Under New Ownership

The cougars are our kryptonite. It doesn't seem to matter what their record is or how poorly they are playing, they manage to beat us year in and year out. In fact, they have won six of the last seven meetings. The sole win was that overtime, miracle comeback in 2005. Otherwise, we've been their bitches. Its been so bad, that last years their fans chanted: "We own you! we own you!" as our team left the field.

I hope we kill them on Saturday. And exercise some demons like we did against Tenneesee. We're 19 point favorites... which scares the crap out of me.

The Haves and the Have Nots

There is definitely a rift developing in the PAC-10 between the good programs and those that are going to take a drubbing this season. You can squarely put Oregon State and Washington State in that arse beating category. The Beavers lost by 31 in an inept performance against Penn State. That doosie was only to be topped by the Cougars who got buried by 63 points at the hands of the Bears.

Man. We better not lose to either one of these teams. That would really, really suck.

Opponent Spring Practices

Spring practice wrapped up last week and all our opponents have completed their sessions as well. Here is a look at the news stories coming out of those camps and what our boys might expect to face this fall.

Tennessee

The Vols have spent some time retooling their offense as well this April. Like the Bruins, Tennessee heads into the 2008 season with a new coordinator, three other new offensive assistants, a new scheme, new terminology and a new quarterback. Jonathan Crompton, a red-shirt junior, is the likely starter for the fall. He will be out of action for the next month after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his throwing elbow.

There will be more of an emphasis on the running game this time around and the Volunteers have a good one in Arian Foster. The Vols return all five offensive line starters from last season and they will provide a big front for Foster, who's closing in on Tennessee's all-time rushing record.

BYU

The Cougars return a very potent and experienced offense this season. One area to watch is their offensive line. A big and powerful group last season, they've been dinged by the injury bug this spring. BYU returns a lot of players at the skill positions including QB Max Hall who had good games against UCLA last season. Junior wide receiver Austin Collie had a good spring and he'll challenge the Bruin's inexperienced secondary this fall.

On defense, the Cougars lose standouts Kelly Popinga and Bryan Kehl. Following in their footsteps, junior Matt Bauman has asserted himself as the new leader of the linebacking corps. He had a good spring and the BYU defense is starting to gel despite not returning many players from last year's squad. Their secondary is young and there might be an opportunity for our offense to throw on them this year.


Fresno State

One of the goals of the spring for Fresno State was to add some depth to a team that returns 10 starters on offense. To help fascilitate that, the veterans didn't see a lot of reps during the scrimmage. QB Tom Brandstater only had 5 pass attempts while his backup took most of the snaps behind center. The Bulldogs have a new offensive coordinator his season in Doug Nussmeier and it will be interesting to see if he opens up an FSU offense mainly known for a strong running game. They have a lot of experience along the line, though many of those starters missed time this spring with nagging injuries.

While the offense is mainly set, the defense has some had some holes to fill this spring. The Bulldogs lost Marcus Riley and Trevor Shamblee, two of their best linebackers. In their place, a host of young players are looking to fill those spots. They also have to fill the shoes of Tyler Clutts, one of their best defensive ends. They don't really have any super stars on this side of the ball and they lack a true leader.

Arizona

The Wildcats remind me a lot of our own team. An inconsistent offense. A defense without any big super stars. They're a work in progress that always seems to be rebuilding each and every season and this team is still struggling to learn the air-raid offense installed last season.

One area where the Wildcats will have some experience is at quarterback. Willie Tuitama is back for his third season and he had a decent spring. He threw for 231 yards on 20 completions out of 36 attempts and one touchdown during the spring game. The running game looks decent and their offense could be exciting if it really gets going.

The defensive side is going to struggle this season. They have a lot of new faces and not a lot of a talent. They lose two of the best corners in the league with Antoine Cason and Wilrey Fontenot departing. They do have some guys stepping up in Devin Ross and sophomore Mike Turner; both had good springs. Highly regarded recruit, Robert Golden, is coming in the fall to add some depth in the secondary.

