Snow Wants Rushers to Use Their Brawn

Enough Bruin defensive linemen started last season to fill a baseball lineup. Complete with designated hitter.

Nine of the 10 return, so experience and depth are not a concern. However, the nine combined for only 19 sacks.

Recognizing that the unit’s strength is just that--strength--new defensive coordinator Phil Snow is emphasizing a bull rush. Less finesse, more muscle.

“Coach Snow wants us to use our power,” tackle Ken Kocher said. “He wants us to get into someone and rip.”

The return of 6-foot-6, 276-pound end Kenyon Coleman, a senior who missed most of last season because of injury, will help the pass rush. So will Snow’s plan to keep four linemen in the game in pass situations.

“We’re confident we can put on a good rush,” Kocher said. “We’ll harass the quarterback.”

*

Coleman will play left end at all times rather than lining up across from the tight end as he had in the past.

“Most teams favor running to their right, so we are putting Kenyon where the action will be,” line coach Don Johnson said.

In 1998 and ‘99, his last two full seasons, Coleman had eight sacks and made 16 tackles for losses.

“You’d think it’s the same, but it’s a whole different world,” he said. “I like it. I’ll be comfortable being on one side.”

*

Apparently, paranoia over Internet postings is contagious. Coaches all over the nation are closing practice to the public.

Alabama Coach Dennis Franchione did so after a report that Tyler Watts had beat out Andrew Zow at quarterback found its way to UCLA. The Crimson Tide plays host to the Bruins on Sept. 1.

“It’s a bit like you were at a family reunion,” Franchione said. “You would probably want to tell others who couldn’t be there that Aunt Jane and Cousin Beth looked good, but it wouldn’t be prudent to tell the whole world that Uncle Bob is wearing a hairpiece.”

Lou Holtz closed practice at South Carolina after getting a crash course in real-time reporting. An Internet site was posting updates while a Gamecock scrimmage was in progress.

*

The revised depth chart held no surprises. Among starters, cornerback Matt Ware is the only true freshman and guard Eyoseph Efseaff the only redshirt freshman. Eleven starters are seniors.

Garrett Lepisto, a sophomore walk-on from Agoura High, will be the holder.

*

Bruin tailback DeShaun Foster is one of 43 preseason candidates for the Doak Walker award. Foster rushed for 1,037 yards last season.