Going up against a top-20 defense is never an easy task. Throw in an intimidating road atmosphere, an opposing team that gives up less than 30 rushing yards per game and a struggling quarterback, and you’ve got some serious issues.
That’s the situation for the Bruins Saturday afternoon as they travel to Corvallis, Ore., to take on the Beavers at Reser Stadium.
With much on the line for both teams, the Bruins will look to establish the same offensive presence on the road that they have generated at home while the Beavers will try to regain some momentum after letting a 19-point lead slip away in the desert in Tempe, Ariz., to lose to Arizona State.
The story line this week will focus on the Bruins’ offense and specifically on the passing attack as UCLA will most certainly be forced to throw the ball against a Beaver front seven that has forced opposing teams to scratch for rushing yards tooth and nail.
Quarterback Ben Olson will regain starting duties after sitting out last week due to headaches, and, putting aside his personal chance at redemption for his poor play in his last start at Utah, the Bruins as a team need him to put up some points.
Olson’s struggles could put more responsibility on the Bruins’ running game to move the chains, but running back Chris Markey is not concerned.
“There’s no added pressure,” Markey said. “We’re going to go out and just try to execute whatever coach calls.”
And as for that stout Beaver defense, currently ranked No. 19 in the country and giving up only 289 total yards per game, the Bruins aren’t that worried. They prefer to focus on only what they themselves can control.
“We’re going in with the mind-set that we can run on anybody,” Markey said. “They’re the same guys we played against last year. We know that they’re pretty good, but we’re just focusing on our own execution.”
Last season, UCLA dominated the Beavers 25-7 at home, snapping a four-game losing streak and gaining 149 yards on the ground.
This season, the Bruins’ rushing attack has been a case of Jekyll and Hyde, netting more than 330 yards on the ground in two games (Stanford and Washington) while failing to net more than 110 in the other two (BYU and Utah).
But the tough Oregon State front seven does not bother leading wide receiver Brandon Breazell, who can expect to see plenty of passes thrown his way tomorrow afternoon.
“We’re going to run the ball no matter what, and we’re going to throw the ball no matter what,” Breazell said. “It’s just us stopping us. We’re not worried about the opponent.”
Breazell, who underwent surgery on Monday to repair broken teeth suffered in a collision with teammate Logan Paulsen against BYU, will play despite wearing a red “non-contact” jersey all week in practice.
“They put new teeth in there,” Breazell said. “I’m done with all the root canals and all the surgery, and I’m just ready to play. … If anything (the doctors) will probably numb me up like they did at the Utah game.”
On the other side of the ball, Oregon State will present an experienced running back in senior Yvenson Bernard, whom the Beavers like to throw to out of the backfield. Last season against the tough Bruin defense, Bernard was limited to only 60 yards on the ground but was also OSU’s leading receiver with five catches for 41 yards. In 2007, Bernard has rushed for 377 yards and four touchdowns. He had a big game last week against Arizona State, finishing with 141 total yards in the Beavers’ loss.
Oregon State starts a promising but inconsistent quarterback in Sean Canfield. While the sophomore’s statistics have improved recently, Canfield’s decision-making has failed him at times this season. His nine interceptions are the most of any quarterback in the Pac-10. He has also had to win a quarterback battle with backup Lyle Moevao and has had his worst performances on the road at Cincinnati and Arizona State.
However, the Beavers are a different beast at Reser Stadium, where the Bruins have not played since 2002. OSU has put up 85 points in two wins at home this season, while only giving up 17 total points.
The Bruins currently own a four-game win streak against the Beavers ““ the longest against the Beavers for any Pac-10 team.