UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel pleads for patience from Bruins fans

Rick Neuheisel famously didn't have an e-mail account during his four years as Washington's coach, professing not to even know how to really work a computer.

But in his second year at UCLA, Neuheisel has embraced the hottest trend among college coaches, recently launching his own Twitter page.

And in a missive sent Sunday, he pleaded for patience from increasingly frustrated UCLA fans.

"It's November 1st," he wrote. "Stay the course! Our guys had a gutsy 4th qtr on Saturday. I'm proud of them hanging in the fight. ... this ship will sail!"

He's hoping it finally leaves the dock Saturday when the Bruins play Washington in a 12:30 p.m. game at the Rose Bowl.

It's his second game against his former team. Neuheisel was the Huskies' coach from 1999 to 2002, going 33-16 and leading UW to a win in the 2001 Rose Bowl.

But where it was a big story a year ago when he made his first return to Husky Stadium since his controversial dismissal in summer 2003, it's a distant subplot now.

"That's down by the wayside," Neuheisel said Tuesday.

Indeed, UCLA just needs a win against anybody, having lost five straight in conference play after a 3-0 nonconference start, leaving the Bruins tied at the bottom with Washington State.

"We are starving [for a win]," Neuheisel said. "We've just not played quite well enough to get over the top. And the only way I know how to fix that is to keep working at it and getting guys to understand that little things matter and hopefully we can get past that barrier this weekend."

As his Twitter post indicated, Neuheisel saw some hopeful signs in the way the Bruins rallied in the fourth quarter Saturday at Oregon State, scoring 16 straight to force a tie before the Beavers drove for a last-minute TD to win 26-19.

Moral victories, however, weren't what anyone anticipated UCLA grasping for when the season began.

The Bruins weren't necessarily expected to be a conference contender, picked seventh in the Pac-10 preseason media poll.

But Neuheisel set a bowl game as a goal. Instead, the Bruins are in danger of going two straight years without one for the first time since the 1989-90 seasons.

Youth is a popular place to point the blame, especially on offense. The Bruins have seven freshmen or sophomores slated to start on offense against UW, including redshirt freshman QB Kevin Prince. Neuheisel, though, said before the season, "I expect us to be much improved on offense."

Instead, UCLA is ninth in Pac-10 scoring (19.9), total offense (305.9) and rushing offense (102.0), ahead of only Washington State.

UCLA's defense, featuring five senior starters, kept the Bruins in some games early but has seemed to collapse under the weight of carrying the team lately, allowing an average of 471 yards the past three games.

The 0-5 start has brought frustration to the surface in the most new-age of ways.

The UCLA student newspaper last week headlined a story "Neuheisel's Team Falling Apart" citing, among other things, freshman receiver Randall Carroll criticizing offensive coordinator Norm Chow on his Twitter page (including using some offensive language that drew a rebuke from Neuheisel).

Asked about the Theriot comments, Neuheisel told the Register, "everybody's entitled to their opinion. It's just part of the deal."

And Monday, back on his Twitter page, Neuheisel pleaded again with UCLA fans to keep the faith.

"Join hands," he concluded one message. "Let's get this done."

Locker practices

Washington quarterback Jake Locker participated in practice fully for the second straight day as he attempts to recover from a deep thigh bruise. However, UW coach Steve Sarkisian said simply participating in practice does not mean Locker is guaranteed to start or play against UCLA.

"It's not about if he can stand in the pocket and drop back and throw and all that stuff," said Sarkisian, who later added that Locker looked better in Tuesday's practice than he did Monday's. "It's about his ability to escape and not take unnecessary hits."

Notes

• DT Cameron Elisara has not yet been cleared to play while battling a stinger. With DTs Everrette Thompson and De'Shon Matthews battling the flu, DE Daniel Te'o-Nesheim could move inside some to tackle, with true freshmen Andru Pulu and Talia Crichton seeing increased time at ends.

Information in this article, originally published Nov. 3, 2009, was corrected Nov. 5, 2009. A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the father of backup fullback Trevor Theriot wrote a comment about UCLA football on his Facebook page. The father has since taken back that statement.