UCLA’s Ricky Marvray, Sean Sheller suspended for Arizona game
UCLA football players Ricky Marvray and Sean Sheller have been suspended for one game for violating team rules and will not play Saturday against Arizona, the school announced Monday.
Marvray, a wide receiver, and Sheller, an offensive tackle, both are starters. UCLA has now suspended a total of four starters in the last two weeks. F-back Morrell Presley and kick returner and wide receiver Josh Smith sat out the Oregon game Thursday.
In a statement released to the media, UCLA officials said, “Due to federal and state student privacy laws, UCLA will have no further comment on the matter.” Marvray and Sheller could not be reached for comment.
Multiple sources in the program said that all four suspended players tested positive in drug screening. The sources spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to speak on the matter.
Under UCLA policy, players are suspended for one game after testing positive for a third time. Marvray and Sheller had appealed their suspensions, which were originally imposed two weeks ago with the others, the sources said.
Micah Kia is expected to start in Sheller’s place. Smith, among others, will fill Marvray’s spot.
Bowl chase
UCLA’s hopes of upgrading the EagleBank Bowl trophy it won last season hinge on the next two weeks.
The Bruins (3-4 overall, 1-3 in Pacific 10 Conference play) have home games against 15th-ranked Arizona on Saturday and Oregon State the following week. If UCLA sweeps those games, it will need to win only one of its last three games — at Washington, at Arizona State and against USC at the Rose Bowl — to become bowl eligible.
“I still think we’re going to get there,” Coach Rick Neuheisel said of his team’s bowl chances.
UCLA has a 2-7 road record in conference play in two seasons under Neuheisel, beating only winless Washington in 2008 and 1-11 Washington State last season. The Bruins have beaten USC only once in the last 11 seasons.
The top six Pac-10 teams go to bowl games, provided they are eligible. That number could grow to seven if Oregon reaches the BCS title game. The Bruins are tied for eighth in the conference standings.
“I don’t worry about so much the big picture right now,” Neuheisel said. “We’ve got five little pictures left. We got to make sure we’re as focused as acutely as we can be on each of them. We’re in a position where we can’t make many mistakes and live to tell about it.”
New ‘Cat passes test
Arizona quarterback Nick Foles sat out Saturday’s game against Washington with a knee injury and is listed as “questionable” for Saturday’s game. But the Wildcats didn’t need him in a 44-14 victory over the Huskies.
Matt Scott, a sophomore from Corona Centennial High, stepped in and completed 18 of 22 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 65 yards in seven carries.
Scott started the first three games in 2009 before losing the job to Foles.
Quick hits
The Bruins have lost three of their last four games to Arizona. … UCLA’s game against Oregon State on Nov. 6 will be at 4 p.m. and will be televised on Versus.
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