When the UCLA football team lines up against the Arizona State Sun Devils on Friday at Sun Devil Stadium, it might as well be looking at itself in the mirror.
Heading into a nationally televised game the day after Thanksgiving, the two programs find themselves in nearly identical situations.
Their overall records are the same: 4-6.
Both the Bruins and the Sun Devils have three wins in Pac-10 play, all against the same three teams: Stanford, Washington and Washington State.
And most importantly, Friday’s game represents an elimination game for the loser. A loss for either team would eliminate them from bowl contention.
Needless to say, Friday’s game is the most important one so far this season for the Bruins.
“It’s a pivotal game,” coach Rick Neuheisel said.
The Bruins are coming off a bye week that players and coaches both said was needed. Players spent the week recuperating from injuries that have accumulated throughout the season and preparing for a do-or-die game against the Sun Devils. Coaches used the extra time to focus on recruiting.
While the Bruins have not fared well following byes (a 59-0 loss at BYU and a 34-6 home loss against Oregon State), wide receiver Terrence Austin emphasized Monday the importance of bye weeks.
“I think they are needed,” Austin said. “I think this bye week was much-needed this week. We have a lot of bumps and bruises that needed to be healed up. You can’t go a straight season without a break I think.”
Austin said the intensity seen in practice during the bye week is an encouraging sign heading into a crucial game.
For Austin, the stakes riding on the game are abundantly clear: Win, or go home.
“We have to win out,” Austin said. “I was talking about this earlier ““ we have to win out. We have to beat Arizona State in order to even think about going to a bowl game. If we don’t win this game, then that’s it for us. That’s it. We just have a last game, the USC game, to play.
“Both teams are trying to play for something that they want, and the bowl game is a prize.”
NEUHEISEL USES BYE WEEK FOR RECRUITING: While it was an off-week in name, it was no rest for Neuheisel and the rest of the Bruin coaching staff, as they used the bye week as an extra opportunity to hit the recruiting trail.
Neuheisel said that an added dimension to the Bruins’ game this weekend is the repercussions a win would have for both young programs.
While Neuheisel is in his first year as Bruin coach, Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson is in his second year, and a win on a national stage would bolster recruiting in a very positive way.
“I just would love to find a way to get a win and see if we can’t keep that momentum that I feel right now in recruiting moving in that direction,” Neuheisel said. “I think recruiting is going to be terrific anyway, but it would be another shot in the arm for what I think will be a terrific class.”
BRUINS PREPARE TO PLAY ON THE ROAD AFTER HOLIDAY: Due to the fact that the game is on the road the day after Thanksgiving, the Bruins will be forced to miss Thanksgiving dinner at home with their families.
According to Austin, that should not hurt the Bruins in the game.
“It’s not like we’re really going to get to sit there and eat and chow down on some turkey or something like that before we play,” Austin said. “I don’t really think it makes a difference at all.”
INJURIES: Safety Rahim Moore suffered a moderately sprained ankle in practice Saturday. Neuheisel said he does not consider it to be serious and that Moore is expected to play. … Offensive guard Darius Savage had surgery on his Achilles tendon and is expected to be back early winter. … Defensive end Chinonso Anyanwu will likely miss the remainder of the season due to Crohn’s disease, Neuheisel said.
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