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UCLA Bruins vs Houston Cougars Football Preview

Classic football games involve easy comparisons that sportswriters can wrap their minds around. On Saturday night, there is an easy comparison at work, but it’s a variation on a theme. When Houston and UCLA tangle in Pasadena, California, no one should be expecting anything close to an epic encounter.

In games that generate a lot of deserved hype, it will often be said that an “irresistible force is meeting the immovable object.” Such phraseology greets the kinds of games in which a great offense locks horns with a stout defense. When Houston and UCLA get together, however, the real theme at work will be the matchup between the RESISTIBLE force of UCLA’s offense going up against the MOVABLE object known as Houston’s defense. This is the matchup that will likely decide Saturday’s game in Southern California.

UCLA’s offense – despite having the expertise and wisdom of both head coach Rick Neuheisel and highly-paid offensive coordinator Norm Chow – was busy bumbling and fumbling last weekend in a humiliating 35-0 loss against the Stanford Cardinal. UCLA turned the rock over four times, but that fact doesn’t account for an even more distressing reality: UCLA fumbled the ball five times. Had UCLA not recovered three of its five fumbles, the Bruins – who surrendered two fumbles and two interceptions to Stanford – could have coughed up the pill seven times. That’s mind-boggling for a team coached by two esteemed offensive gurus. As grisly as the 35-0 stink-bomb against Stanford was, the truly alarming thing to consider from a UCLA standpoint is that the score could have been much more lopsided.  One thing is certain: the Houston Cougars’ offense doesn’t need any help from UCLA.

It’s up to the Bruins to physically lean on Houston’s defense, which allowed 440 yards to UTEP last Friday despite winning by 30 points. Conference USA has some of the worst defenses in the Football Bowl Subdivision, so whereas Stanford smothered UCLA, the Bruins have a chance to register a reasonable point total and mash the Cougars’ front seven. UCLA must be able to score at least 20 points in order to win this game; the Bruins need to become an irresistible force for one Saturday, because Houston’s defense should be handled by any middle-tier team from a BCS conference. The Bruins – embarrassed by Stanford – need to have fire coming out of their nostrils against Houston.

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If UCLA doesn’t score 20 points, the Cougars could win even without their best player.

For most teams, having your senior Heisman hopeful quarterback’s playing status in doubt would elicit serious concern and hand-wringing.  The Houston Cougars, however, are not most teams.  When senior quarterback Case Keenum swapped his Superman cape for Clark Kent civvies in last Friday’s 54-24 win over UTEP, the Cougars turned to running backs Bryce Beall (24 rushes, 243 yards, 5 touchdowns) and Michael Hayes (21 rushes, 95 yards, 4 touchdowns) to get the job done, which they did splendidly.  In fact, the Coogs now rank 23rd nationally in rushing yards per game, averaging 229.5 yards per outing. 

If Keenum can’t go versus the Bruins on Saturday – Houston coach Kevin Sumlin has said his status is “day-to-day” – Beall and Hayes figure to see even more of the ball than they did versus the Miners.  Even without Keenum, the Coogs’ attack will be in good hands: Junior quarterback Cotton Turner completed 9-of-10 passes for 69 yards and one touchdown in relief duty versus UTEP. 

Regardless of who plays quarterback for Houston, the Bruins will need to elevate their game in order to offer a formidable challenge to the Cougars. The Bruins’ defense surrendered 362 yards in the loss to Stanford, and if Keenum is not on the field for the visitors from Conference USA, that yardage total – if not accompanied by Cougar turnovers – will probably translate into a reasonable night of production for Houston, enough to force UCLA’s offense to do something consequential with the ball.

By Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer