Despite UCLA’s high ranking in several college football polls,
the Bruins are currently last in special teams in the Pac-10.
By Hannah Gordon
Daily Bruin Reporter
Head coach Bob Toledo sent a wake-up call to the special teams
last week. Although Toledo refused to name names, he took three
players off special teams after being disappointed with the overall
effort.
“I told them if you don’t go to the goal line, and I
see that on tape on Monday, you’re out,” Toledo said of
kickoff and punt coverage. “Before they were going to the 35
then jogging and by the 20, they were walking to the
bench.”
At No. 4, UCLA is the highest ranked team in the conference, but
are last in kickoff returns and eighth in punt returns in the
Pac-10. UCLA ranks ninth in kickoff coverage, although that stems
largely from the number of kickoffs out of the endzone. However,
UCLA is tops in punting.
“Once we start getting longer returns … the trust builds
up.” Tab Perry UCLA wide receiver
The Bruins opened the season with botched returns against
Alabama, netting -11 yards on punt returns. Although they
recovered, they have appeared hesitant ever since.
“I think it’s hard for (returners Ricky Manning Jr.
and Craig Bragg) to have full trust in the special teams unit and
expect every guy to get their block because we really haven’t
had a good return yet. Once we start getting longer returns,
that’s when the trust builds up,” sophomore wide
receiver Tab Perry said prior to the Washington game.
That trust may start to build since Bragg made the longest
return of the season for 26 yards Saturday. UCLA returned four
punts for 70 yards. Yet the game opened with a fumbled kickoff
return by DeShaun Foster.
“We could all step it up in the special teams
department,” Bragg said.
The coaches have been giving more non-starters chances on
special teams because they give the extra effort that was missing
from some more experienced players. One such player is true
freshman Jibril Raymo, who returned a blocked punt by Marcus Reese
for a touchdown against Washington.
It is those kinds of big plays that UCLA will need from the
kicking game to accomplish its goals this season. As that wake-up
call rings, Bruin fans will just have to hope special teams does
not hit snooze.