In the pass-happy conference that is known as the Pac-10, the
pressure is usually put on the secondary. This year for the Bruins,
conventional wisdom has been proven wrong, as the Bruins have faced
some of the nation’s top rushing offenses, while their rush
defense has struggled significantly. Despite the team’s
problems with containing the opposition’s rushing attack, the
Bruins’ secondary has been successful. In fact, the No. 12
Bruins are first in the Pac-10 in passing defense, yielding 190.6
yards a game, and second in defensive pass efficiency. “Sure
we’re happy at the point we are at right now,”
secondary coach Gary DeLoach said. “But there are plenty of
areas where we could still improve, especially in jump
balls.” Thus far, the Bruins’ major focus has been on
stopping opponents’ rushing offenses, placing eight or nine
guys in the box at a time. As a result, the Bruins’
cornerbacks have had to play single coverage on the
opponents’ receivers. “I like the pressure of having
that responsibility,” senior cornerback Marcus Cassell said.
“If our defense needs to focus on the run, we cherish the
opportunity.” This week, the Bruins are facing Washington
State, which features one of the top offenses in the Pac-10. The
Cougars are averaging 506 yards per game, and they present a much
different offense than the Bruins have faced before. Earlier this
year, Cougar quarterback Alex Brink set school records with 531
passing yards and 515 yards of total offense against Oregon State.
“The quarterbacks in the Pac-10 are all tough,” UCLA
coach Karl Dorrell said. “Every week is going to be a
challenge, no matter which team we play.” A large key to the
success of the Bruins’ secondary this season has been due to
the rush of their defensive line, and the improvement they’ve
made in each game. The Bruins are fifth in the Pac-10 with 13 sacks
this season, and sophomore Michael Norris, for one, thinks that has
been a big reason for the Bruins’ success. “Those guys
up front, they’re really putting good pressure for us,”
Norris said. “It makes our job a lot easier when those guys
are putting pressure on the quarterback.” This weekend, the
Bruins face another veteran running back in senior Jerome Harrison.
To contain Harrison, the Bruins will likely be placing more than
seven or eight defenders in the box ““ a defensive scheme the
team used early and often against Cal. That leaves the Bruin
secondary in a position they’ve cherished all year: all by
themselves in the corner.
EXTRA POINTS: The Bruins practiced Wednesday for the first time
with crowd noise. Their game this Saturday against Washington
State, in fact, will mark the first time they’ve left the
state of California this season. The last time the Bruins played
this many games to start the season without leaving California was
1993, a year in which the Bruins reached the Rose Bowl. Coach Karl
Dorrell called Wednesday’s practice the best he has had this
season, noting the excitement surrounding the Bruins’ first
real road test. “The guys are excited about the trip,”
Dorrell said. “Our goal is to play our best game this season,
and we expect that we can do that this weekend.”
INJURY NOTES: Sophomore free safety Chris
Horton had pins removed from his left wrist on Wednesday. Dorrell
said he should be ready for next weekend’s game against
Oregon State.