UCLA Game Program in PDF Format - GoHuskies.com

Continued from page 3
How did the Bruins react to the situation?
They rode the strong running of tailback Tyler
Ebell and the accurate kicking of Nate Fikse
(five field goals) to run away with a 28-18 victory.
“Our guys were down by 15, and they might
have bellied up right then,” said UCLA head
coach Bob Toledo. “They stayed in there and
worked hard.”
While the youthful Huskies have struggled
this year they can certainly relate to the Bruins’
approach. Washington’s players have continued
to work hard and the much-maligned defense
showed significant improvement in last
Saturday’s loss at Arizona State.
The Husky defense limited the Sun Devils to
just 45 rushing yards and held ASU’s high-flying
passing game to only 184 yards. A week earlier
Sun Devil quarterback Andrew Walter had
blitzed Oregon’s secondary for a Pac-10 record
536 passing yards.
Most teams have been able to move the ball
on the Huskies by passing against an inexperienced
Washington secondary, which included
true freshman Nate Robinson as a starter at cornerback
last week. Allowing 277.9 passing
yards per game, the Huskies are second to last
in the Pac-10 in that statistical category.
The run is another story.
Washington’s front four and linebackers
have been tough to gain ground against. The
Huskies lead the Pac-10 in rushing defense,
allowing just 79.2 yards per
game. That ranks as the fifth best
in this week’s NCAA rankings.
It is the fewest rushing yards
allowed by a Husky defense
since the 1991 National
Championship team held opponents
to just 67.1 yards per
game.
With several of the best running
backs in the Pac-10 facing
the Huskies over the next month,
it will be interesting to see if
Washington can continue to stuff
the run, or if opponents might
go away from their strong running
games in an attempt to pass
the ball versus Washington.
Last year the Huskies went
into their matchup with UCLA
allowing 119 rushing yards per
game. Bruin tailback DeShaun
Foster blitzed Washington with a
The 2002 Homecoming Court from left to right: Jennifer Awrey,
Justin Salisbury, Queen Emily Yaksith, King Brian Johnson, Annie
Palmer, Bryan Howie. The 2002 Homecoming Committee wishes to
thank the UW Alumni Association for its gracious contribution of
Homecoming Royalty Scholarships and also thank the following
businesses for their support: Paramount Pictures, The University
Inn, Shultzy’s Sausage, Rams Copy Center, and Jet City Improv.
4 HUSKIES Gameday
school record 301-yard performance, the third
highest total in Pac-10 history.
The Huskies face a hot back this week in
UCLA’s Ebell. In the victory against Stanford,
Ebell carried the ball 39 times for 160 yards.
While he is listed on the Bruins’ roster at just 5-
9 and 170 pounds, Ebell’s resume is a heavyweight.
The redshirt freshman has gained at least
100 yards in each of UCLA’s last four games. He
is the first Bruin
freshman running
back to ever accomplish
that and is the
first to have that
many consecutive
100-yard games
since Skip Hicks put
together five in a
row in 1997.
The California
high school player
of the year in 2000,
Ebell was named the
Wide receiver Reggie Williams is just 170 yards away
from becoming the Huskies’ career receiving yards
leader.
National High
School Athlete of the
Year by the National
High School
Coaches Association
that same year. That
award is considered
the Heisman Trophy
for prep players.
While the Bruins decided to keep things
simple last week for Moore in his first start,
they do like to throw the ball, averaging 249.6
passing yards per game. Moore completed just
seven passes in 19 attempts last week, but he
averaged more than 20-yards per reception and
did not throw any interceptions.
Craig Bragg, who led UCLA in receiving last
year as a freshman, tops the team again this
season with 39 catches for 652 yards and seven
scores. Tab Perry has 27 catches for 539 yards
and Mike Seidman has 26 receptions for 424
yards.
On the other side of the ball the Bruins can
create problems for Washington’s passing game.
UCLA is ranked 13th nationally in pass defense
in terms of the NCAA’s efficiency rating. The
Bruins have allowed just 184 passing yards per
game, the best mark in the Pac-10 this season.
UCLA has allowed opponents to complete
just 47.8 percent of their passes and given up
just eight passing scores all season. The Bruins
cornerback tandem of Ricky Manning and Matt
Ware, a converted free safety, may be the best
combination of pass defenders in the conference.
With their backs against the wall, the
Huskies hope this is their week to overcome
adversity and get back into the win column.
Something the Bruins have already learned to
do.