For Kahlil Bell, Saturday’s game against Stanford represents one of the biggest games of his career.
If the UCLA football team wishes to make a bowl game, it will need to win four of its next six games after a disappointing and trying 2-4 start to the season.
And for the senior running back, that journey starts Saturday.
“Being that this is my senior year and with the position we’re in right now, this is probably one of the biggest games of my career,” Bell said. “We got to try to do whatever we can to pull a win out.”
The Bruins (2-4, 1-2 Pac-10) are coming off a 31-24 loss to Oregon on the road, a game in which the offense was unable to get anything going until the second half, and the defense proved incapable of wrapping up the Ducks.
Now, the team must look ahead to a physical Stanford team (4-3, 3-1) that does not resemble the team the Bruins walked over in the opening game of the last season, 45-17.
“They have certainly improved and there’s a lot of excitement in their program right now,” coach Rick Neuheisel said. “It’s important that we understand the task at hand.”
If the Bruins wish to have success against the Cardinal and even their record in Pac-10 play, then they will need to get their offense going earlier.
Last week against the Ducks, the Bruins failed to score in the first half of the game before putting up 24 points in the second half.
While the team admits they can gain a modicum of confidence from their performance offensively in the second half, both players and coaches emphasized the need for a faster start to the game.
“We need to be more consistent and start quicker,” offensive coordinator Norm Chow said. “We scored 24 points in the second half; we need to score that many in the first half.”
A factor that might help the Bruins is the fact the Cardinal rank is last in the Pac-10 in pass defense, allowing 1,902 yards in seven games.
However, quarterback Kevin Craft said the team can not afford to overlook them.
“They hustle around,” Craft said. “They play really hard, they’re a physical team. That’s something we are trying to prepare for.”
On defense, Neuheisel said the team must improve a rushing defense that allowed 323 yards in the loss to Oregon.
When asked what was the one thing the Bruin defenders were focusing on before facing the Pac-10’s second-best rushing offense, cornerback Alterraun Verner was quick with his answer.
“Tackling,” Verner said. “Tackling and trying to contain running backs. … They have really good running backs, so we have to tackle. If we don’t tackle, then it’s going to be a big game rushing for them.”
Neuheisel said that if the Bruins wish to have success, then they will need to match the intensity of a Stanford team coming off a 24-23 win over Arizona.
“I think they’re eager to play well, especially in front of the home crowd on a homecoming Saturday,” Neuheisel said.
“And we need to, because Stanford is coming in here with some momentum.”
If the Bruins wish to earn a win on Saturday, Bell said it will be just a matter of execution.
“We got to execute,” Bell said. “We got to play a full, complete game. We got to come out fast and finish strong. We got to complete this thing.”
AUSTIN COULD RETURN: Just one week after he was carted off the field in Oregon with a concussion and neck sprain, wide receiver Terrence Austin could return to the field as soon as Saturday.
While Neuheisel said Austin would not return punts or kicks, he could see time at wide receiver.
“I expect him to play,” Neuheisel said. “We’ll see how much.”