It was a different game, but the same story for the Bruins on Saturday.
A 3-3 tie at halftime crumbled into a fourth-quarter collapse and a 34-6 beating at the hands of Oregon State, likely dropping UCLA out of bowl contention.
The Bruins (3-6, 2-4 Pac-10) were not able to generate a consistent offensive attack against the Beavers (6-3, 5-1) and continued their struggle to find any semblance of a running game. Now UCLA must win all three of its remaining games, two of which come on the road, in order to become bowl-eligible. It’s a tall order for a team whose coach does not see any improvement on the field.
“We’re not seeing any effects of (improvement) because we’re still getting handled at the point of attack,” coach Rick Neuheisel said. “When you’re handled at the point of attack and you’re playing with long field positions, it’s hard to get there.”
The offensive line, whose job it is to handle that point of attack, was once again the central problem against the Beavers.
“We all need to get stronger,” redshirt sophomore center Jake Dean said of the offensive line. “We’re not strong enough and it shows.”
Excluding Kahlil Bell’s 24-yard scamper in the first quarter, the Bruins netted just 24 rushing yards on 26 attempts. The line gave up three sacks while only two drives were longer than 45 yards. The offense put up only 237 total yards and converted two of 14 third-down attempts.
It was a dismal performance for a team that’s run out of options.
“You can’t run and you can’t throw. You just got to keep working,” offensive coordinator Norm Chow said. “We’re just not getting it done. We’re not protecting up front, we’re not making good decisions with the ball. It’s hard.”
With four turnovers on the day, the offense never got going. Eleven of the Bruins 15 offensive possessions lasted five plays or less, while the lack of a running game forced redshirt junior quarterback Kevin Craft to throw 42 times.
“We’re just a little outmanned,” Neuheisel said. “It’s tough to see the faces of the kids wanting it so badly.”
Despite Craft’s struggles under center, any change at this point in the season is unlikely. His potential replacement, redshirt freshman quarterback Chris Forcier, threw an interception in his only pass attempt when the game was already decided.
“(Craft’s) clearly the quarterback that knows the most about our offense,” Neuheisel said. “I think that Chris has got a bright future, but he doesn’t grasp as much of the offense.”
With a struggling quarterback and an offensive front that gets no push at the line of scrimmage, the limitations of the offense have become clear. Though the Bruins ran 70 plays, the same number as Oregon State, most of the passing attempts were quick swing passes or fades down the sidelines away from the middle of the field.
The game plan was essentially to get the ball out of the pocket as fast as possible. Despite the scheme designed to take pressure off of Craft and the line, the week-to-week improvement that Neuheisel stresses was just not there.
“I felt like we were improving a couple games ago,” Chow said. “But I think we’ve kind of flattened off, if you will, the last two games.”
The offense was not the only culprit in Saturday’s loss. For the second game in a row, the defense failed to keep the game close in the fourth quarter. The Bruins were outscored 31-3 in the second half and forfeited four touchdowns in the Beavers final seven possessions.
The frustration has become apparent for both sides of the ball, and with the hopes of a bowl game sliding away, pride just might be the only motivation left.
“We’ve still got a lot to play for,” junior cornerback Alterraun Verner said. “We’re still representing UCLA. We’re not going to lay down for anybody.”