wednesday.
Freshman Nick Crissman (Edison High) sat out practice with his right arm in a sling and was scheduled to undergo an MRI on his shoulder, which he injured Tuesday.
Already, quarterbacks Patrick Cowan, Ben Olson and Osaar Rasshan had been ruled out for Monday’s opener.
“It’s unusual to lose QBs at the rate we have, but fortunately the three we have know the plan and they’re going to be ready to go on Monday,” Neuheisel said. “Knock on wood, nothing happens between now and then.”
There has been some jockeying lately behind Craft. Freshman Kevin Prince has performed better as he has learned the offense and has a chance to supplant redshirt freshman Chris Forcier as the backup.
“You always want to fight to be the best. The second spot is where I want to be,” Prince said. “That’s what I’m working for.”

** An MRI to the left knee of offensive lineman Kai Maiava showed an injury to his medial collateral ligament, but Neuheisel said he didn’t know the severity of it. Maiava is redshirting after transferring from Colorado.

** Craft threw an interception to Michael Norris during 11-on-11 drills. Alterraun Verner appeared to have another one, but he landed out of the end zone.

Remember him? The former walk-on quarterback who, through an amazing process of attrition, found himself the starting quarterback against Notre Dame last year? Well, he is battling to be the starting quarterback at Sacramento State now. Here’s how he did in the Hornets’ recent scrimmage, courtesy of the school’s Web site.

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I had the weirdest dream yesterday. UCLA’s offense was doing these odd things, like completing passes (to its own players) and scoring these things called “touchdowns.” Now that I’ve had a cup of coffee and lightly skimmed the 27 pages of the Volunteers’ media notes, it’s time to give a more bracing rendition of what could transpire on Sept. 1 in the beautiful Arroyo Seco.

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Now that the Olympics are over, one hard-working member of the UCLA sports-information office compiled a list of how the Bruins fared in Beijing. Read all about it.

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** Left tackle Micah Kia practiced at times with the first unit Tuesday, the cast on his left hand heavily padded. Kia broke his hand during a drill last week, but is attempting to return in time for Monday’s opener against Tennessee.
He said it took trainers nearly an hour to apply the padding. Afterward, somebody asked him if it was as awkward blocking with the cast as it looked.
“Absolutely, and it looks very awkward,” Kia said.
The Bruins’ starting line still is not set for the opener largely because coaches are waiting to see how effective Kia can be with a broken hand. If Kia can’t go, sophomore Brandon Bennett, who has never played a snap in a college game, would start.
“There are a myriad of combinations that can come about,” Neuheisel said.

** Defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker shed his laidback demeanor and yelled at his players several times Tuesday. Afterward, the whole team ran extra conditioning, which may not have been a coincidence.
“I know they’re tired and I’m just trying to get more out of them,” Walker said. “It got kind of animated, but I know what kind of game this is going to be. This is going to be a tough game for us.”

** Offensive lineman Kai Maiava, a transfer from Colorado, injured his left knee and was carted off the field. Maiava, who had to sit out this season because of transfer rules, was scheduled to undergo an MRI Tuesday night.

There has been too much air pollution in Westwood lately, most of it coming from people talking about the UCLA football team.

As if the sky were falling. OK, so the first two quarterbacks are hurt (one of which is Patrick Cowan, above). The offensive line can’t figure out how to block spam, much less a defensive end. Some members of the secondary aren’t yet eligible for the draft.

Blah, blah, blah. As if any of that stuff mattered.

Here’s how the Bruins can start their season off right and send the Vols’ fans back to Rocky Top with nothing but a hangover to show for their mule ride over the prairies.

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It is strength versus strength. The Tennessee defensive backs are thought to be the strongest part of the defense. UCLA’s receivin core might be the best in the conference. 

I asked Bruins receiver Marcus Everett if he thought UCLA had any possible advantage against a secondary that is expected to be one of the greatest in the school’s history. His answer:

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It seems as if Monday’s media luncheon at UCLA was far from “relentlessly optimistic.” Marcia Smith writes about how Coach Rick Neuheisel has gone from upbeat to almost defeated – and the Bruins haven’t even played a game.  

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More than one UCLA player has said the team has been talking about the Tennessee game since Coach Rick Neuheisel was hired. The same day Neuheisel had a luncheon with the media he announced the Tennessee game had been moved from mid-September to Sept. 1 and would be broadcast by ESPN. It was the kind of game UCLA hired him for.

A season opener against an SEC power, combined with the Neuheisel and Norm Chow hirings, have raised interest in the UCLA program considerably since the end of last season, when the Bruins lost to BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl and finished below .500.

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One week before UCLA hosts Tennessee at the Rose Bowl, there was not a lot of game talk during Coach Neuheisel’s Monday press conference. When asked what about the Volunteers he was most concerned with, he somewhat sidestepped the question and said he was looking forward to seeing how his players respond to adversity in their first game. 

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