Arizona State

ASU had a break-out season last year, but will they continue with that success in 2008? RB Shaun DeWitty adds some depth to the Sun Devil's running game. Along with Keegan Herring, this team should continue to perform well on the ground. Carpenter was only able to complete 7-of-21 passes for 88 yards in their spring game. They still have a lot of problems with their offensive line and it doesn't look like they've solved those problems yet.

Erickson looks to add more of a spread-element to his offensive strategy. The team practiced with more four and five-receiver sets and tailback screens this spring. ASU might be making a name for itself as a defensive team this season. The defense was impressive throughout spring and dominated the spring game.

USC

Across town, the Trojans are getting ready for another dominating season. They had a battle at quarterback that everyone knew would end in Mark Sanchez getting the starting job. So it was no surprise when he came out of the spring game as the leader. Mitch Mustain and Aaron Corp held their own, though, and the Trojans look loaded at the position for the foreseeable future.

One big piece of news was that Joe McKnight ended up missing the last week of practice because of eligibility problems. Those likely won't translate into him missing time this fall but it did give the other running backs a chance to shine. The leaders at running back for next season would be C.J. Gable, Staffon Johnson, and Allen Bradford.

On defense, junior cornerback Kevin Thomas, who missed the 2007 season because of a shoulder injury, has played well during the spring. He's already worked his way into the Trojans' third cornerback spot and he has the potential to take the job from starters Cary Harris and Shareece Wright.

California

The Bears had a lot of questions to answer this spring. The biggest one is who will be the starting quarterback? Nate Longshore has a lot of experience but he struggled mightily in Cal's downward spiral last season. Kevin Riley had his fair share of struggles as well, but he impressed in their bowl victory over Air Force. Unfortunately, Longshore missed the entire spring because of a pectoral injury. The decision, according to coach Tedford, could come as late as the week before their home opener.

Injures have also set back other skill positions on offense. Running back Javid Best is out with a hip injury. Which hurts because the Bears lost James Montgomery this off season when he transfered to WSU. Wide receiver Jeremy Ross is also sidelined with a sprained ankle. That leaves a lot of inexperienced guys getting playing time this spring and a lot of unresolved questions on the depth chart.

On defense, the Bears have been using a three man front during the spring. Redshirt freshman Bryan Anger has been wowing onlookers with his punting ability. He should help their special teams unit this fall.

Stanford

Like so many teams in the conference, the Cardinal are searching for a starting quarterback for the 2008 season. Tavita Pricthard, who lead them to their huge victory over the Trojans in the Coliseum last season, is the front runner at this point. He struggled, however, in their spring scrimmage where he only completed 12 of 28 passes for 106 yards. That leaves an opening for Alex Loukas and transfer Jason Forcier (Chris Forcier's brother).

Oregon

No team in the PAC-10 lost more offensive weapons this past season than the Ducks. The dynamic duo of Dixon and Stewart won't be wearing their Oregon uniforms this season and that has left the Eugene faithful asking a lot of questions about their backfield. They may of gotten at least one answer in LeGarrette Blout. The Duck's running game got a boost from the big, 235 lb running back. He bulldozed his way to 68 yards on just 5 carries during their spring scrimmage and he's drawing high praise and favorable comparisons to Stewart.

Oregon State

Oregon State struggled on offense last year but their defense kept them in a lot of games. Unfortunately for the Beaver Believers, that sturdy defense front seven won't be back this season. They did have some depth at linebacker and it looks like some young talent, including Keaton Kristick, Bryant Cornell, and Dwight Roberson will be an adequate replacement.

On offense, the Orange and Black get back standout receiver and return-man Sammie Stroughter. He'll be a big boost to a passing attack that had it's ups and downs last season under first-year quarterback Sean Canfield. Also back from injury is guard Jeremy Perry who missed all but one game in 2007 because of a broken leg. The rest of the offense was hit pretty hard by graduation, including the loss of running back Yvenson Bernard. They'll have a lot to work out this fall if they want to stay in the top-half of the conference standings.

