Bruins coaches considering which quarterback to start against Oregon

UCLA coaches will spend the next few days looking over their top two quarterbacks, though the choice still seems to be Kevin Prince when the Bruins face second-ranked Oregon on Oct. 21.

Prince and Richard Brehaut split reps during Tuesday’s practice. Offensive coordinator Norm Chow said, “Kevin Prince is our starting quarterback right now, as far as I know.”

Chow also said, “We have to compete. Good programs, especially during a bye week, have to be able to compete.” But, he added, “If we had to play tomorrow, I’m sure it would be Kevin.”

Coach Rick Neuheisel said the quarterback competition would, “go into at least early next week. We would like to solidify something by Sunday or Monday. But I’m not going to a hold myself to that.”

Prince, who has started five of the six games, has struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness this season. He has completed 42 of 94 passes for 384 yards. He has three touchdown passes and has had five passes intercepted.

Brehaut has completed 19 of 38 passes for 189 yards and has had one pass intercepted.

Prince, who is still wearing a brace on his injured right knee, said that he is “definitely frustrated” with his play, but that not being named the starter at this point, “doesn’t crush my confidence.”

He said, “I have to keep coming out here and honing my skills to make sure doing what I can to be the best quarterback I can be and help the team win.”

Secondary concerns

UCLA is thin on cornerbacks at the moment, with starter Sheldon Price out with what is being called a sprained right knee. He was on crutches during practice Tuesday.

That left only three healthy cornerbacks: Aaron Hester, Courtney Viney and Andrew Abbott. Free safety Rahim Moore worked at cornerback briefly during practice.

Viney and Abbott worked with the first team, with Hester filling in.

Quick hits

Free safety Dalton Hilliard was back in practice after missing last week with a separated shoulder. … An MRI on defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa‘s right shoulder was negative on Monday and he participated in practice. … Keenan Graham sat out the last part of practice with an injured left knee, with Nate Chandler moving back from defensive tackle to defensive end.

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