UCLA @ Arizona State preview

UCLA at Arizona State

Last Meeting ( Nov 21, 2009 ) Arizona State 13, UCLA 23

While the odds are stacked against both UCLA and Arizona State from reaching a bowl game, the winner of Friday’s game at least will still be alive.

UCLA plays at Arizona State in a Pac-10 battle for survival in the postseason picture. Both teams need a win and then to beat their rivals in their season finales.

UCLA (4-6, 2-5 Pac-10) is limping toward the finish. After upsetting Oregon State at Los Angeles a couple of weeks ago, the Bruins took two steps back in their latest outing.

Washington stymied UCLA 24-7 at Seattle in a Thursday night contest. The Bruins jumped out to a 7-0 lead on a nifty 31-yard run by Johnathan Franklin. After that, they might as well have gone home.

The Huskies dominated the contest on both sides of the ball after the opening score. Playing in his home finale, Washington quarterback Jake Locker tied the score with a 3-yard touchdown run. The Huskies’ defense did the rest.

Washington limited UCLA’s one-dimensional offense to just 108 yards rushing. Its passing game was again non-existent.

UCLA played the game without starting quarterback Kevin Prince, who underwent season-ending knee surgery a few weeks earlier.

Richard Brehaut made the start but left after taking a shot to the head. He was just 5 for 14 passing for 42 yards. UCLA went with Darius Bell next and his third pass was picked off and returned 28 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel was clearly unhappy with the throw and replaced Bell with Clayton Tunney, who also wasted little time before he threw a pick. Tunney finished the game and went 1 for 8 for a paltry 13 yards.

Brehaut is expected to get the start in Friday’s game. The rest of the Bruins are a veritable M*A*S*H unit. Ten players are out for the season and two more are questionable for the Sun Devils.

UCLA defeated Arizona State 23-13 last season at home and lost at Arizona State 34-9 in 2008. UCLA finishes the season against city rival Southern Cal.

Arizona State (4-6, 2-5) needs a win Friday and a win over rival Arizona in its regular-season finale to earn a bowl berth. The Sun Devils have lost two narrow decisions in a row.

USC got a late field goal to defeat Arizona State 34-33 a couple of weeks ago. In their last outing, Stanford trimmed the Sun Devils 17-13.

While Arizona State earned no bonus points for its loss against Stanford, the fact that it held Andrew Luck and the high-flying Cardinal to just 17 points was a major accomplishment.

The Sun Devils started just one senior in the loss, giving them such high hopes for the future that ASU athletic director Lisa Love said that coach Dennis Erickson would be back for his fifth season next year.

Erickson has not had a winning season in four years at the school.