Friday, October 9, 1998
New, improved Wildcats await Bruins
FOOTBALL: Running backs face Arizona’s experienced defense
By Rocky Salmon
Daily Bruin Staff
The road to the Rose Bowl begins this Saturday in a desert
bloom.
For the No. 3 UCLA football team, however, Arizona Stadium has
not bloomed in 10 years. No. 9 Arizona holds a 6-5 advantage in the
58,703 capacity stadium.
The Wildcats stand at 4-0 after a thrilling Pac-10 win over
Washington in Husky Stadium last Saturday.
Led by the once-famous "Desert Swarm" defense, the Wildcats have
added a new weapon to compliment their defensive arsenal – an
offense.
"In the past, if you scored three touchdowns you had a good
chance to win," head coach Bob Toledo said. "But now things have
changed. Now they have a good offense led by two good quarterbacks
that can beat you with their arms or legs."
The Wildcats proved how deadly their new Desert Storm offense
can perform, as last weekend the quarterbacks combined for 257
yards passing and one game-winning scramble with less than a second
left. Running back Trung Canidate rushed for 87 yards and Dennis
Northcutt caught eight passes for 92 yards.
"The defense has to contain the quarterbacks and prevent the big
plays," cornerback Ryan Roques said. "We have to execute the D
perfectly this year. No lapses, we can’t afford that. This is a big
game for both, and it’s a clean slate."
This is definitely not the same team UCLA faced last year in
their 40-27 win at the Rose Bowl. The offense has changed and the
defense is one year older.
"Ten games ago we were down on ourselves after being thumped by
Washington," Arizona head coach Dick Tomey said. "But we finished
up strong, giving us high hopes this year. We only started four (of
our current) players last year, so these guys don’t remember
playing UCLA down here."
The Arizona team is quick, athletic and aggressive, unaware of
the nervous pressure of a big game because they are so young.
So how can the Bruins go into the hostile environment and come
away with a victory?
The answer is: behind the running of the two running backs.
Following the suspension of Jermaine Lewis, junior Keith Brown and
freshman Deshaun Foster are ready to step up.
To keep the ball out of the Desert Storm’s hands, the running
backs will have to open up the field and give Cade McNown room to
maneuver.
"They play a flex defense, which limits the plays that we can
run," Toledo said. "We have to be able to run the football to stay
out of long yardage situations."
With Lewis gone, the bulk of the load falls upon the shoulders
of Brown and Foster.
"Foster and I have to step it up and get the job done," Brown
said. "We have to treat it like an injury, so the next person has
to step up and play to their potential, which will hopefully be
enough to come away with a win."
If the two backs get shut down, McNown will be left to fend for
himself against a deadly physical defense. With All-Pac-10
cornerback Chris McAlister and linebacking superstar Marcus Bell
patrolling the passing lanes, McNown will need the run to buy him
time to spot his wide receivers.
"We have to get after them and not let them create momentum
changes," McNown said. "We haven’t gotten into the offensive groove
yet. We are young at receiver, and sometimes they don’t read the
defenses like a veteran would.
"We have to keep the ball to keep their offense off the field
because the crowd is loud when they come on."
This will be the first big test for both teams – and the Bruins
it will be the first win in a string of four must-win Pac-10
games.
After all is said and done, the winner of this game may not have
a Golden Road leading to the Rose Bowl. More importantly, the
winner will be in prime position to travel a few miles up the
cactus strewn road to Tempe for the Fiesta Bowl and a shot at the
national championship.DERRICK KUDO/Daily Bruin
Tailback DeShaun Foster will be one of the players stepping up
to fill the running position left by
the suspended Jermaine Lewis. The Bruins will take on the
University of Arizona Wildcats on Saturday.
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