PULLMAN, Wash. “”mdash; First, Kahlil Bell went down in the first quarter, and the Bruins were taken out of their running game which had gained 53 yards on their opening scoring drive.
Then, in the second quarter, wide receiver Brandon Breazell took a vicious hit to his ribs thanks to a throw from quarterback Pat Cowan that left him completely exposed across the middle of the field to be rocked by a safety. He was rocked, and then was out of the game as well.
Those two injuries took UCLA’s already anemic offense and sealed its ineffectiveness.
“It didn’t help us, losing a couple of big playmakers early in the game,” coach Karl Dorrell said. “They were integral pieces to our puzzle. We just did not have the continuity to help our defense.”
Bell injured a ligament in his knee, but the severity, extent and exact location of the injury are not known at the time of reporting. According to Dorrell, Bell is to undergo an MRI. Breazell had an X-ray during the second half and the test was negative, but he will be tested for internal damage.
Before the injury, Bell had established himself as the best running back on the team, wrestling the starting spot away from Chris Markey. Breazell, in his senior season, has become the go-to playmaker on the team, with the Bruins trying to get the ball in his hands for receptions, reverses and even throws.
The injuries were not a boon for an already erratic Cowan, who appeared to be nursing his injured leg during the game and was without his usual mobility, but he tried to put a good face on it.
“When you lose two great players, it’s tough, but I felt the other guys stepped in and did a good job,” Cowan said. “I don’t want to say I’m limited, but I’m not where I’m not hurt. So I do what I can. (My leg) still would have been bothering me if we won, so it is what it is.”
COWAN UNPREPARED?: Cowan had to sit out one full practice on Wednesday, and neither his coach nor the quarterback himself denied the effect of sitting out that day.
“(His missing a practice) could have (hurt),” Dorrell said. “He missed some a little bit. But you can point to a lot of different things in a lot of different directions, but I don’t like to do that.”
The usually stoic Cowan echoed his coach’s statement.
“I can’t say it’s one practice sitting out. I can’t say it’s any one thing.”
RUNNING UNTOUCHED: The Cougars unleashed a surprising rushing attack against the Bruins, apparently hoping that the shock of their high-powered spread-passing offense running the ball would be too much for the UCLA defense to handle.
It was, and it caught the Bruins napping.
“I’m kind of responsible myself,” defensive end Bruce Davis said. “The way they get their yards, we were out there expecting them to throw the ball.”
The Bruins gave up 274 yards on the ground.
NOTES: UCLA had no sacks in the game, and failed to put consistent pressure on Cougars’ quarterback Alex Brink, who had all day to pick apart the Bruin secondary. This is the third time UCLA has been held to fewer than 10 points in a game this season, and those three times coincide with their three losses.
Linebacker Christian Taylor, out with a concussion, made the trip to Pullman and was on the sideline. Davis had Taylor’s number written on his forearm.
A plane heading for Pullman airport flew just over the stadium only a few minutes before game time.