Bruins taking aim at Trojans

This is the first in an occasional series of short reports examining some of college football’s spring story lines. Today, USC vs. UCLA:

Forget spring -- can we fast forward to Dec. 6?

The next few years should be, if nothing else, entertaining as next-in-UCLA-line Rick Neuheisel takes out his slingshot and aims for the downtown Pete Carroll Building.

Lately, the rivalry has been a battle of the sixes:

USC has six consecutive top-four Associated Press poll finishes, Bowl Championship Series bowl appearances, Pacific 10 Conference championships and 11-win seasons.

UCLA had six wins last season, scored six points in losses to Utah and to Notre Dame and gave up double sixes in a 2005 loss to USC.

But that’s all going to change now, right?

The Seattle Times ran a damning off-season series on what was Neuheisel’s best season at Washington, but that was old news to UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero, who had already investigated and hired Neuheisel anyway.

Spring forward: USC is already tinkering as it tries to identify its next Heisman Trophy contending quarterback, Mark Sanchez or Mitch Mustain, and carve out playing time for its tailbacks.

UCLA re-tools as it opens spring practice Thursday, looking to replace 25 seniors and choosing among the same old quarterbacks.

-- Chris Dufresne

Speaking of UCLA . . .

The Bruins altered their schedule and will open against Tennessee at the Rose Bowl on Sept. 1 to accommodate television.

The game was originally scheduled for Sept. 6, but will now be ESPN’s Labor Day game at 5 p.m. What was previously UCLA’s season opener, Aug. 30 against Fresno State, has been moved to Sept. 27.

Fresno State will also open on Labor Day, playing at Rutgers in a game that also will be televised by ESPN.

-- Chris Foster

. . . and of USC

USC’s quarterback competition, regarded as one of the most high-profile spring-practice position battles in college football, stalled once again as Sanchez, Mustain and Aaron Corp struggled for the third consecutive workout.

“It was a rough one -- it wasn’t our sharpest day as a quarterback unit,” Sanchez said after the Trojans completed the fifth of their 15 practices.

Sanchez, a junior who started three games last season, and Mustain, a sophomore who started eight games at Arkansas in 2006, each threw two intercepted passes on Tuesday. “I was a little careless today with it, just trying to force something,” Mustain said.

Corp showed his mobility by running for a touchdown. But like his more experienced colleagues, the redshirt freshman also struggled with pressure from the defensive line.

Carroll blamed the quarterbacks’ problems on the number of plays that are being introduced. “We’ve continued installation to this point and they’re throwing routes for the first and second times,” Carroll said.

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Nose tackle Sedrick Ellis, tight end Fred Davis, offensive tackle Sam Baker, defensive end Lawrence Jackson and quarterback John David Booty are among the former Trojans players scheduled to participate in today’s annual workout for NFL personnel. The workout is open to USC students, who must present their identification, but is closed to the public.

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Former defensive line coach Ed Orgeron, now a member of the New Orleans Saints staff, attended practice for the first time since leaving USC to become head coach at Mississippi after the 2004 season. “I wanted to run through the fence and start coaching,” Orgeron said, chuckling. “You kidding me? I wanted to yell at somebody but no one would listen nowadays.” . . . . Receiver Damian Williams did not practice and wore a protective boot on his left foot because of a muscle strain. Williams was injured on Sunday when he slipped while trying to avoid hitting a child after making a catch along the sideline. Williams said he would probably practice this weekend.

-- Gary Klein

Attention college football fans: Have questions about the Trojans and Bruins? Have them answered on latimes.com during occasional Q&A; sessions by Times beat reporters Gary Klein and Chris Foster. For USC questions, send an e-mail to gary.klein@latimes.com; for UCLA questions, send an e-mail chris.foster@latimes.com.