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Offensive guard Shannon Tevaga and the rest of the offense will have their chance to capitalize o

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As soon as one leak is plugged, another one opens up. After UCLA’s 31-10 win over Utah in the season opener, coach Karl Dorrell stressed the need to improve the running game. But the rushing attack was the only blemish from that first game, as quarterback Ben Olson had a sparkling 2006 debut. Following a pair of uninspiring performances, a 26-16 win over Rice and a 29-19 loss at Washington, Dorrell was faced with questions regarding conservative play calling. His team overpowered Rice and Washington running the ball but failed to establish a vertical passing game. As a result, the Bruins (2-1, 0-1) prepared for Saturday’s game against Stanford (0-4, 0-2) with a focus on balance, getting the offense going from all angles to finish off drives with a touchdown, not a field goal. “We need to do our stuff better and that’s the bottom line,” Dorrell said. “We need to play to our potential. We’ve had a good level of execution in practice (this week) and we need to transfer that over to Saturday. “We’re close. (If) we score touchdowns, we won’t be having these issues.” But an end to the touchdown deficiencies might have more to do with Stanford’s struggling defense than UCLA’s balance. In fact, the numbers suggest that the Bruins won’t need much balance to handle the Cardinal, which is giving up 312 yards per game on the ground. So there’s a good chance that UCLA will have no reason to remove the shackles from Olson’s left arm. In comparison, UCLA is averaging 175.7 rushing yards for a 4.1 yards per carry clip through three games. “We’re angry about last week and we know that we need to finish off drives better,” offensive guard Shannon Tevaga said. “It really doesn’t matter if we have to run more or throw more, as long as we’re physical. I want to put a hurt on somebody. “I don’t want to see Justin (Medlock) kicking as many field goals.” SNEAD, THE TIGHT END: Defensive end William Snead, a redshirt junior, will be getting playing time in Saturday’s game at tight end. Snead was moved to tight end earlier this week in practice. The effect of Snead’s position change was twofold: It was a chance for the team to get him on the field more often, and it provided the position with depth. Tight ends J.J. Hair and Tyler Holland have been slowed by various injuries so far this season. Snead will work on offense and defense for a while longer, Dorrell said. “He’s a two-way guy right now,” he said.

RUSH DEFENSE: Although much of the focus has been on UCLA’s sputtering offense against Washington, the defense has continued to stifle the opponent. Across the board, the Bruins have cut in half (or better) their defensive statistics from last season. They are giving up only 71.3 rushing yards and 168.7 passing yards per game. “We’re flying to the football,” Dorrell said. “Guys have great technique. That was a formidable part to the season, ... to be better at that, and we have done so.”

INJURIES: CB Michael Norris (knee), WR Joe Cowan (knee), DT Chase Moline (back) and TE J.J. Hair (hip) will not play on Saturday. Norris and Cowan still have no timetable for a return from PCL injuries. Moline and Hair could be out for the following week’s game against Arizona as well.