As linebacker Reggie Carter sees it, the outcome of Saturday’s game at Stanford comes down to one simple thing: stopping Toby Gerhart.
Easier said than done.
Stanford’s hard-nosed senior running back leads the conference in rushing with 129 yards per game ““ that’s good enough for third nationally.
Through four games, Gerhart has reached the end zone five times and touts an average of nearly 6 yards per carry.
The impressive numbers are nothing new for UCLA, though.
Last year, Gerhart victimized the UCLA defense by rumbling for 138 yards at the Rose Bowl. He rushed the ball 27 times that afternoon, none of which produced negative yardage.
Needless to say, Carter and the Bruins (3-0) know all about Gerhart heading into Saturday’s game against the Cardinal (3-1) in Palo Alto.
“If you can’t contain it or control it, they’ll run all over you,” the redshirt senior said of Stanford’s running attack.
UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel is aware of Stanford’s No. 7, too.
“They’re well aware that this is going to be a physical test,” he said following Thursday’s practice.
Despite Gerhart’s efforts last season, UCLA was able to escape with a thrilling 23-20 victory over Stanford behind a methodical 10-play, 87-yard drive in the final two minutes. Redshirt senior quarterback Kevin Craft capped the drive with a touchdown pass to sophomore tight end Cory Harkey with just 10 seconds remaining on the clock.
“We had a spirited game with them (Stanford) a year ago,” Neuheisel said. “It would be a mistake for us to think that we’re sneaking in.”
Quite the contrary, actually.
The Bruins, winners of their three non-conference games, remain the only undefeated team in the Pac-10. The Cardinal, meanwhile, sit atop the standings with a 2-0 conference record.
If records are any indication, Saturday’s game is crucial for both teams.
“Right now they are No. 1 in conference and we are trying to compete for that No. 1 spot,” Carter said.
Stanford, like UCLA with Neuheisel, has undergone a transformation under third-year coach Jim Harbaugh. The Cardinal were an anemic 1-11 in 2006, the year before Harbaugh was hired.
Stanford improved to 4-8 in Harbaugh’s first season, then to 5-7 last year.
“We have to go in there and understand they are going to be a proud football team and one that’s expecting to win,” Neuheisel said.
And like UCLA, Stanford has revamped its roster with faster and stronger athletes.
“They’re awfully good,” offensive coordinator Norm Chow said. “They have very sturdy, strong players and a nice scheme.”
Part of that scheme is on special teams, where return man Chris Owusu is a game-breaker. He leads the nation with an average of nearly 60 yards per kickoff return. When opposing teams have actually kicked to him, Owusu has made them pay. He has six returns, three of which went the distance.
Defensively, Chow said that the Cardinal will not give up big plays.
“We are going to have to be patient and work our way down,” Chow said.
That’s exactly what the Bruin offense did on the final drive last year.
But following that last-minute win, UCLA limped across the finish line and won just one of its final five games. Self-admittedly, that Bruin squad was thin due to injuries. According to Neuheisel, things are different this fall.
“We’re healthy, we’re ready to go,” he said. “We’re looking forward to going and playing a complete game and hopefully being good enough.”
UCLA will have to be good at containing Gerhart, at least.
“If you stop the running game, you have a good chance of winning the game,” Carter said.
With reports from Matt Stevens, Bruins Sports senior staff.