As the Bruins look to pivot from
"Winning is always justification for the effort," Neuheisel said. "So, yeah, we need a win badly. But we're going to get the effort. We'll keep pounding until the door breaks down."
That door should be flattened by halftime. UCLA has been outscored by a 126-41 margin during its three-game losing streak, but finds itself a 19-point favorite, or two more points than the Bruins are averaging per game.
"We just need a win," UCLA senior tailback Kahlil Bell said. "I think the effort has always been there. I think we play hard. But once we turn this thing around and start clicking, I think it's going to boost our confidence. We've got a lot of young guys."
Under first-year coach Paul Wulff, the Cougars' only win came against Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA)
. Their losses are to Portland State Oklahoma State (39-13),California (66-3), Baylor (45-17) and(63-14). Oregon Washington State ranks 117 th (of 119) in scoring defense (44.4 ppg), 118 th in rushing defense (269 ypg), 106 th in total defense (436 ypg), 118 th in turnover margin (minus-2.6 per game), 92 nd in rushing offense (120.8 ypg), 96 th in total offense (322.4), 103 rd in scoring offense (19 ppg) and 113 th in sacks allowed (3 per game).
Despite those numbers, it will be absolutely foolish for this Bruin team and us to look past
Speaking of"I would hope that the guys on our team, having been on the other side of the coin, realize they can't pay attention to that stuff," UCLA Coach Rick Neuheisel said. "We'll make very sure that it is about us, and us improving."
While prognosticators are leaning the Bruins' way, history is on the side of the Cougars.has won six of its last seven games against UCLA, including the last three played at the Rose Bowl. Washington State
But this season, the Cougars have been outscored, 213-47, in their losses.
"Anyone who gets caught up in that stuff is just fooling themselves,"said. "We were a huge underdog against Bell . Look what happened." Tennessee
carried 20 times for 73 yards in the Bruins' 36-31 loss, his first game action since suffering a high ankle sprain in the first quarter of UCLA's opener four weeks ago. But only two of those carries came after halftime. Bell During a Monday news conference, Coach Rick Neuheisel said he didn't want to push his starting tailback too hard once
intimated in the second half his ankle was sore. Bell “Kahlil's kind of like that guy from the Monty Python movies who gets his arm cut off and says it's a flesh wound,” Neuheisel said. “He'll tell you he can go.”
LOL at Monty Python reference but it pretty much gets to the point.
Speaking of on point, I will end with this quote from DeWayne Walker, which appeared in the Daily Bruin yesterday:
“It’s unfortunate that this team couldn’t have enjoyed a victory today,” defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker said. “I take full responsibility. It’s unfortunate, but our offense got better today, and I feel bad we couldn’t help them.”
I have been reading some interesting discussion re
For the short term though,
GO BRUINS.