Can the Bruins hold on to their little momentum? Photo Credit: Telemachus

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We're 5-5.

But we don't feel 5-5, do we?

I can't speak for any of you, the five game losing streak really took a lot out of me.

What I mean is, if you had told me before the season that UCLA would be 5-5 going into the Arizona State game and riding a two game winning streak at that, I would have taken it. I guess I would have figured on at least one non-conference loss, probably Tennessee because it was a road game for us and revenge game for the Volunteers. And I also would have figured at least one win out of Cal, Oregon and Stanford. But it didn't play out that way.

Instead, we took care of business against a relatively weak non-conference schedule, then rolled off the table during an October from Hell in which we lost five straight games.

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Chane Moline, Trevor Theriot, and Jeff Baca (60) find themselves on the brink (of becoming bowl eligible and possibly something more)

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About 32 hours to go till the biggest football game of the season. This has been one of those weeks when I was wishing for football game to be on Thursday night on ESPN. I was thinking when was the last time Bruins had this kind of opportunity to seize total control of momentum heading into that last regular game of the season. The game I keep thinking back to is the one against Washington Huskies in 1998?

Do you guys remember that Washington game from 98? IIRC Brock Huard was the QB for the Huskies at the time while number 18 was of course marshaling the offense on our side. Heading into that game everyone had that sense. Something special was going on with our program. Our offense was showing signs of clicking on all cylinders as Cade was in total control. Long's defense was flying around the field. I wasn't at the game but I remember when ABC's camera zoomed in with the aerial shot. There were about 80,000+ Bruins fans waving towls and going berserk making the Rose Bowl sound as loud as I have ever heard.  That was the game when everything came together. Cade was flying around decking Husky LBers in his classic roll outs while Brian Willmer and co. were just demolishing Huard into the turf. Up until that game Bruins always found a way to choke whenever they had opportunities to seize momentum but they came through in a huge way, blowing out the Huskies by a score of 51-21.

Well there is no way I see the Bruins blowing out the Sun Devils. I think getting a W tomorrow is going to be a huge battle. However, I do think this year's Bruins have an opportunity to recapture some of that magic from 98 (while making a season ending run following 5 game losing streak ala 92). All season we haven't had a game in which both the offense and defense clicked together at the same time. I can't think of a better occassion than senior day at the Rose Bowl, so that kids like ATV, Carter, Austin, Bosworth brothers, and Paulsen finally getting rid of some of the pains from Dorrell years. Tomorrow's game is so huge. It will put us on the brink to make that charge we all have been hoping to see signs of. We are all thristy and desperate for it and I am praying our guys can come out and play with the ultimate urgency. Our guys - at least on paper - during this game week have sounded like having the right mindset heading into Saturday. More on that after the jump.

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Dennis Erickson has his Sun Devils fired up.

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We have talked a lot about how big this Saturday's game is for UCLA. On the other side ASU is treating the game with same sense of urgency. They are also getting a little fired up about rest of their season starting with UCLA:

"To take the fall that we have been taking for the last couple of weeks, we are doing pretty good," the redshirt freshman cornerback (Devon Carr) said Tuesday. "I still haven't seen anyone walking around the halls moping. … I still see positive energy within my team. I believe we will beat UCLA."

Carr is not the only one who thinks so. ASU players came off the practice field Tuesday giddy after coach Dennis Erickson's we-have-something-to-play-for speech.

"We got a two-game season," Erickson said, referring to Saturday's game in Pasadena, Calif., and the next week against Arizona. "Our kids have a lot of pride."

Good for the Sun Devils. I have no doubt those guys are going to be breathing fire when they come out on the field on Saturday. At the same time I also think our guys are going to remember what took place last time UCLA took on ASU:

UCLA held Arizona State to 122 yards last season but lost, 34-9, when the Sun Devils returned three interceptions and one fumble for touchdowns at Tempe. "It was a hard film to watch this week," Neuheisel said.

