LOS ANGELES — The week off from a Bloomington embarrassment, a 50-point loss to No. 2 Indiana, provided the Bruins with a reset.
Interim coach Tim Skipper said they put the Hoosiers’ 56-point performance “to bed” when they met one week ago to flip the script. Redshirt junior linebacker Jalen Woods detailed what that meeting looked like from the players’ perspective during his media availability Tuesday.
“(Skipper) is basically saying, ‘That game’s done. That game’s over with. We got to put that in the past and get ready for our next opponent, which is Nebraska this week,’” Woods said. “Just making sure that we’re not sulking, we not sulking over that – the loss that we took against Indiana – and don’t let it carry over into the next game.”
Health-wise, a bye week hit UCLA (3-5, 3-2 Big Ten) at the right time, Skipper said Monday. Such truths were evident Tuesday morning at Spaulding Field with running back Anthony Woods and redshirt freshman offensive lineman Eugene Brooks practicing with seemingly no limits to their action during practice after missing the game a week ago due to injury.
“The season gets long and that body starts wearing down,” Skipper said Monday. “Knock on wood and lucky for us, we’re relatively pretty healthy. … I feel good about where we are as far as health goes.”
Nebraska (6-3, 3-3) is on the opposite side of the spectrum as it visits the Rose Bowl on Saturday. Huskers quarterback Dylan Raiola left Nebraska’s eventual 28-20 loss to USC with a broken fibula, according to reports.
Freshman TJ Lateef – an Orange Lutheran High alum – will assume quarterback duties Saturday, replacing the sophomore who tossed for 177 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception against UCLA a year ago.
“(Lateef is) a good quarterback, could do a lot of things, and he looked good the last time he played,” Woods said, adding that the defensive unit honed in on tackling across the last week after its poor effort against Indiana. “So just seeing what he brings to the table, and just hopefully we contain him.”
Skipper said UCLA would prepare by looking at Lateef’s scattered playing time – playing in three games and tallying 262 passing yards and three total touchdowns – early in his career before turning to his high school film. The Bruins’ interim coach joked that anything on the internet is fair game.
“Once you get on film, it never goes away,” Skipper said. “Technology’s too good now – I mean, I might even be able to find my high school film.”
Notes
Freshman quarterback Madden Iamaleava, the younger brother of starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava, joined the foray of non-scout team signal callers, donning a blue jersey alongside assumed backup quarterback Luke Duncan. …
Madden Iamaleava took some first-team quarterback reps during the Bruins’ Costa Mesa training camp in July. That was, however, while DeShaun Foster was head coach of the program and former offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri was in charge of the Xs and Os.