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UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel insists he takes no pleasure in his crosstown rivals' troubles.
He wants the Bruins to win the Race for Los Angeles because they're better than Southern California, not because the Trojans were tripped up by Reggie Bush and the NCAA.
Yet Neuheisel also realizes USC's woes have put UCLA in prime position to make Southland football competitive again - and in the third year of the coach's tenure, he knows it's high time to start seeing results from his rebuilding project. As an alumnus, that's exactly what he would demand of anybody in charge of the once-powerful program.
''We can't take any time to worry about SC,'' Neuheisel said during a preseason interview at the Rose Bowl. ''But is there a window of opportunity? Certainly, and we want to take advantage of that and play on this field in January.''
UCLA has been picked to finish near the bottom of the Pac-10 for another season, ranking eighth in the conference media poll. Neuheisel said expectations sometimes lag behind results: After making a bowl game while going 7-6 last season despite an inept running game and offensive line, he believes the Bruins' weaknesses are closer to strengths after a third straight year of solid recruiting made possible by everything that makes UCLA special.
''UCLA can be back in the national conversation immediately,'' Neuheisel said. ''UCLA's brand is as good as any in the nation. If we get back to that level and get back to the Rose Bowl, we'll be right back on people's minds immediately, and for years to come. I know football has been on hiatus for a long time, but we have the ability to get it right back on top.''
Most people who are paid to have such opinions don't think the Bruins will do it quite yet. But where others see flaws in a defense that lost two of its best players, Neuheisel sees an opportunity for young players - and where experts see perhaps too many returnees from a sub-par offense that managed just 22 points per game last season, Neuheisel sees the lessons of experience.
Neuheisel and coordinator Norm Chow also spent the offseason installing a new offensive look, dubbed the Revolver.
After the Bruins' profound struggles while rushing for just 114.6 yards per game last season, ranking 97th in the country, Neuheisel decided he needed to try something unorthodox to get them moving. The UCLA coaches consulted with Nevada coach Chris Ault, who uses an offense called the Pistol - a modified shotgun formation with the quarterback standing a few yards behind the center, and the tailback a few yards behind that.
The scheme is designed to make the defense worry about runs by Kevin Prince, the athletic Bruins quarterback who didn't get much chance to show off his elusiveness last season. Neuheisel is no stranger to unorthodox offenses after installing the Veer for quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo at Washington several years ago - and this change could hardly make the Bruins' offense any less potent.
Prince is the presumptive starter after his up-and-down 2009, while tailbacks Johnathan Franklin and Derrick Coleman also are back. Receivers Taylor Embree and Nelson Rosario return, as does most of the offensive line that gave up 29 sacks and struggled to open running room last season.
Neuheisel sees those returnees as a good thing.
''On our offensive line, finally we've got some level of experience for the first time since we've been here,'' Neuheisel said. ''You feel like you're going to be a little bit better off. I just believe we're further along at the start, and because of that, I think we've given ourselves a better chance to move the ball.''
The defense lost cornerback Alterraun Verner and defensive lineman Brian Price, but returns a solid group led by safety Rahim Moore, who led the nation with 10 interceptions last season. Defense wasn't usually the Bruins' problem last season, and Moore believes they have a chance to be solid again.
''It's not about topping last year,'' Moore said. ''If I could, I would take away the 10 picks to get 10 wins. It's about getting me better and getting everyone around me better. This is our chance to show ourselves on the biggest stage against great teams like Kansas State, Texas and Houston.''
Ah, the early-season schedule: UCLA has a visit from Stanford mixed into those three tough September nonconference games, minimizing the Bruins' chance at a strong early-season start. If UCLA stumbles early, Neuheisel's task will be tougher - and don't forget, the Bruins went 0-5 last October, repeatedly falling short of wins that could have kept them rolling.
Neuheisel's optimism doesn't waver even when thinking about his rough September schedule. He's banking on the Bruins moving forward with confidence.
''For the first time since I've been here, we have an experienced team,'' Neuheisel said. ''There's confidence in the locker room, confidence in the coaching staff, and now we just have to find results on the field to justify that confidence.''
