On paper, UCLA (3-2, 1-0) might finally be hitting a soft spot
in the season. After playing one of the toughest schedules in the
nation to date, the Bruins travel to Arizona (1-5, 0-2), who have
had troubles with a new coach, a true freshman quarterback and no
legitimate starting running back.
Still, UCLA is wary of a hungry Wildcat team looking to snap a
five-game losing streak.
“They’re a sort of wild card,” cornerback Matt
Ware said. “They could potentially do anything, and
that’s what makes them kind of dangerous. That’s why
coaches have just been pounding it that we have to worry about
ourselves. If we do that, we’ll be fine.”
For perhaps the first time all season, UCLA played a complete
half this past Saturday, scoring 39 unanswered second-half points
in its 46-16 victory over Washington. The defense forced four
turnovers; the offense converted on several key third down
situations, and the special teams was near flawless.
Nevertheless, the biggest challenge for Dorrell and Co. is
avoiding a letdown. Arizona has played well against Top 25 teams,
taking No. 19 Texas Christian University into overtime and hanging
around No. 14 Washington State until early in the fourth quarter.
In each of those games, it was the Wildcat defense that shined.
“I look at our defense, and we are making strides,”
said interim Arizona coach Mike Hankwitz. “We have something
to build on, and after watching the video, I was really
encouraged.”
Arizona utilizes a 4-2-5 base defensive set, with rover Clay
Hardt leading the team in tackles. Defensive backs Darrell Brooks
and Michael Jolivette give the Wildcats a talented secondary, but
the defensive line is young and inexperienced.
Offensively, the numbers don’t lie ““ Arizona is dead
last in the Pac-10 in total offense, passing yards, rushing yards
and scoring. True freshman quarterback Kris Heavner hasn’t
exactly been spectacular and is the third quarterback to start for
the Wildcats this year. Additionally, already six games into the
Arizona football season, Hankwitz announced this week that he is
re-opening the starting tailback spot, although Mike Bell is listed
as the starter on the depth chart. Other contenders include
Clarence Farmer, who was the team’s MVP two years ago, Beau
Carr and Chris Henry.
“It’s wide open,” Hankwitz told the Tucson
Citizen. “We want to find out who’s going to give us
the most effective downhill running.”
UCLA has questions of its own. Quarterback Drew Olson will
start, but it remains to be seen how much Matt Moore will play.
Moore, who was the starter at the beginning of the season, is still
progressing back from his knee injury, and even took some snaps
against Washington. Dorrell said this past week they would
specifically formulate one series for Moore.
Both quarterbacks were involved in this past year’s 37-7
win over the Wildcats, but former coaches Bob Toledo and John
Mackovic are now gone from the sidelines. Instead, it’s Karl
Dorrell and, for now anyway, Mike Hankwitz.
“We have to treat this week like any other,” Dorrell
said. “We can’t be concerned about the issues going on
in that particular program. The only thing we can control is what
we can do in our own program. And that is getting better week after
week and showing improvement.”