t is basically a clash of two programs moving in different
directions.
The UCLA football team (4-3, 2-2 Pac 10) comes into the game
following a heartbreaking loss to No. 11 Notre Dame, a game in
which the Bruins led by four with a minute to go. The Irish had no
time-outs and had to drive 80 yards to score. They did, ending the
Bruins’ hopes of a monumental road victory.
Washington State (5-3, 3-2) comes into Saturday’s game
following their biggest victory of the year, a 34-23 home victory
over No. 25 Oregon. They have lost to only Auburn, USC and Cal, all
teams ranked in the top 15.
The Bruins will have to come into this game not only seeking to
stop their downward spiral that has resulted in two consecutive
losses to Oregon and Notre Dame, but also the forward momentum of
the Cougars.
Suffice it to say that the Bruins are ready for the
challenge.
“We’ve kind of put that loss behind us,”
cornerback Trey Brown said. “I know we’re looking
forward to this week. As for momentum, I don’t know what
they’re feeling over there, but I know we’re pumped up
for this weekend. It’s going to be a battle, a fistfight, a
slugfest, whatever you want to call it.”
The Bruins defense, ranked 10th in the nation, will have to face
a prolific passing offense in Washington State. The Cougars are
23rd in the nation in passing offense, gaining 244.3 yards through
the air per game. They have one of the best receivers in the Pac-10
in Jason Hill who, at 6-foot-1-inch, 210 pounds, could provide some
matchup problems for the 5-foot-9-inch, 185-pound Brown.
“He’s a really good player,” Brown said.
“He’s been able to get out there and make some plays
for them. We’ve got some great players in the secondary as
well, so we should be fine.”
Even if the defense locks down the Cougars’ offense, the
Bruins might have their own trouble scoring on the Washington State
defense. The Cougars have one of the best pass rushes in the nation
led by defensive end Mkristo Bruce. Bruce is a pass-rushing fiend,
having recorded 10 sacks already this year, ranking behind just
UCLA’s Justin Hickman, with 10.5, in the Pac-10. Needless to
say, the Bruins are gearing much of their blocking toward keeping
him in check.
“You’ve got to stay low on him,” offensive
tackle Noah Sutherland said. “You’ve got to get hands
on him. He’s got long arms, so you can’t let him get in
on you.”
For an offensive line that has had issues with the pass rush
this year, this will be the truest test thus far this season. And
with offensive tackle Aleksey Lanis likely not starting because of
an ankle injury, the Bruin tackles will be tested even more than
usual. Brian Abraham struggled when filling in for Lanis during the
Oregon game.
Simply put, this is a must-win game for the Bruins in terms of
the Pac-10 standings. With two losses in the conference already,
the Bruins are virtually eliminated from winning the Pac-10
Championship. A loss this weekend would push those already-remote
chances to the brink of impossibility.
“We’ve got a big opportunity this week,” coach
Karl Dorrell said. “Given how the conference is, there are a
lot of teams log-jammed in the middle there.”
It will be the Bruins’ first home game in the last three
weeks and their first game against a non-ranked opponent in that
span as well, although Washington State is No. 25 in the BCS
standings. Still, there is no Bruin taking this team lightly.
“They’re a good team, a really good team,”
Sutherland said. “They play hard every down. Their whole
defense is really good. It’s going to be a good
challenge.
“(But) we’ve been playing against all different
kinds of defense this year so it’ll be nothing new,”
Sutherland said.
Washington State fluctuates between a 4-3 defense and 3-4
defense, meaning sometimes they have four defensive linemen and
three linebackers, and sometimes they have three defensive linemen
and four linebackers.