Bruins receivers hope to keep stretching the field

Deep thinking from some deep threats: Going long is good for UCLA.

Randall Carroll caught a 68-yard touchdown pass last Saturday against Arizona, and Josh Smith had a 49-yard touchdown reception. Both were necessary throws, according to those running the routes.

“I kept coming to practice and working hard every day, being patient, and the coaches finally gave me a chance and I did something with it,” said Carroll, who had four receptions for 51 yards before the Arizona game. “Now other teams are going to have to respect us going deep.”

Carroll, the California high school 100- and 200-meter champion in 2008, had been an untapped resource. His longest catch last season was for nine yards.

The Arizona game was the first game since 2005 that UCLA had two touchdown passes covering 40 or more yards. The Bruins had only three such plays in 2009, and their nine touchdown passes in 2008 totaled only 100 yards.

The need to stretch the field was apparent to Smith.

“At the very beginning of the season, nothing we could do could get those defensive backs to turn their hips,” Smith said. “They knew we were running 12 yards, then making a break. Coaches were on us about the depth of our routes, but we told them we had to take the extra two steps to get the guy to honor the deep ball.”

Now the Bruins have given opposing teams something else to ponder.

“Man, it opens up the offense, that’s for sure,” Smith said. “It lets the defense know that they can’t just sit down at 12 yards. Those guys are going to have to respect who we have on the field because of what we’re capable of doing when given the opportunity.”

Sneak peek

UCLA’s schedule for the 2011 season: Sept. 3, at Houston; Sept. 10, San Jose State; Sept. 17, Texas; Sept. 24, at Oregon State; Oct. 1, at Stanford; Oct. 8, Washington State; Oct. 20, at Arizona; Oct. 29, California; Nov. 5, Arizona State; Nov. 12, at Utah; Nov. 19, Colorado; Nov. 26, at USC.

chris.foster@latimes.com

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