He Plans to Win, in Detail : UCLA: Homer Smith returns from Alabama as offensive coordinator. He is expected to help revive the program.

Homer Smith is an offensive mechanic, and he’s tinkering with the UCLA offense this year.

There he was at the end of practice, flat on his back, peering into the hands of center Lance Zeno.

No detail is too small to be dismissed by Smith. In this instance, he was making sure that the angle of the ball was at a specified degree when Zeno makes his snap.

Moreover, the quarterback’s hands have to be at a precise angle as he takes the snap.

“Everything is different, the blocking, the calls by the quarterback,” Zeno said. “It’s just like you got here your freshman year. We have to know what everybody does. We even had an oral test on where the running backs go, what the quarterback is doing, recognizing the defenses. That wasn’t emphasized before.

“Coach Smith was here my first year (1986) and it was a thrill knowing that he was coming back. I knew what he was all about and I told the other guys.”

This is Smith’s third tour of duty with the Bruins as offensive coordinator. He will try to revitalize an offense that ranked ninth in the Pacific 10 last year when UCLA finished 3-7-1.

It isn’t coincidental that UCLA’s offense was effective during his tenure from 1980 to 1986, resulting in five bowl victories, three in the Rose Bowl.

Although UCLA’s offense faltered last year--the defense ranked third in the conference--Smith is optimistic about this year’s team.

“The offense is potentially as strong as any that I have known,” he said. “Of course, you define potential as you’ve never done it.”

Of his attention to detail, Smith said: “It’s good for people to have thoroughness where exactitude is required because they like it. All human beings like to be required to be disciplined.”

Despite his credentials as an offensive coach at UCLA, Alabama and elsewhere, Smith doesn’t regard himself as an offensive magician.

“You don’t count on being smarter than other coaches,” he said. “You just want to make your players better than other players.

“It’s very easy to start designing things and figure you can be smarter than coaches on the other side. They always catch up with your design, and all you have left is athletic ability and, if it’s superior, you’ll win.

“All game plans can be canceled by game plans.”

However, UCLA’s offense will carry Smith’s special stamp this year, meaning it will be more varied than last year’s, which has since been called predictable by some UCLA players.

“Coach Smith has a few basic pass pattern principles which he runs from about 10 or 15 formations, and it’s hard to realize that it’s the same principle,” quarterback Jim Bonds said. “It’s a complex system, but once you get the hang of it, it fits together like pieces in a puzzle.”

The Bruins will be attacking from the standard I, power I (three-man backfield), split backs, an occasional one-back set and the shotgun.

Smith is not fond of statistics except, perhaps, one.

“If there’s one that’s meaningful, it’s average gain per passing attempt,” he said.

UCLA averaged 7.14 yards per attempt last season, contrasting to 8.50 when Troy Aikman was throwing for UCLA in 1987 and 1988.

UCLA Coach Terry Donahue says that Smith and defensive coordinator Bob Field are given wide latitude but ultimate approval, or disapproval, rests with the head coach.

Donahue has hired five new assistant coaches to help the Bruins rebound from only their second losing season in 11 years.

And he is reasonably optimistic about this season, which begins Sept. 8 against Oklahoma at the Rose Bowl.

“The work ethic of the team has been outstanding, through the off-season, spring practice, summer months and two-a-day practices,” Donahue said.

“I think the team has done the thing teams need to do to win. I don’t think our team is as fast as some of our teams in the past, but I believe we have good enough talent to win, and I think we have some outstanding weapons offensively.

“All three of our quarterbacks--Jim Bonds, Tommy Maddox and Bert Emanuel--are potentially big-play people. We have two tight ends, Randy Austin and Corwin Anthony, who can hurt you if you don’t cover them.

“Our wide receivers (Reggie Moore, Paul Richardson, Sean LaChapelle and Michael Moore) are not the fastest, but I think they will be effective.”

Donahue said that a dominating tailback hasn’t emerged, although Kevin Williams and Ricky Davis were prominent in Saturday’s scrimmage. The others are Shawn Wills and Brian Brown, who has a back injury.

Competition at fullback is close between Kaleaph Carter and Maury Toy. Carter is a converted linebacker, and Toy was a reserve last year.

“The offensive line is very young, but it’s coming together and it might be better than last year’s line,” Donahue said.

Zeno, a senior, is the only lineman with any appreciable experience. The other projected starters are left tackle Rick Fuller, left guard Scott Spaulding and two redshirt freshmen, right guard Vaughn Parker and right tackle Craig Novitsky.

As for defense, Donahue said that his secondary should be improved. Four starters return: cornerbacks Carlton Gray and Dion Lambert and safeties Matt Darby and Eric Turner.

“I also think our outside linebackers, Roman Phifer and Rocen Keeton, should be real good,” Donahue said.

He also expects Arnold Ale, a transfer from Notre Dame who missed spring practice because of a hamstring injury, to be a positive factor at inside linebacker.

The other inside linebackers are Meech Shaw, Stacy Argo and James Malone.

“As of now, I’m satisfied with only one defensive lineman, Brian Kelly,” Donahue said. “Unfortunately, the weakest part of our defense is the defensive line.”

Defensive end Mike Chalenski, a transfer from Pittsburgh, has a lingering shoulder injury, and his status is day to day.

Punter Courtney Keyler, a walk-on redshirt freshman, has performed better than Donahue anticipated.

Brad Daluiso, who was UCLA’s kickoff specialist last year, will also be the kicker this year.

Bruin Notes

Outside linebacker Rocen Keeton twisted his right knee in practice Monday, but the extent of the injury wasn’t immediatedly determined. . . . Wide receiver Scott Miller, who suffered a broken collarbone in practice, could return by the fourth game, Sept. 29 against Washington State. Terry Donahue regards Miller as UCLA’s best offensive player. . . . Freshmen with a chance of making the final roster are split end Bryan Adams, free safety Othello Henderson, linebackers Nkosi Littleton and Rod Smalley, center Ryan Motherway, defensive end-linebacker Bruce Walker and wide receiver Mike Nguyen, who was born in Vietnam. . . . Two-a-day practices end Thursday.