Washington

The Huskies were delt a tough blow when they lost their best offensive lineman in center Juan Garcia with a foot injury this spring. A 6th year senior, Garcia was a second-team, all-conference selection last year, starting every game at center for the second consecutive year. Their line will be young and inexperienced, so it makes the loss of a seasoned veteran hurt even more.

After missing on hiring DeWayne Walker away from UCLA, the Huskies hired Ed Donatell, who spent 12 of the previous 13 seasons coaching in the NFL. Their defense will likely be a work in progress this season as their defensive line losses many of their starters. The Huskies are hoping to tap into some of their true freshman who enroll this fall at defensive tackle. That's not a good sign for the Dawgs as freshman rarely make an impact on the line.

Washington State

One of the stars of the Cougar's spring scrimmage was Michael Willis. The converted defensive back has been moved to wide receiver for the 2008 season. Willis pulled down 6 receptions for 129 yards and a touchdown during the game and he could be a another big target along with talented receiver Bradnon Gibson. Of course the Cougs still need to find a quarterback who can throw to these guys. Fifth year senior Gary Rodgers is the heir apparent to Alex Brink but he could be challenged by junior Kevin Lopina, who had a solid spring.

Head coach Paul Wulff is also introducing a new no-huddle spread offense this season. He'll run that offense behind a veteran line that returns four starters but no stars at running back. Things are so thin at tail back that when the spring session ended, WSU only had one healthy player available. Chris Ivory missed part of the spring with injury and he has also struggled to stay academically eligible. Dwight Tardy also watched the rest of the team from the sidelines due to injury.

Wulff and his staff switched to a new 4-3 defense moving standout linebacker Andy Mattingly to defensive end. This squad has struggled with depth and injuries in the past and they still need to find players in their two deep after the spring. WSU' returns three returning senior starters at linebacker including Greg Trent but their secondary has a lot of holes.

(Photo Credit: AP Photo/Wade Payne. Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

Last One Standing

We've lost our leading passer, leading rusher, and leading receiver. Two of those three might be back, but could UCLA's offense be any more banged up at this point? Even the backups are hurt. With an always difficult game in Tuscon up next and three juggernaut offenses on the schedule to wrap-up the season, the real question is will UCLA have anyone left to suit up for those games? If you have any eligibility left, you may want to try out for the team, because there's a good chance you'll see some playing time by the end of the season.

Kalil Bell went down in the first quarter, tried to come back, and then was gone for the game. It looks like he has a tear in a ligament in his knee. Exactly how bad that injury is will be determined today after an MRI. I'm sure the news won't be good. Busted knees have kept Olson, Harwell, and Pitre sidelined for large chunks of this season. UCLA has used Bell heavily in all of it's victories, so let's hope Kalil can find his way back on the field at some point.

Markey obviously isn't close to being at 100%. He looked slow and was easily tackled. Of course, it didn't help that the O-line couldn't make a hole to save their lives yesterday. Was our entire starting line out with injury as well? No? Could have fooled me. The protection wasn't there and we couldn't even produce short gains against one of the worst defenses in the country.

Brandon Breazell has bruised ribs. He's a tough guy and I'm sure he'll try and play again next week, but you know he'll be slowed down by the pain. Too bad because he has been pretty much our only consistent play maker on offense. Terrance Austin did a pretty good job of filling in for him. I think he'll be a pretty darn good receiver for the next two years.

Pat came back to earth this week... and with a thud. That knee "fatigue" he had early this was was obviously more of an aggravation to the injury. He wasn't mobile at all. When the Cougs brought pressure, which was often, he couldn't really escape it. As the game progressed his confidence diminished and the passes got less and less accurate. It doesn't help when your receivers are dropping wide open passes either. I think Cowan could manage a game just fine, but we can't expect him to win one. Not with only a few weeks practice all season long and two leg injuries.

