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By JANIS CARR / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
LOS ANGELES ? UCLA receiver Randall Carroll caught a long pass Wednesday and sprinted for the end zone. Once he got there he did a semi-celebration by flipping the ball in the air.
On the next play, Carroll again connected with quarterback Richard Brehaut and dashed over the goal line, this time dipping down on one knee as he cradled the ball.
"I was having some fun today ... it's been awhile since I felt that feeling," Carroll said. "... It feels good to play ? to catch the ball, run around with it, do all that good stuff. That is motivating."
Was it showboating? Maybe a bit, but Carroll's enthusiasm is understandable. He has seen limited action in the Bruins' first three games, nabbing only one catch in for 13 yards against Texas. But his status could change with the start of conference play.
UCLA (1-2) opens the Pac-12 on Saturday against Oregon State (0-2) at Corvallis, Ore., and Carroll has been getting more action during practice this week.
"I really don't know what they are thinking," Carroll said. "I was just keeping my faith in God and keeping patient and thinking that in time I will get my opportunities. And when I do get them, I will take advantage of them.
"To me, it's like, that ball is priceless, so every time it comes to me I know I have to take advantage of that opportunity to show the coaches I can play."
Carroll has little to prove. The 5-foot-10 junior came on strong at the end of last season, catching 13 of 15 passes in the Bruins' final six games and finished fourth on the team with 15 receptions. He led the team with 16.1 yards a catch and tied for the team lead with two touchdown receptions.
CONSISTENT PROBLEM
Coach Rick Neuheisel said the Bruins will be looking for consistency in third-down conversions, a job he said rests on Brehaut, who was named the starting quarterback earlier this week.
"We make a lot of plays that have been on 'SportsCenter' and things like that, but we just don't make them as consistently as the good teams do and that's what we have to do," Neuheisel said. "I think we're sixth in the conference in total offense (tied with USC at 429.33 yards) and yet we're 11th in third downs (3 of 12). We have to stay on the field. If you're sixth in total offense and we get more plays, we can climb those charts pretty quickly.
"Our average attempt as an offense is pretty high (6.6 yards), so we just have to do the things on a more consistent basis and that's what quarterbacking is."
FIGHTING SPIRIT
Linebacker Cassius Marsh and lineman Torian White got into a shoving match toward the end of Wednesday's practice and needed to be separated.
"Another great practice, where we got lots done," Neuheisel said. "(We're) coaching tails off, playing hard. People are angry, people fighting. It's football and it warms your heart if you're into that sort of thing. "
Contact the writer: jcarr@ocregister.com
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