Painful indeed. It will be awesome if our defense can match the performance from last year's effort against ASU. This time the Sun Devils will have a different QB though and right now even though Erickson is being coy about it signs point to Sam Szakacsy as the starter for Saturday. Again, I said it yesterday and I will reinforce it again this am. This is a huge game for Chuck Bullough. We need his defense to come through and make a statement on Saturday with a strong performance from start to finish.

The numbers we put up against Washington State were nice. However, we also have to be realistic about putting up "good" numbers against a team like the Cougars. Doesn't really count for much except for gaiining some measure of confidence and sense of momentum. To hold on to that momentum, we need our defense to play with the same sense of aggression they did during the second half against Jake Locker and the Huskies when they were bringing pressure from different directions. More after the jump.

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Defense needs to come up huge on Saturday (also last game for Bosworths and their senior classmates at the Rose Bowl)

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Honestly if we experienced a night like Monday 2-3 years ago I would have had a very difficult time getting putting that aside and getting out of a funk. I am not naive and I am well aware that our basketball team right now has a lot of issues to work on for them to develop as a team that will put together a winning season. Yet I am not really thinking or worrying about them all that much. I am going to watch the game on Friday night to find out exactly what is going on with our young guys. However, right now the basketball team is not really at the top of of my mind. That is because right now, at this time I am just thinking about Saturday.

I haven't been this excited about UCLA football in years. ucla13_usc9 has it exactly right. I can't think of a bigger football game for this program than the one we are going to play this Saturday. Let's think about it for a second. If UCLA can manage to pull out a win this weekend, it will be sitting with a record of 6-5 and find itself at the perfect pivot point to take the next step. Of course there is the angle of getting into a bowl game and getting our young team two extra weeks of practices (that will be valuable for development of a team with so many underclassmen sprinkled all over our lineup).

To me though the most important part of getting a win this weekend will be that incredible sense of momentum. With 6 wins CRN will be able to sell the notion of "Plus 2." Think about what he accomplished on the recruiting trail with a 4-8 record last season. Now think what he might be able to do if he can show recruits not just by words but by his W-L record showing a clear sign of progress with at least 2 more wins. A victory this Saturday will get us that palpable sense of momentum we haven't experience as a program since the late 90s when number 18 was driving the Bruin offense up and down the field. Although watching Kevin Prince driving our offense up and down the field in recent weeks, I can almost ... almost ... get a little sense of that magical feeling (of wanting the Bruin defense to take care of business fast so I can watch the offense again) I used to experience almost a decade.

This game is just so huge. It sounds like our guys know it and kind of feel it.  Jon Gold posted last night that the Bruins had a "rowdy practice" as they "know full well what a win over Arizona State means to the season." CRN had this to say about the mindset of his football team:

"We're a young team, and young teams are impressionable. To come off a couple of victories and still have a chance to get in the postseason - those are exciting things for our guys. It's going to take a great effort, but we're capable of it."

It's going to take a great effort for our offensive line. They have gotten better at the expense of some of the worst defenses in the conference. They know that they will have to step it up to whole another level this Saturday. Here is what Jeff Baca, the sophomore left guard had to say about the challenge he and his linemates are going to face against ASU:

"Coaches tell us we're getting better each week, and that's what we're trying to do."

The Bruins will have a much tougher task this week in the form of Arizona State, which ranks 15th nationally in total defense and 29th in scoring defense.

They are particularly tough against the run and have averaged 6.8 tackles for a loss per game.

With a defense that has such ability to get upfield, the offensive linemen are taking it as personal.

"You've got to win one-on-one battles," Baca said. "Both in pass rush and run blocking. You've got to win those. Coach has told us this is a huge game. This is our bowl-eligible game. This is fantastic for a young offensive line like we are.

"We're growing up fast, but this is a challenge."

