For all the success the Bruins’ nationally ranked offense
is having, the aspect of the offense that has been getting the
least attention is the offensive line. Led by seniors Robert Cleary
and Ed Blanton, the Bruins had only allowed a total of 12 sacks
through seven games, which ranked fourth in the Pac-10. Last
Saturday, however, against the Cardinal in Palo Alto, the
Bruins’ blockers had their worst game, allowing three sacks
and giving quarterback Drew Olson almost no time to throw. In the
game, Olson was 24 for 35, with numerous hurries or deflected
passes. “I definitely felt the pressure in that game was more
than anything I had faced all year,” Olson said. “It
was one of the reasons for our slow start.” One reason behind
the Bruins’ struggles was the injuries to its top offensive
lineman in the past few weeks. Senior center Mike McCloskey
suffered a right shoulder sprain against Oregon State and saw only
limited action against the Cardinal on Saturday. Likewise,
offensive guard Chris Joseph was lost for the season after
suffering a left knee injury a week earlier against Washington
State. In their place, redshirt junior Robert Chai and sophomore
Brian Abraham started. “Those guys filled in
admirably,” coach Karl Dorrell said. “They had some
troubles, but I was really proud of the way our guys stepped in,
especially Robert.” A sign of how much the Bruins struggled
was their offensive numbers in the first three quarters. They had a
total of eight offensive yards in the first quarter and only had
147 yards of total offense before they scored the final 21 points.
“We were really, really bad up front ““ our tempo was so
out-of-whack,” offensive coordinator Tom Cable said.
“We (were) kind of moseying around the line of scrimmage. I
blame myself for not preparing the guys.” The Bruins will be
similarly limited on Saturday against Arizona, as Dorrell announced
Monday that McCloskey had further extended his injury and would be
doubtful for this Saturday’s game. “The loss really
hurts us,” Dorrell said. “Obviously, Mike has
experience that would be hard to replace for everyone, but we are
confident in our guys.” The Wildcats are ranked fourth in the
Pac-10 in total defense and are allowing only 228.8 passing yards
per game. They face the Bruins on Saturday after having already
faced three of the top offenses in the nation in Oregon, California
and USC. “Its a big test for us,” Chai said.
“Their defense is always known for being tough, and
they’re playing their best right now. We will have to play
better than we did last week.”
DREW BREAKS RECORD: Maurice Drew broke Gaston
Green’s (1984-1987) UCLA career all-purpose yard record
(4,283 yards) in the Stanford game last weekend. Drew broke the
record on a 10-yard punt return in the fourth quarter. He currently
has 4,299 all-purpose yards in his career. Drew also ranks No. 9 in
UCLA career scoring with 222 points and is No. 10 in career rushing
with 2,276 yards. Drew also leads the nation in punt-return yards
(29.1) and is fourth in all-purpose yards (184.3 per game).
CABLE RECEIVES HONOR: Cable was handed the game
ball for Offensive Coordinator of the Week by the Master Coaches
Survey for his efforts in leading the Bruins to their miraculous
victory over the Cardinal on Saturday. This comeback was the
largest deficit a Cable-led offense had ever come from behind to
win a game in. “I don’t pay attention to all that sort
of stuff,” Cable said. “As long our team plays well,
nothing else matters.”
ARIZONA SECONDARY: Arizona strong safety
Michael Johnson was named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week for
his three picks against Oregon State last Saturday. Johnson and his
teammate, free safety Darrell Brooks, who helped the Wildcats to
six interceptions last week, are both nominated for various
individual defensive awards. “They probably have the best
secondary in the Pac-10,” Olson said. “Coach (Mike)
Stoops always gets those guys ready to play.”
EXTRA POINTS: UCLA opponents have made their
last eight field goals against the Bruins. Saturday’s game is
homecoming for Arizona and also its Hall of Fame game. The Wildcats
are averaging 53,349 (56,000 capacity) in attendance this
season.