It’s official: Bruins are now Craft’s team
Not much of a surprise at UCLA, where coach Rick Neuheisel has announced that Kevin Craft has won the Bruins’ starting QB job for the season opener against Tennessee.
“We’ve decided to name Kevin Craft our starting quarterback,” said Neuheisel this week. “He’s earned it with his consistent play and he has the best mastery of the offense at this point.”
Craft, a redshirt junior, transferred to UCLA from Mount San Antonio College this spring - he nearly chose Hawaii but backed off that after June Jones left for SMU. Craft spent the 2005 and 2006 seasons at San Diego State; as a redshirt freshman in 2006, he appeared in nine games for the Aztecs, starting five. He completed 69 of 121 passes that season for 737 yards with four touchdowns and six interceptions.
Craft beat out redshirt freshman Chris Forcier for the job that opened when Ben Olson was lost for two months due to surgery on a broken foot.
For offensive coordinator Norm Chow, the goal is to now get Craft ready to lead UCLA’s young offense against the Volunteers on Sept. 1.
“I think that [Craft] has known since Ben went down, that the job would be his if he performed as he should,” Chow said. “Hopefully, he’ll step up and do what he has to do.”
And where does Craft need the most improvement?
“Making quick decisions,” Chow said. “He has to get the ball out to help the offensive line a little bit. . . . You don’t have to throw a touchdown pass on every down. He’s improving in that area.”
Craft would become the first Bruin quarterback to start a season-opening contest in his initial season following a transfer since Troy Aikman, who came to UCLA from Oklahoma, took the first snap in the 1987 opener against San Diego State. He is also the first junior college transfer to start a season-opening game in his initial season since Mark Harmon in 1972.
“Right now, I’m trying to step up and be a leader and do what I can do so this team can be successful,” Craft said. “I’m not afraid of the challenge. I’m ready for it. I relish it. I really want to get in there and do well. I’m just anxious to get it started.”
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