UCLA – Washington State Preview: Bruins Seek To Continue Momentum In The Palouse
At last! An opponent that the UCLA Bruins clearly have more talent than!
A team that the Bruins are actually expected to beat.
And a golden opportunity to win their second Pac-10 Conference game, establish a winning streak, and return to .500 for the season.
That is the situation facing UCLA as they venture to Pullman, WA to face a Washington State Cougar team that is among the worst in the country.
It is safe to say that second year coach Paul Wulff has had a rough time in the Palouse, as his Cougars are not only win less in the Pac-10 at 0-6, they have been blown out in pretty much every game; their only victory came against SMU on September 19.
Thing have gotten so bad for WSU that true freshman Jeff Tuel has taken over at quarterback for Marshall Lobbestael, who was expected to be a Cougar bright spot.
Being that Washington State is ranked close to the bottom of Division One’s FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) in nearly every category, UCLA has a chance to do what every other opponent save for SMU has done – get a solid and comfortable win against a program that been reeling for quite a while.
When one looks at the personnel on the two rosters, the Bruins are obviously the better team. BUT…
There are a couple of ways that Rick Neuheisel’s squad could possibly lose:
1. The fact that the game is in Pullman, where UCLA has historically had a tough time and may well run into a Cougar squad with a mindset of having nothing to lose, and…
2. The Bruins could commit a slew of turnovers like they did against Washington last week and unlike against the Huskies, beat themselves. Considering the talent levels of the two teams, that would be the biggest factor in UCLA losing.
That is why it’s imperative for the Bruins to handle their business against Washington State and not go easy on them just because their overall record is 1-8. If anything, UCLA needs to play harder to ensure a win, to not give WSU any openings or hope for a upset.
It’s a good thing that the Bruins’ offense is clicking at the right time. Quarterback Kevin Prince – who will apparently start after suffering a concussion last week – and wide receiver Nelson Rosario have been on a roll; that must continue in Pullman.
The UCLA running game must improve, though – Derrick Coleman, Johnathan Franklin and Milton Knox must have a good day; gaining yardage and sustaining drives must happen.
The defense came up big in last week’s game, stopping the Huskies late. Now Brian Price, Reggie Carter, Rahim Moore and company have an opportunity to do what they haven’t done since way back in September – hold the opposing running back to under 100 yards.
As a 17 1/2 point favorite, if UCLA (4-5, 1-5 in the Pac-10) plays their game, continues their progress and avoid turnovers, penalties and other costly mistakes, they should return to Westwood with another win under their belts, which will keep them on the road to their goal: six wins and bowl eligibility.
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