LOS ANGELES -- UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel has finally chosen a starting quarterback several days ahead of his usual timetable.
He'll still have to wait until Saturday to find out whether it helps his struggling Bruins in their Pac-12 debut after a nonconference schedule that went mostly wrong.
"We're not quite as far along as we had hoped," Neuheisel said Monday.
UCLA (1-2) is shuffling its quarterbacks for the third time in three weeks, with Neuheisel confirming Richard Brehaut will start at Oregon State this weekend.
"I said all along I wanted one to separate himself, and looked forward to the day when we would have one (starter)," Neuheisel said. "Richard has got that opportunity now as a starter to keep it, and hopefully he'll play well enough to maintain that role."
Kevin Prince started UCLA's losses to Houston and Texas, getting hurt in the season opener against the Cougars before throwing three interceptions in the first quarter of last weekend's 49-20 loss to the Longhorns. Prince said his injured right shoulder felt odd during the loss at the Rose Bowl, but Neuheisel expects him to be ready for practice this week.
Brehaut played fairly well in relief during both defeats, yet the two-sport athlete didn't look sharp in his only start against San Jose State while the Bruins struggled to grind out a 10-point win.
So the job belongs to Brehaut, but the competition isn't finished, either. Neuheisel said his decision "doesn't mean I'm giving up on (Prince)," who has battled numerous injuries during his three seasons at UCLA.
Neuheisel also appears to be giving more thought to the possibility of playing Brett Hundley, the highly touted freshman who's among the biggest recruiting coups of his tenure at his alma mater. Hundley missed much of fall camp while recovering from a basketball injury, but the Bruins must decide whether it's worth burning a redshirt year to use Hundley in the final nine games.
"Brett certainly brings something to the table that's intriguing, which is why he was so highly recruited and why so many believe he has a fantastic future, myself included," Neuheisel said. "I want him to be preparing as if he were to play, and then we'll see where he is as we get later in the week, and see if there's a place for him in the game plan."
Yet quarterback is hardly the only position that concerns Neuheisel. His Bruins haven't done a whole lot right in their first three games despite a wealth of talent, with two new coordinators still struggling to fix the finer points of their new players' approaches.
Neuheisel is understandably concerned about coordinator Joe Tresey's defense, which has yielded 1,274 yards and 104 points in the Bruins' first three games. True, the Bruins have faced two tough offenses from the Lone Star State, yet they haven't exactly risen to the challenges, either.
Neuheisel isn't looking over Tresey's shoulder as he works on a way to beat winless Oregon State. After all, Neuheisel has got enough problems on his offense.
"The kids have to embrace the system, which I think we have," Neuheisel said. "Now we just have to play it correctly."
The Bruins' defensive struggles have been magnified in Datone Jones, the standout defensive end who missed all of last season with injuries. Jones is healthy this fall, but has managed just six tackles and no sacks -- and his entire team has just three sacks this season.
Jones even got a bit of pointed criticism from the usually sunny Neuheisel.
"I think he's pressing," Neuheisel said of Jones, who apparently was yanked out of the Bruins' rotation for part of the loss to Texas after committing a penalty. "I think he's trying to make too many 'SportsCenter' plays, rather than just playing the defense. ... He's ready to hopefully settle in and become the player we all expect him to be. I know this, he's got to get his mind on playing each play."
The Bruins also confirmed versatile offensive lineman Sean Sheller will need season-ending surgery this week to repair his broken left arm. Sheller, a sixth-year senior, has played tackle and guard while returning from two major knee injuries to start 13 of UCLA's last 14 games.
Neuheisel hopes to have cornerback Andrew Abbott back in the lineup after he was dazed by a blindside hit in the Bruins' loss to Texas.
