Bruins expect Kevin Prince to start Saturday

The hard and fast stance at UCLA practice Wednesday was that quarterback Kevin Prince, sore shoulder and all, would start against Stanford on Saturday night at the Rose Bowl.

But for a second consecutive day, Prince was limited, and he did not throw a pass during the second half of practice.

Last week, Prince worked through the week as he pushed to get ready for the Bruins’ opener at Kansas State after a torn muscle in his back kept him out nearly three weeks. Prince then labored at times in a 31-22 loss, completing nine of 26 passes for 120 yards.

He looked rusty, Coach Rick Neuheisel said.

Prince’s practice time has been reduced as UCLA prepares for Stanford, but he says he’ll be ready.

“I can make all the throws I need to make,” said Prince, who injured his right shoulder in the Kansas State game. “If I didn’t feel comfortable with that, then I wouldn’t feel comfortable playing.

“I feel I’ve been getting enough throws. Come Saturday night, I’ll be fine.”

Neuheisel said Prince would start, though he left himself an out, saying, “Unless something happens that we’re not aware of.”

Richard Brehaut split time with Prince running the first-team offense. For the second consecutive day, Brehaut alone directed the two-minute drill near the end of practice.

“We kind of had [Prince] on a pitch count,” Neuheisel said. “But I think he’ll be ready to roll.”

New end in sight

Defensive end Keenan Graham saw some playing time with the first-team defense during practice Wednesday, in place of Damien Holmes.

Graham, a redshirt freshman, was in on one tackle in limited action against Kansas State, but he is expected to get more of a chance this week.

“It had been a long time since I had been in a game,” Graham said. “To get back out there some and remember what it was like will make it easier for me to play more this week.”

Sheller for six?

UCLA coaches plan on seeking a sixth season of eligibility for senior offensive tackle Sean Sheller, Neuheisel said.

Sheller seems to meet the necessary medical redshirt requirements —he has missed full two seasons because of injuries, sitting out 2008 and 2006 because of knee surgery.

Sheller appeared in the first three games of last season on the field goal unit, but was sidelined after that because of continuing pain in his knee.

Old Jerzy

Jerzy Siewierski, a starter at defensive tackle in 2009, will make his professional debut Sept. 24 … in mixed martial arts.

Siewierski will face former Brigham Young defensive lineman Jan Jorgensen at the McKay Center in Orem, Utah.

The last time Siewierski and Jorgensen were in the same sports venue, BYU routed UCLA, 59-0, in 2008.

Kickers off

Kicker Kai Forbath is still nursing a sore groin and now punter Jeff Locke has a sore left knee. Neuheisel said he expected both kickers to be ready for Stanford.

chris.foster@latimes.com

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