The UCLA football team played its first full-contact scrimmage of the spring before a large gathering of high school prospects on Sunday.
The attendees at Spaulding Field included "The Great One," who accompanied his young one -- quarterback Trevor Gretzky (Westlake Village, Calif./Oaks Christian). Quarterback Max Wittek (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei), who has offers from both UCLA and USC, and athlete DeAnthony Thomas (Los Angeles, Calif./Crenshaw), one of the nation's most sought-after recruits, were also in attendance.
As for the players already donning UCLA jerseys, coach Rick Neuheisel liked what he saw.
"Schematically we want to see where we are but more importantly, I want to see individuals rise to the occasion so we can create the depth necessary to be successful," Neuheisel said.
There were plenty of moments to pick from:
Tight end Joseph Fauria continued to make an impression, catching touchdowns from quarterback Kevin Prince during both the seven-on-seven drill and the scrimmage. The two scores occurred in the back of the end zone, where he has an advantage over smaller defensive backs. "Joe Fauria looks to be a weapon for us," Neuheisel said. After catching the first touchdown, Fauria ran off in excitement -- a sequence Neuheisel termed the "squirrel dance." The 6-foot-8 tight end added a 10-yard score later, keeping his feet in bounds on a lob from Prince. "I'm having a great time here," Fauria said. "I love it here, man. It's a great group of guys and I love that I'm playing football again."
Prince looked sharp, completing eight of his nine pass attempts for 84 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed the ball five times for 13 yards. Backup quarterback Richard Brehaut was 3 for 11 and third-string Nick Crissman was 3 for 6.
Tailback Johnathan Franklin ran for 44 yards on nine carries. He broke the best run on a sweep to the left and a cut back inside. The competition between Franklin and Derrick Coleman for the starting running back spot has been close the last week or so.
All-American kicker Kai Forbath nailed both his field goals, from 26 and 42 yards out.