Sep 12, 2007, 14:56 GMT
Salt Lake City, UT - The 11th-ranked UCLA Bruins have never lost to the Utah Utes on the gridiron and they hope to keep it that way this Saturday, when the two teams square off in non-conference action from Rice- Eccles Stadium.
For the Bruins, this will be their second straight Mountain West Conference opponent, as they defeated BYU, 27-17, in their home-opener last weekend. The win snapped BYU's 11-game winning streak and marked UCLA's seventh straight win against the Cougars. The Bruins, who began their 2007 campaign with a convincing 45-17 victory over Stanford, have now won their first two games of a season for the third straight year.
As for Utah, it kicked off its MWC schedule last weekend, dropping a 20-12 decision to Air Force. The Utes, who opened the season with a 24-7 setback to Pac-10 foe Oregon State, are now 0-2 for the first time since 2000. Utah, however, has fared well against the top-25 over the last several years, going 8-5 against ranked opponents since 1994.
The Utes, unfortunately, have never defeated UCLA before, losing all eight previous meetings. The Bruins handed the Utes a 31-10 setback last season in the Rose Bowl, but they are making their first appearance in Utah since posting a 27-14 triumph in 1974.
After rolling up 624 yards of total offense in a season-opening victory over Stanford, the Bruins were held in check last weekend, gaining just 236 yards in a 27-17 win over BYU. UCLA rushed for 110 yards last weekend, but that was a big drop off from its 338-yard rushing performance against Stanford. Kahlil Bell led the way this past weekend with 84 rushing yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, while Chris Markey added 50 yards and a score of his own on the same amount of attempts. One of the better tandems in the Pac-10, Bell and Markey combined for 266 rushing yards in the team's opener. Ben Olson threw for 286 yards and five touchdowns against Stanford, but he didn't have that kind of success against BYU. As a matter of fact, Olson didn't fare well at all last weekend, completing only 13-of-28 tosses for 126 yards and one interception. Olson has struggled with consistency in his career, but he has the potential to be one of the top quarterbacks in the Pac-10.
Defensively, the Bruins have shown some signs of weakness, although they have allowed just 17 points in each of their first two games. Still, the defense has allowed both of its opponents to throw for over 300 yards, including a 391-yard effort by BYU. On a positive note, UCLA did manage to not only pick off a pass last weekend, but also return it 56 yards for a touchdown. It was certainly a key play for the Bruins, who recorded three turnovers and four sacks in the win over BYU. Trey Brown was the player responsible for the interception last weekend and he finished the game with a fumble recovery and five deflected passes. Bruce Davis also had a strong game, recording two sacks and a forced fumble.
Just two games into the season and the Utes have already lost the services of several key players. Tailback Matt Asiata (broken leg) and receiver Brent Casteel (knee) are both expected to miss the season, while quarterback Brian Johnson (shoulder) is out for at least three weeks. All three players start or see significantly playing time and they won't be easy to replace. Tommy Grady made his first collegiate start in replacement of Johnson last weekend and he fared well considering the situation. Grady threw for 240 yards and a score on 20-of-39 pass attempts, although he was intercepted twice in the 20-12 setback to Air Force. His main target was Derrek Richards, who pulled down eight balls for 109 yards and a score. The Utes, unfortunately, couldn't get anything going on the ground, rushing for just 73 yards on 33 carries in the setback. Despite the key losses, Utah was still able to gain 313 total yards last weekend and that was a big improvement from the mere 196 yards it posted in its season- opening loss to Oregon State.
The Utes' defense has yet to find a way to stop the run, as they have allowed over 500 rushing yards through the first two games, including 334 to Air Force last weekend. Opponents are averaging 5.4 yards per carry against Utah, which has allowed numerous big plays thus far. The defense has recorded just three turnovers and one sack thus far, but it has fared extremely well on third downs, allowing opponents to convert just 6-of-29 attempts this season. Steve Tate and Kyle Brady are tied for the team-lead with 13 tackles, while Sean Smith has recorded both of the club's interceptions.
© 2007 The Sports Network
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