Revenge of the Nerds? UCLA receivers hope to turn Geek Squad against BYU

Eric Yarber, UCLA’s receivers coach, likes the studious types. His preference is reflected in the catchphrase he’s devised to help his pupils.

“You have to be nerdy to catch the football,” Yarber said. “It’s gritty, it’s grimy, it’s want-to, it’s the nerd.”

Being a nerd, according to Yarber, entails watching a pass until it’s securely tucked against the body instead of trying to look cool by taking one’s eye off the ball and turning upfield to run.

The Bruins haven’t exactly geeked out in their first two games.

UCLA Coach Jim Mora said he counted four dropped passes last week against Nevada Las Vegas. The drops were even more egregious against Texas A&M the previous week, when tight end Austin Roberts failed to secure what would have been the tying touchdown pass in overtime.

All of those failures set up a potential story line for the Bruins against Brigham Young on Saturday night at LaVell Edwards Stadium: The revenge of the nerds.

“It’s all about how we go from this point on,” receiver Mossi Johnson said.

UCLA’s receivers can expect to be active in the early going because the Cougars will have a depleted secondary. Safety Kai Nacua and cornerback Austin McChesney must sit out the first half after being ejected for targeting last week against Utah. Cornerback Troy Warner is expected to be sidelined the entire game because of a leg injury.

Those absences should give the Bruins a chance to reveal their handiwork after toiling over their focus and hand placement through hours of extra work. Some players have stayed after practice to catch as many as 100 balls a day.

“If you do it in practice,” receiver Eldridge Massington said, “it will become a habit in the game.”

Of course, only one receiver can qualify as the biggest nerd.

Yarber gave that distinction to Darren Andrews, who has six catches for 79 yards in two games, because of his commitment to watching the ball all the way into the tuck. Yarber said Kenneth Walker III was becoming a nerd, though Walker suffered a setback last week when he dropped what appeared to be a sure touchdown pass from Josh Rosen.

That can happen, Yarber said, when the thought of a big play entices receivers to take their eyes off the ball prematurely, leading Yarber to repeat his mantra.

“Don’t try to be cool when you catch the ball,” he said. “Be a nerd. Watch it all the way in to the tuck.”

The Bruins have offered a fairly elementary explanation for what they consider a drop.

“If you touch it,” Mora said, “you should catch it.”

Yarber also has a metric for improvement.

“Improvement to me is no drops,” he said, “and I tell my guys, ‘You catch everything you’re supposed to and half the things you’re not.’”

The widespread nature of the drops is among the reasons Rosen is still seeking a go-to receiver. He completed passes to 14 teammates against UNLV — nine receivers, three tailbacks, one fullback and one tight end. The quarterback said it was important to find a preferred target for situations such as third downs, when he may have to rely on a playmaker while facing heavy pressure.

“When you’re second-guessing yourself on matchups because you don’t know who exactly is the dude,” Rosen said, “that’ll slow you down.”

Rosen wants to expand the nerd patrol by placing the ball in spots where only his receivers can catch it. He can also empathize with them over regrets.

Last season against BYU, Rosen had three passes intercepted in the first half. He rallied the Bruins for a 24-23 victory, showing the power of moving on after mistakes.

UCLA’s receivers are hoping for similar redemption.

“We’re supposed to catch every pass that’s thrown our way,” Johnson said. “Sometimes we drop some, but it’s football, not everyone is perfect.”

That’s OK, as long as they’re perfectly dedicated to getting better.

ben.bolch@latimes.com

Twitter: @latbbolch

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