Unfortunately the defense isn't in any better shape. Nickola Dragovic, Christian Taylor, Jess Ward, and Chane Moline were sorely missed. WSU ran for 274 yards when they were only averaging somewhere around 75 yards a game. That may have actually hurt the Cougars as they had long drives that didn't end in a lot of points. Half way through the 4th quarter they were still only up by less than one touchdown. UCLA's defense gave up two late TDs but they got absolutely no help from the offense. Zero.. zilch. They were on the field for 38 minutes in that game.

If you are Jay Norvell what do you do at this point? Can you run with a banged up Markey and a schizophrenic offensive line? If Bell isn't back then you need a second back to fill his minutes. Chane Moline manged 5 yards on 4 attempts, including two loses on third and short. I think I understand a little better why Karl Dorrell didn't go for it on 4th and 1 against California. You can't throw with Cowan, that's for sure. It's time for the coaches to dig deep this week and think outside the box. I mean really deep... and outside of that very small box they seem to have.

2007 Preview: WSU Cougars

The Bruins will take a trip up to chilly Pullman Washington in the 8th week of the season to play the pesky Washington State Cougars. This team always causes UCLA fits and last year Alex Brink put on a passing clinic at the Rose Bowl. The Cougars ran into some depth issues after injuries decimated their defense last year and they'll face some similar issues this season. This will likely be another nail bitter as the Bruins march their way toward the end of the season.

Last seasons match in Pasadena was the low point of the Bruin's 2006 campaign. The corners got torched by Alex Brink who was throwing the ball absolutely perfect all game long. His 405 yards and 3 touchdowns were the worst the UCLA secondary gave up all season. This time around, the Bruin corners and safeties will be looking for revenge and the front four will try and make their jobs easier by getting into Brinks face a lot more regularly.

Offense

The Cougars will again run a single back set this season with multiple receiver sets. This will likely force UCLA into some nickel packages and the Bruins benefit from the return of Michael Norris at DB. Brent Lockett and Alteraun Verner have also proven to be excellent personnel in nickel and dime packages and they'll be called upon often in this game.

The key to the WSU offense is senior quarterback Alex Brink. He's had a choppy history during his tenure in Pullman, but this four-year starter is a dangerous weapon who has produced some big game as well. The Bruins got very little pressure on him last season and he delivered some strikes from the pocket. Expect Walker to bring a lot more heat and let his senior corners and talented safeties handle the Cougar receivers man on man.

Dwight Tardy was the lone back last season and he'll be asked to bring a lot more to the table this year if the Cougars are going to make a bowl game appearance. He had a decent effort in 2006, gaining almost 700 yards for the season with 67 of those yards coming against the Bruins. He's not a threat to knock off a lot of big runs, but he could develop into a steady back for this team. He had a poor spring, however, which is a serious problem because of the lack of depth at tailback. DeMaundray Woolridge and Derrell Hutsona could be academic casualties for the year and sophomore Chris Ivory missed spring practice with personal issues. If Tardy struggles against the stiff Bruin run defense then all the pressure will be on Brink and the receivers to move the ball.

Jason Hill will be playing on Sunday's this season, much to the chagrin of WSU fans everywhere (and they are everywhere!). Despite that lose, the Cougars do have a very talented set of returning receivers including Michael Bumpus and Brandon Gibson who had 8 receptions and 2 TDs last year in Pasadena. The new face is Charles Dillon who had a great effort despite WSU's loss to Washington in the apple cup last season. Jed Collins will take on the TE spot and this jack-of-all-trades will again be asked to make big plays at a new position. The Bruin secondary will be tested by this group again and they're going to have to prove that they are worthy of their pre-season hype.

The big uglies at WSU will be asked to shoulder the responsibility of protecting Alex Brink at all costs this season. They return 3 starters, with a bit of shuffling along the line as well. Talented sophomore Kenny Alfred will be the big man in the middle. To his left, senior Bobby Byrd will make the move form tackle to guard. Andy Roof will also make the move to guard as it better fits his size and ability. Vaughn Lesuma is one of the new faces and the massive 340 lb juco transfer will be asked to immediately step into a starting position. This group as a whole should be pretty well gelled by the 8th week of season, baring a rash of injuries. The Bruin defensive line should matchup here pretty well and I expect Walker to bring a lot of blitzes from all over the field to help out. Bruce Davis is going to have to really make his presence felt and setup camp in the WSU backfield.

