Washington State @ UCLA preview
Rose Bowl
Last Meeting ( Nov 14, 2009 ) UCLA 43, Washington State 7
A couple of weeks ago, Los Angeles-based sports talk shows were calling for Rick Neuheisel’s job. Two convincing wins later, the UCLA Bruins are the talk of the town.
While Neuheisel’s ‘Pistol Offense’ has finally begun to show a little more pop, it’s been the Bruins’ defense that has turned the season around.
UCLA (2-2) hosts Washington State (1-3) on Saturday as it dives back into the Pac-10 schedule. UCLA got things on track to weeks ago with a convincing 31-13 win over Houston. But even that result provided little foreshadowing of its shocking 34-12 win at Texas last week.
Questions still remain about the Bruins’ offense. Quarterback Kevin Prince threw for just 27 yards on 5-for-8 passing against the Longhorns. But UCLA didn’t need to throw the ball. Johnathan Franklin rushed for 118 yards and a touchdown, while Derrick Coleman returned from an injury to rush for 97 yards and the Bruins took advantage of five Texas turnovers.
Don’t expect Prince to air it out much Saturday. USC hammered Washington State 50-16 last week, rushing for 285 yards. Quarterback Matt Barkley also threw for nearly 300 yards and four touchdowns as the Trojans amassed over 600 yards of offense in the game.
Washington State will have to shore up its defense in a hurry. According to Cougars coach Paul Wulff, his defense missed 32 tackles in last week’s loss, most of them coming from a beleaguered linebacker corps.
The Cougars have just one win on the season against FCS school Montana State and they had to rally from a 15-point deficit to get that one. Washington State was walloped by Oklahoma State 65-17 in its opener and also lost at SMU.
Offensively, wide receiver Marquess Wilson already has four receptions of 40-plus yards through the first four games of the season — more than any Cougar had in all of 2009. Wilson finished with a career-high 134 yards against SMU, his second-career 100-yard receiving game. He is just one of 17 freshmen who could see action in the game for the youthful Cougars.
The Bruins have won the last two games in the series, both by wide margins, and are 21-9 at home in the series.
Washington State running back Jared Byers, who injured his knee in the Cougars’ opener, is doubtful and senior tailback James Montgomery is still a ways from returning after suffering a devastating leg injury last season. He is the last Cougar to rush for 100 yards in a game. Washington State ranks 108th in the nation in rushing.
The game will feature a matchup of two of the nation’s best kickers. UCLA’s Kai Forbath is recognized as the nation’s best while Washington State’s Nico Grasu booted a 56-yard field goal in Washington State’s opener.