Bruins Thin in Secondary

The list of walking--and hobbling--wounded gets longer at UCLA, where coaches are glad there are still two days until Arizona comes to town.

If the Bruins had played a game Wednesday, it would have been with two freshman cornerbacks--Damian Allen and Marques Anderson--and, at least part of the time, freshman free safety Jason Stephens.

“I don’t know, but they just told me to be ready,” said Stephens, from Redlands.

Shaun Williams is returning after a two-game hiatus because of a sprained ankle, but he will be unable to play every down because of conditioning, and the Bruins will move strong safety Larry Atkins to free safety when Williams is off the field.

Wasswa Serwanga and Eric Whitfield would then man the strong safety and roverback positions.

But that leaves Stephens one step from playing time, a fact he has conveyed in phone calls home.

“I’m hoping that I can play because of what I can do, not because of somebody being injured,” he said.

He had a hint that he was getting close during practice last week.

“You know you’re playing better when it seems like everyone else is going slower around you and you’re flying by them,” he said.

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NEXT FOR UCLA

WHO: Arizona

WHERE: Rose Bowl

WHEN: Saturday, 12:30 p.m.

TV: Fox Sp. West

RADIO: XTRA (1150)