Defense

The Cougs lose defensive coordinator Robb Akey to Idaho and head coach Bill Doba will take on those duties this season. He's switching this squad back to a 4-3 for the 2007 campaign. This defense limped its way to the finish line last season and depth and injuries could be an issue by the time the Bruins come-a-calling in the middle of October. They'll also have to compete without star defensive lineman Mkristo Bruce, who has graduated and moved-on from the Pallouse.

The defense line has some talent, but again, injuries could cause some pain here for WSU fans. Ropati Pitoitua is a key senior tackle for this team but he has missed 12 games in three years due to a whole host of leg, knee, and ankle injuries. The other tackle, Fevaea'i Ahmu, has also been bit by the injury bug and defensive end Lance Broadus was injured this spring. Washington State does get back Matt Mullennix, who missed all of 2006 due to injury, and the senior end will help in the rotation. The other ends, Lance Broadus and sophomore Kevin Kooyman could give the line a real spark. The veteran Bruin line will have to really make there presence felt here by giving Ben time to pick apart a thin secondary.

The linebackers are young but there is some talent and depth in this squad. Greg Trent is the starting middle linebacker and he'll anchor the linebacking corps. Cory Evans got some experience as the 4th linebacker last season but more will be asked of him this season. The Cougs also get Jason Stripling back from an injury that sidelined him last season. They'll be asked to fill some holes if the line struggles and also have to cover for some deficiencies behind them in the defense.

The secondary is a major concern on this team. They return only one starter and will ask a number of junior college transfers to try and fill the voids. Husain Abdullah is back at free safety and he's had some up-and-down performances for WSU over the years. The senior will have to help out the other new faces and carry this unit. By this time in the season the UCLA offense should be comfortable in Norvell's pass-first offensive style. Ben definitely has the arm and Joe Cowan, Marcus Everett, Brandon Breazell, and Terance Austin have more than enough talent to compete with this unit.

Special Teams

The Cougars special teams units over the last few years haven't been particularly good. Unfortunately for the fans up on the Pallouse, this year doesn't look to be much better. Loren Langley was the kicker for years but hitting only 3 of 8 from beyond the 30-yard line didn't sit too well with the coaches. Romeen Abdollmohammadi ( who officially wins the award for the name least likely to fit on the back of a jersey) got the nod when Langley was benched but the kicking game as a whole still remains a sore spot on this team. Junior Darryl Blunt returns as the punter and the former walk-on needs to work on his consistency and his hang time this season. The punt and kick return were awful as well, ranking this team dead last in the conference during 2006.

The Verdict

Every year this is a tough game for the Bruins. The Cougars have had our number recently winning last year in Pasadena and five of the last six meetings. The game is in their backyard and a late October date means cold weather and unfriendly crowds are in store for our guys. Washington State will have another potent passing attack and the Bruin secondary will be tested for the second week in a row.

All that being said, the Bruins have a lot of advantages in this game. The WSU defense is thin and their tailback spot has a lot of holes. If Ben Olson and the offense can stretch the field with their own passing attack then the Cougar secondary has some deficiencies that can be exploited. Couple that with a potent and aggresive Bruin defense and you have a UCLA squad that can win this tough road game. It will likely be another very close call, but I think the Bruins make it back to Pasadena with another notch in the win column.

CalPoly's prediction: UCLA victory. Record: 7-1 (4-1)

More Reading

• ESPN PAC-10 Spring Guide.
• ESPN PAC-10 Spring Wrap Up.
• USA Today WSUInside Slant.
• MSN 2007 Preview of Washington State.
• Cougar 2006 NCAA Stats.
  
• WSU 2006 Bruin Roar football Stats.
  

(photo credit: Ghetty Images)