Like Jekyll and Hyde, the UCLA football team’s rushing
game lately appears to have shown two faces. There was the Bruin
team that went into the Arizona game averaging 273.3 yards per game
on the ground, and then there is the one that mustered a total of
193 in its last two games, including a paltry 79 against Cal on
Saturday. Similarly, there was one Maurice Drew who was looking
like one of the best running backs in UCLA history through the
first four games of the season. And then there was the Drew who was
held to just 22 yards last week against Arizona and 42 this
weekend. Unfortunately for UCLA, it’s more likely that the
latter face will continue to rear itself for the rest of the
season. And yet it may not be any fault of UCLA’s. Simply
put, opponents are guessing the Bruins will run the ball and are
successfully stacking their defenses to stop it. “Teams are
going to be attacking our run,” center Mike McCloskey said.
“We’ve proven we can run the ball in the past. Now we
have to find a way to keep running it.” Up until the
Bruins’ win against Arizona, its passing game had been
marginalized, in part due to its success running the ball. But with
other teams keying in on the run, the pressure is again on the
backs of quarterback Drew Olson and the receivers to step up. On
Saturday, Olson effectively moved the offense, completing 20 of 36
attempts for 299 yards and four touchdowns. Receiver Joe Cowan led
the Bruins with a career day, catching five passes for 95 yards and
one touchdown. “Coming into these two games, I knew they were
going to stack the box anyway,” Olson said. “We just
have to get better in the passing game and hopefully that will open
up a run game. For the first couple of games it was the other way
around.”
WHERE’S NIUSULU?: Defensive tackle C.J.
Niusulu did not suit up for Saturday’s game because of an
ankle injury. The junior, who sat out against San Diego State three
weeks ago with a suspension, sat out of practice last Tuesday
because of an illness and is now walking in a boot.
CORNERBACK SHAKEUP: Bruin cornerback Marcus
Cassel, a first-year starter, was replaced in the third quarter by
true freshman Rodney Van after getting beat on a touchdown pass to
Cal’s Marshawn Lynch. But Van also had trouble covering his
man, allowing wide receiver Geoff McArthur to score on an 80 yard
pass play in the fourth quarter that increased the Bears’
lead to 21 points. Defensive coordinator Larry Kerr said there
could be competition between the two for the starting position.
ODDS AND ENDS: Defensive end Brigham Harwell
had his first career start and made five tackles. … Wide receiver
Craig Bragg gave UCLA fans in attendance a little false hope after
suiting up for pre-game drills. He did not play and was seen later
in the game in warm-ups. … Drew returned two punts for 10 yards
late in the game, filling in for safety Jarrad Page who felt
exhausted. Page had one return for 34 yards. … Linebacker Spencer
Havner had a season-low five tackles.