UCLA football in need of a turnaround

UCLA is one of a handful of schools finishing up spring drills this weekend.

After that, it’s lights out for college football until July.

Actually, it might be lights out even longer for UCLA.

A visit to Thursday’s spring practice was tellingly punctuated by the sight of quarterbacks Pat Cowan and Ben Olson leaving the field on the same golf cart.

The team photographer, it seemed, missed a great opportunity to shoot the media guide cover.

First-year coach Rick Neuheisel tried to put it in context.

“I remain optimistic about the fall,” he said.

Let’s see, the Bruins lost 20-plus seniors off a 6-7 team, next year’s top two quarterbacks have been injured in non-contact drills, the offensive line is, um, a work in progress and the secondary is so lacking in depth it could be sponsored by Wheat Thins.

And, before September ends, UCLA will have faced Tennessee, Brigham Young and Fresno State.

We’re not sure next year’s Bruins could qualify for the Lays Potato Chip Bowl–even if it existed.

The good news is there is a template for town turnarounds, provided a coach has energy and determination–and Neuheisel has plenty of both.

How fast?

On Oct. 22, 2001, UCLA was 6-0 and No. 3 in the first Bowl Championship Series standings. The Bruins did own the town. USC, coming off a loss to Notre Dame, was 2-5 under first-year Pete Carroll.

Yes, that was this century.

“I have studied Pete the last several years,” Neuheisel said. “He had a plan and stuck to it. He sold, sold, sold and people bought in. It was no accident.”

Neuheisel wants to use Carroll’s strengths against him - sounds like a chapter out of Sun Tzu’s “Art of War.”

“He went 100 miles per hour from the start and it finally took root,” Neuheisel said of Carroll. “…I think the same thing can happen here.”

The question he can’t answer is when.

Neuheisel, back home at his alma mater, playing catch with his sons after Thursday’s practice, has joked that he may need surgery get the smile off his face.

We’re guessing plastic surgeons won’t be working Labor Day, when UCLA hosts Tennessee.

Maybe someone can squeeze him in Sept. 2?

chris.dufresne@latimes.com