While Baca and his team-mates are gearing up for the challenge against ASU's defensive front, Jet Ski is working hard to set aside his personal nightmares from recent games. More on him and othe notes after the jump.

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by Paul Connors - AP

Erickson and his ASU are in the same boat as Neuehisel's UCLA program

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Well I knew one of these days football was going to put Ben Ball in the backburner here on Bruin Nation but I didn't think it was going to get here so fast. lol As much of a downer the unthinkable loss (and we will probably have few more of those this season) against Cal State Fullerton was last night, right now my mind is completely locked into the huge football game on Saturday. I really hope everyone around Southern California - students, alums and fans - make an effort to pack the Rose Bowl this weekend because to me this might be the biggest game of the season.

While given our "Bruin instincts" it is natural for all us to think about that last game of the season, right now nothing else except ASU matters. CRN set that message yesterday in Westwood (emphasis added):

Just don't ask the Bruins to talk about any bowl games or crosstown showdowns that might exist beyond their home finale Saturday.

"Arizona State. Nothing else matters," coach Rick Neuheisel said Monday. "There's conversations all around about things that can't help us. Our conversations will center around the Sun Devils and what we have to do against a fine football team, and we'll give ourselves a chance for all of those other conversations to matter."

He knows full well how big this game is for both teams:

"I know they, like us, are trying to finish the season with a flurry," Neuheisel said. "And I know this game looms large for both programs, so looking forward to the game ahead, (we) keep grinding and keep pushing. (We're) very excited about the challenge. I think we're improving. I see signs."

Bruins will look for more signs this weekend taking on an Arizona State defense which plays at a whole different level than our previous two opponents. Jon Gold from the Daily News writes:

The Sun Devils rank 15 th in the country in total defense while surrendering just 301 yards per game and are 29 th in scoring defense at just 21 points per game.

Arizona State has 68 total tackles for loss and 22 sacks, with nine players registering more than five tackles for loss. Leading the way is defensive tackle Saia Falahola with 72.

"This is a very, very good defense, no question about it," Neuheisel said.

"Solid across the board. They've got a great pass rush, great run-stopping. We're going to have to make some plays and be a balanced team this week. It's going to require a great offensive plan."

A great offensive plan this weekend will entail providing some balance to Kevin Prince's recent breakout performances in last few weeks. More on that after the jump.

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Photo Credit: E.Corpuz

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Well here we go.  The opening night is officiall here.

In about an hour,  JA, ML, RN and rest of the Ben Ball warriors officially lift off tonight to tip off the 2009-10 Ben Ball season. Bruins are taking on Cal State Fullerton on WWL. Hopefully we will also see JA breaking down the Titan defense by attacking the rim. For some quick notes on today's game here is our morning game day roundup.

The tipp off is scheduled for 9:00 pm PST. You can track the game online via the official site. For those who are watching the game tonight (or staying up LATE) make sure to let us know how our defense looks after another week of practice.

As always if you are watching the game share your instant thoughts/commentary here in our game thread. Fire away.

GO BRUINS.

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After eight weeks of Pac-10 play, we know...nothing. I can't remember so many teams and so many possibilities to sort through for the Pac-10 championship this late in the season. Here's all I know right now. Oregon and Arizona control their own destinies...I think. There are six teams currently bowl eligible, UCLA and Arizona St. still have the chance to get there and preseason favorite USC can finish anywhere from first to eighth in the conference. At least you can't call the Pac-10 boring.

Player of the Week: LaMichael James, Oregon- A lot of people think Toby Gerhart should be here and he had a fantastic game, but he ran through a USC defense hat has been mediocre at best and horrid at worst. Up in Oregon, James ran 150 yards on 22 carries and scored three touchdowns against Arizona St., whose run defense is sixth in the nation. Running through the Arizona St. defense impresses me far more than running through the USC defense.

Stat of the Week: 111- USC has allowed 111 points in their previous three games. Last season, they allowed 117 points over the course of the entire season.

