BRIDGET O’BRIEN/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Sophomore
tailback Akil Harris finds some running room in
the Bruins’ win over Oregon State. UCLA faces Washington
Saturday.
By Adam Karon
Daily Bruin Staff
Something has to give this weekend when the No. 8 Washington
Huskies head to town to take on the No. 7 Bruins in a battle of
undefeated Top-10 teams.
The Huskies bring with them a 4-0 record including a 23-18
victory against the University of Michigan. Â Last weekend
Washington edged USC 27-24 on a last second field goal by junior
John Anderson.
Despite the win, the Huskies sustained a huge loss when starting
quarterback Cody Pickett sustained a separated shoulder in the
first half. Pickett will most likely not play this weekend. In
addition, Washington will be without the services of standout tight
end Jerramy Stevens who broke his leg in a game earlier this
year.
Even without two key starters the Huskies have a powerful bite.
Last weekend they racked up 441 total yards of offense, including
nearly 300 through the air.
“They have a pretty good offense,” UCLA linebacker
Robert Thomas said. “All seven guys up front have to force
them to throw. They have a young quarterback coming in, not a lot
of experience, so we just have to hit him.”
Thomas was referring to junior Taylor Barton, who completed 11
passes for 197 yards in replacing Pickett against the Trojans. The
Bruins plan to focus on the run, forcing the backup quarterback
into long passing situations. This means more attention to interior
play, and the men in the trenches are well aware.
“You look at the past four years, we’ve had some
heated battles, physically, down to the wire,” senior
linebacker Ryan Nece said.
A year ago the Bruins lost at Husky Stadium 35-28 to the then
No. 6- ranked Huskies. In 1999 Chris Griffith kicked a field goal
in the first overtime to help UCLA pull off a 23-20 upset.
“It’s going to be a great game to watch and a great
game to be a part of, given the fact they’re undefeated and
ranked as high as we are,” Bruin quarterback Cory Paus
said.
The last and only time both teams played each other while ranked
in the top 10 was 1981. In that game Washington edged UCLA 10-7.
The Bruins lead the overall series by a slim margin of 30-28 (with
two ties).
Former UCLA quarterback Rick Neuheisel returns to Westwood as
head coach of the Huskies. In his weekly press conference he
commented on what the Huskies must do to win, and the implications
this game has on the Pac-10 race.
“It is certainly a wake-up call for our defensive front
that we have got to be pretty stout against their run if we want to
stay in the conference race,” Neuheisel said on Monday.
Senior running back DeShaun Foster bounced back from a subpar
game against Ohio State, rushing for 147 yards and three touchdowns
against Oregon State. If he continues his hot play and the Bruin
defense stays consistent, UCLA could clear one of the last hurdles
on the road to the Pac-10 title. But Ryan Nece and the Bruins know
it will not be easy.
“It’s going to be a war,” Nece said.