Stanford @ UCLA preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 3, 2009 ) UCLA 16, Stanford 24

A week ago UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel had some rigid stipulations for Kevin Prince, if the quarterback intended on playing in the team's season opener.

He should have had even stiffer ones for his receivers.

While Prince did a solid job of throwing the ball in the Bruins' comeback bid against Kansas State, his receivers dropped several balls including one
which would have been a game-tying two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter.

The Bruins hope to regroup as they kick off the Pac-10 campaign when they host Stanford on Saturday.

Neuheisel said that Prince had to prove that he could go through an entire practice and still be healthy to play in last week's contest. Prince did such, and then answered the bell for Saturday's game at Manhattan, Kansas. While his numbers were downright dreadful, Prince hit several receivers between the numbers in the game and got nothing to show for it. He finished just 9-of-26 for 120 yards and one touchdown in the contest. He also rushed for an 11-yard touchdown in the 31-22 loss to Kansas State.

While it's still early in the season, it appears that UCLA's top offensive weapon will once again be kicker Kai Forbath. Despite battling a sore groin, Forbath booted three field goals last week and ran his streak of successful kicks from inside the 40-yard line to 40.

Meanwhile, the post-Toby Gerhart era began with a bang for the Cardinal last week. Stanford hammered Sacramento State 52-17 in its season opener.

Gerhart led the nation with 1,871 yards rushing last year. He is now serving as Adrian Peterson's backup with the Minnesota Vikings. Even without their workhorse from last year, Stanford still hopes to run the ball against the Bruins, who allowed Kansas State to rush for 313 yards. The Cardinal rushed for 213 yards against Sacramento State and were led by Alex Loukas with 57 yards on two carries.

Stanford 1uarterback Andrew Luck threw a career-high four touchdown passes in the opener. Luck, who was 17-for-23 for 313 yards in the contest, should have another prime target back for Saturday.

The Cardinal, which defeated UCLA 24-16 last year to end the Bruins' five-game winning streak in the series, expects to regain the services of prized
kick returner and No. 2 receiver Chris Owusu, who sat out the team's opener.

They didn't need him on Saturday, as Stanford rolled up 529 yards of offense against the overmatched Hornets. Sacramento State's starting quarterback was McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who transferred from UCLA.

Stanford will be without tight end Levine Toilolo, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Toilolo suffered the injury on the second play of last week's game.

Stanford has not beaten UCLA at the Rose Bowl in 14 years.