5 observations from UCLA’s final spring football practice

They’ve heard the stories, seen the television images, watched other teams enjoy it.

On Saturday, UCLA’s coaching staff and new players finally get to savor the Rose Bowl themselves.

The Bruins will hold their annual spring game inside their home stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for noon, and admission is free for those who request tickets.

“I’m very excited to see it all, see us play on the field, see how everybody probably just livens up,” offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy said Thursday after the team broke spring camp. “Everybody’s told me that when you walk in there, you can just feel it, right? It’s probably not something that you can explain, and I’m very, very excited to see it.”

Kennedy said he’s not sure whether he’ll work from the press box or the field. He’s done both over the years but wanted to get a feel for his new digs before making a decision.

It might be hard to resist the press box given the spellbinding view of the San Gabriel Mountains. Then again, the buzz inside the bowl could present its own enticement.

UCLA is expected to draw one of its biggest spring game crowds in years. As of Thursday afternoon, the school had received nearly 19,000 RSVPs for the game — many multiples of the smattering of fans who showed up last year.

As the Bruins finalized their preparations for a game that’s supposed to last roughly an hour — not counting a 20-minute halftime — here are five observations from their final spring practice:

A familiar sight

In what’s become a daily spring occurrence, wide receiver Brian Rowe Jr. made another great play when he hauled in a roughly 40-yard catch along the sideline from quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

A speedy, shifty transfer from South Carolina who possesses sticky hands and can contort his body to snag almost anything thrown his way, Rowe assembled quite the highlight package this spring. 

“He does keep making some pretty exciting plays,” coach Bob Chesney said earlier this week. “His tracking of the ball, his timing and then his speed from the ground up, like his ability to jump quick, stands out a lot.”

A new look

Upon first glance, there was an oddity Thursday — defensive players cheering when the offense made a big play.

That was a function of the roster being divided into teams ahead of the spring game. Barring any setbacks, the Bruins appeared on track to hold a Blue versus White game.

No detail too small

Chesney brought a couple of players out to meet with referees at midfield to simulate a coin toss before overtime.

The extra period got off to a rousing start for the offense.

On the first play, running back Troy Leigber, one of the surprise standouts of spring, took a handoff from Iamaleava, shed a couple of defenders and ran for a 25-yard touchdown.

Chesney complimented Leigber’s dedication, saying he often looked out the window of his office to see the redshirt sophomore completing extra work on his own on the practice field.

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Increased comfort

One sign of Iamaleava’s grasp of a new playbook is his not locking in on the first or second option.

“You’ve been seeing more checks where he’s getting into different plays that work versus different things,” Kennedy said. “You’re seeing him start to understand what plays work versus this, and I think that piece is huge.”

Of course, it’s also helped that Iamaleava also has what appears to be a vastly improved offensive line, receiving corps and group of running backs at his disposal.

Getting chippy

Running back Anthony Woods and defensive back Kuron Jabari Jr. got into a shoving match after one play, the fracas requiring teammates to intervene and separate them.

Kennedy said moments like that can reinforce the need to play with restrained aggression.

“You compete, right, but you don’t ever compete to the extent of now crossing the threshold where you’re creating a 15-yard penalty,” Kennedy said. “ … We want competition across the board, but we can’t do it at the expense of the team.”