Scrimmage Shows Roster Will Have Plenty of Depth

Lack of depth has been a problem that UCLA Coach Karl Dorrell has dealt with each season. Whenever a starter dropped out of the lineup because of injury, the Bruins suffered.

But based on UCLA’s scrimmage Saturday, that may not be a concern this season.

“We had some key players who didn’t get any reps,” said Dorrell, whose Bruins open the season against Utah on Sept. 2 at the Rose Bowl. “But I was pleased to see what the backup guys can do. A lot of them showed up and made some plays.”

The Bruins had a productive scrimmage despite injuries to four of their top six receivers -- Junior Taylor (knee), Joe Cowan (knee), Gavin Ketchum (groin) and Marcus Everett (hamstring).

Senior walk-ons Matt Willis and Andrew Baumgartner combined to catch 10 passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore Brandon Breazell had five catches for 40 yards, and redshirt freshmen Jamil Turner and Ryan Graves combined for six catches, 68 yards and a touchdown.

Then there were freshmen Terrence Austin and Dominique Johnson, who each had two receptions and a touchdown.

“There were definitely enough things to build on,” offensive coordinator Jim Svoboda said. “With our youth, we have to stay positive with these guys because we have a lot of good things going for us.”

Another deep group for UCLA is the defensive line. Despite not having junior tackle Kevin Brown, who is sidelined because of a right ankle sprain, the Bruins rotated a solid group that did a good job against tailback Chris Markey and the running game.

“We rotated a lot of defensive linemen,” Dorrell said. “That’s something that we haven’t been able to do since I’ve been here.”

Justin Hickman, Brigham Harwell, Kenneth Lombard, Chase Moline, William Snead, Nikola Dragovic and Jess Ward were part of a rotation that helped hold UCLA’s offense scoreless for eight possessions to start the scrimmage.

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Other highlights from the scrimmage:

* Against the No. 1 defense, Graves caught a five-yard touchdown pass from Ben Olson and Willis caught a 20-yard scoring pass from Patrick Cowan.

* Against the No. 2 defense, Cowan completed touchdown passes of 19 and 20 yards to Austin and Johnson, respectively. Freshman Chane Moline had a nine-yard touchdown run.

* No. 3 quarterback Osaar Rasshan completed four of six passes for 26 yards and excited the crowd with a nifty scramble.

* Senior Justin Medlock kicked a 53-yard field goal, and freshman Kai Forbath made one from 34 yards

* Sophomore Kahlil Bell had a team-high 53 yards in eight carries, and freshman Jeremy McGee rushed for 45 yards in four attempts, including a 38-yard touchdown run.

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Baumgartner on UCLA’s quarterback battle involving Olson and Cowan: “Really, the only difference between them is the spin of the ball. Olson throws left and Cowan throws right.”

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Dorrell on UCLA’s defense in the scrimmage: “I liked what they did, I thought they tackled well. I thought they were getting to a ballcarrier and then getting them down. That’s something that has been a real point of emphasis for us.... I’m pleased with the effort being done on that side of the ball.”

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UCLA, which did not practice Sunday, will return to two-a-day workouts this week, starting at 9 a.m. today.

The Bruins will close practices to the public starting Tuesday.