Dec. 30 will not only decide the winner of the Vitalis Sun Bowl
match-up between the Northwestern Wildcats and the UCLA Bruins, it
will also answer many questions about the Bruins and the state of
their football program.
Will the Bruins be able to finish a season strongly, something
they have not been able to do in recent memory? Will coach Karl
Dorrell be able to win a game in December, something he has not
done in his brief tenure in Westwood? And perhaps most importantly,
will the Bruins be able to call this season a success, finishing
with double-digit wins for the first time since 1998?
Echoing his one-game-at-a-time approach for the regular season,
Dorrell sees this bowl game, while important, as just another game
this team has to win.
"It’s important to us to win," Dorrell said. "Only six teams in
UCLA history have finished with 10 wins. And it’s pretty important
when you haven’t won a bowl game yet."
For Dorrell, his two previous seasons have ended in ignominy. In
his first season, his Bruins lost 17-9 to Fresno State in the
Silicon Valley Classic, and last year, the Bruins fought the cold
and struggled against Wyoming, losing 24-21 in the Las Vegas
Bowl.
This year, the Bruins will face an arguably stronger opponent in
El Paso, Texas, much farther away from Westwood than the two
previous bowl locations. Those factors, however, do not cause much
concern for Dorrell, who sees his team’s execution as the key to
the game.
"We’re just going to have to play a lot better," Dorrell
said.
"They’re a good team, but we’re a good team too."
Dorrell drew comparisons between his club and their Big Ten
opponent, noting that each team enters the bowl game with a strong
offense and a defensive unit that will be challenged after a
regular season of inconsistency.
The Sun Bowl has been pegged by pundits as one of the most
exciting postseason games of the year because it has the potential,
at least by the numbers,to be one of the highest-scoring bowls in
recent years. No. 7 UCLA and No. 21 Northwestern have two of the
most statistically prolific offenses with averages of 38.1 and 31.8
points per game, respectively. Northwestern has upsets over
Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan State but has been unable to sustain
consistent success in the Big Ten because of a porous pass defense.
The Bruins will be sure to exploit the Wildcats’ secondary, while
Northwestern is certain to attack the UCLA front seven with its
talented running back, Tyrell Sutton.
Northwestern’s running game does not match up favorably with
UCLA’s undersized defensive line and battered linebacking corps.
The Wildcats have the 26th best rushing attack in the nation,
averaging 195.9 yards on the ground. It will be strength versus
weakness. However, Dorrell remains optimistic as he and defensive
coordinator Larry Kerr have tried to close the holes in a defense
that allowed USC running back and Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush
to gain over 200 yards in the first quarter at the L.A. Colliseum
back in ealry December.
One of the Bruins’ building blocks has been their familiarity
with the Wildcats’ offensive scheme, which looks eerily similar to
that of Pac-10 rivals Oregon and California.
"They’re a little like Oregon, but we didn’t get a chance to
play them this year," Dorrell said. "Their quarterback makes it
run."
Just as Northwestern senior quarterback Brett Basanez has been
the driving force of his team this season, UCLA senior quarterback
Drew Olson has his team on the brink of a 10-win season because of
his efficient and clutch play. If the Bruins are to capture that
elusive win No. 10 and give Dorrell his first bowl win as a
collegiate coach, it may very well come down to which quarterback
makes the least mistakes.
INJURIES: Freshman receiver Gavin Ketchum
(thigh) and sophomore offensive lineman Brian Abraham (ankle), who
suffered injuries in recent weeks, were expected to practice on
Monday and should be ready for the game against the Wildcats.
Junior offensive lineman Robert Chai, who had taken over the center
duties after senior starter Mike McCloskey was hurt, has himself
been hurt with an MCL sprain and is not expected to play on Friday.
Freshman Nathaniel Skaggs, who has split time between the defensive
and offensive lines, has practiced at center and is expected to
split time with freshman Aaron Meyer.