By Adam Karon
Daily Bruin Staff
Football players claim to have short memories, but some losses are hard to forget. It’s difficult to put aside a 55-7 drubbing in 1999 in Corvallis. It’s not easy to forget a 44-38 home loss a year ago, and it’s nearly impossible to ignore the fact that UCLA has given up an astounding 1,163 yards of total offense in its last two meetings with Oregon State.
But the Bruins hope for a bit of amnesia when they head north to Corvallis to take on the No. 19 Beavers on Saturday.
Unlike the past couple of years, UCLA now features a defensive unit that has given up just four touchdowns in its first three games. The squad will have to be at its best to shut down a powerful OSU attack.
“They have a couple of good backs,” Bruin linebacker Robert Thomas said. “We just have to keep knocking them and play as physical as possible.”
Thomas was referring to the Beavers’ one-two punch of Heisman Trophy candidate Ken Simonton and his backup Patrick McCall, who reeled off a 66-yard touchdown run late in the game last year to give OSU the victory.
Simonton, who is third on the Pac-10 all-time rushing list, was held to just 42 yards by Fresno State’s defense in a heartbreaking loss to open the Beavers’ season. The Bruins began watching tapes of the game this week to learn how to contain the 5-foot-7 firecracker.
Many picked OSU to finish as national champions, and they were shocked when the Beavers were blown out 44-24 by the Bulldogs.
The outcome of that contest was dictated by the running game, where Oregon State struggled for 27 yards on 30 carries as a team.
So far UCLA’s defense has been stingy, but they will need to step up just a little bit more to shut down the Beavers.
“It’s probably the most balanced offensive team we have faced to date,” UCLA head coach Bob Toledo said.
The teams UCLA has faced to date have found it very difficult to move the ball. In the last two games against Kansas and Ohio State, the Bruins have given up just 408 yards of total offense, its lowest two-game total since 1991.
“We take a lot of pride in our defense,” linebacker Ryan Nece said. “Especially as a senior, after all of the criticism we faced the last couple of years.”
UCLA will need to improve its offensive performance if it hopes to get a victory in front of a hostile Reser Stadium crowd.
Quarterback Cory Paus finally seemed ready to click in the Ohio State game, but the Bruins fumbled seven times and were able to tally just one touchdown and a pair of field goals. Oregon State is susceptible to the air attack, having given up over 300 yards passing to Fresno State, and the Bruins plan to exploit the weakness.
In addition, fans can expect a much different performance from Foster, who recalled the Ohio State game as one of the worst of his career.
One factor that could affect the outcome of this weekend’s contest is the three-week layoff Oregon State has had as a result of a bye-week and last week’s tragedy. While this can sometimes give a team rest, not all Bruins feel like it will help the Beavers.
“In football, you need to play games each week to keep your body calloused,” Nece said. “Sometimes a team will get a slow start after a long time off.”
Whether or not OSU gets off to a slow start, the Bruins are in for a long battle in hostile territory. The importance of the game is not lost on the team.
“This would be a big win for us,” Paus said. “It would be huge.”