Game of the Week: Oregon at Arizona, 5:00 pm PST, ABC- Two teams control their own destiny in the Pac-10. Those two teams square off in the desert with the Pac-10 title staring them in the face. It's a pair of high powered, spread offenses whose defense has left something to be desired in recent weeks. College Gameday will be live from Tucson on Saturday morning in a move that will only fire up the Wildcat fans even more as they prep for Saturday evenings red out.

Pac-10 Power Poll

1) Oregon Ducks, 8-2 (2 first place votes)- The Arizona St. defense has been a tough nut to crack all year long, but that didn't matter much to Oregon. With nearly 400 yards and 44 points, the Ducks cruised to a win over Arizona St., setting up their matchup with Arizona on Saturday. Oregon is only 2-2 on the road this year and were run over in their last road game so Saturday will be a major challenge for Phil Knight, I mean Chip Kelly's, boys. Last Week: 1

2) Stanford Cardinal, 7-3 (two first place votes)- Maybe Stanford should only play USC at the Coliseum? The Cardinal, won their second consecutive game on the road versus USC with a 55-21 dismantling of the Trojans. Toby Gerhart scored three times and rushed for 178 yards, while Andrew Luck threw two TD passes and most importantly, never gave the ball away. This week, it's The Big Game with Cal visiting The Farm. Last Week: 4

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Samson Szakacsy (10) gave the Sun Devils a little spark last Saturday in Eugene

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Let's start this Monday with an announcement of a simple rule for this game week. We don't want to see any discussion here on BN on any game other than the one coming up this weekend at the Rose Bowl. Period. If we see any more fanposts, fanshots or comments that talk about UCLA's last regular season game of the year overlooking a solid Arizona State football team with one of the best defenses in the conference, we will be hitting the delete button. So if you want to waste your keystrokes on our game against Chetey's bunch, you will have to do it somewhere else.  It doesn't mean that we have to stop making fun of Petey or his lapdogs in the traditional media because that's an evergreen topic on BN. We just don't want to think about that game right now because we have a bigger one looming against Arizona State

Dennis Erickson's team is coming off a 21-44 loss against the Ducks. Looks like the Sun Devils might have found a young QB in that game who helped them make a little bit of run or at least make the score respectable in Eugene:

True freshman Brock Osweiler, who played the second half of the loss to USC on Nov. 7, got the start in place of Danny Sullivan. But he was ineffective Saturday, going 5-for-10 for 14 yards with one interception before leaving halfway through the second quarter with an apparent forearm injury.

But it wasn't Sullivan who came in. He had been limited during the week because of a biceps injury.

Coach Dennis Erickson sent in sophomore Samson Szakacsy, who entered the game with the Devils down 31-7. The Ducks would go on to win 44-21.

Szakacsy had been expected to the primary backup this season, but his elbow injury opened the door for Osweiler. Szakacsy, in his first extended playing time of the year, went 13-for-22 for 113 yards, with one touchdown and no interceptions.

He is the most mobile of the Arizona State's quarterbacks, and he rushed five times for 9 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown.

With the help of an Oregon fumble on a kickoff, Arizona State got within 31-21 in the third quarter.

ASU now has a record of 4-6 (2-5 in the conference) which puts them on the same boat as us heading into Saturday's matchup. So they will be approaching Saturday with the same sense of desperation making it for all intent and purpose an elimination game.

Looking through ASU's season statistics the number that obvious jumps out right away is their defense.  The Sun Devils are coming into the Rose Bowl with a defense which is ranked number 1 in Pac-10 (alsi in top-15 in all of college football). It's a stingy bunch that gives up 105.5 yards on ground and 195.9 yards through passing game. So Kevin Prince and co., who are probably feeling pretty good about themselves after what they have done in last 9 quarters, will have a game in their hands which will serve as a real measuring stick for the 2009 season. More after the jump.

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