Stanford (3-1) and UCLA (3-0) tangle in a Pac-10 Conference game at Stanford, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 3. The 12:30 p.m. PST matchup will pit Cardinal running back Toby Gerhart against the highly rated UCLA defense.
But more importantly, Stanford will be looking to improve to 3-0 in the Pac-10. And UCLA, playing its first conference game of 2009, will look to improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2005.
No. 7 USC (3-1) and No. 24 Cal (3-1) will be tangling in Berkeley later Saturday. Those teams are rated above their unranked California counterparts, but they both have a Pac-10 loss. One of them will, for all practical purposes, be out of the running in the conference race after this weekend.
In any case, Stanford and UCLA would like to show that the balance of power is shifting. In recent years, they’ve been the weaker halves in California’s Pac-10 rivalries.
While Cal has risen to national prominence, Stanford hasn’t put together a winning season since 2001.UCLA, meanwhile, has been overshadowed by USC. The Bruins were 10-2 in 2005, but managed no more than seven wins in any other season after 1998.
UCLA will enter Saturday’s game after a two-week break. The Bruins’ last contest was a 23-9 victory over Kansas State. Before that, they defeated San Diego State 33-14 and won 19-15 at Tennessee.
The Cardinal opened the season with a 39-13 Pac-10 win at Washington State, but lost to Wake Forest 24-17 the following week. Stanford then rebounded with a 42-17 rout of San Jose State before running over Washington 34-14 last weekend.
Saturday’s game, scheduled to be telecast on a regional basis by ABC, will be the 80th meeting between the schools. UCLA leads the series 45-31-3, and has won the last five games – including a 23-20 victory at home last year.
Toby Gerhart Spearheads Powerful Stanford Ground Game
Coach Jim Harbaugh’s Stanford team is averaging 33 points and 419.5 yards a contest, including 233.8 yards on the ground. Gerhart’s been responsible for most of those, running 91 times for 516 yards and five TDs. He ranks third in the NCAA Bowl Subdivision with an average of 129 yards per game.
The bruising 6-foot-1, 235-pound senior ran 27 times for 204 yards and a touchdown vs. Washington. The yardage total was Stanford’s highest since Jon Volpe ran for a school-record 220 yards vs. the Huskies in 1988.
Things likely won't be easy Saturday, as Gerhart faces a UCLA run defense that ranks among the nation's top 10. So the Cardinal could need a big game from quarterback Andrew Luck.
The redshirt freshman is a dangerous runner, and he's completed 50 of 83 passes for 742 yards, with four TDS and two interceptions. His top receivers are Ryan Whalen (16 catches, 260 yards, 2 TDs) and Chris Owusu (13 catches, 210, 2 TDs).
But Owusu's been gaining most of his acclaim as a return man. The 6-2 sophomore has run back three kicks for touchdowns and leads the nation with 59.2 yard average.
Stanford Defense Steady, Unspectacular
Stanford is giving up 331.2 yards per game – not bad, but nothing to write home about. Yet it’s hard to get down on a unit that’s only surrendering 17 points per game.
Igniting Stanford’s defensive charge is end Thomas Keiser, who has seven tackles for losses among his 17 stops this season. The sophomore has four of the Cardinal’s 10 sacks this season. Linebacker Will Powers and freshman defensive end Chase Thomas have added two apiece.
Linebacker Clinton Snyder tops Stanford’s tackles list with 30. Free safety Bo McNally is second with 19, and is followed by linebacker Cheke Amajoyi (22) and cornerback Richard Sherman (20).
Strong safety Delano Howell leads Stanford with two interceptions, and has two pass breakups along with 19 tackles. Defensive end Erick Loring has 3.5 tackles for losses, including a sack.
UCLA Looks to Energize Offense
Coach Rick Neuheisel’s Bruins have started 3-0 despite an offense that ranks 108th in the FBS. The Bruins are averaging just 301.3 yard per game, rushing for 134 and passing for 167.3. To make things even more difficult, their starting quarterback – freshman Kevin Prince – is out with a broken job.
But the Bruins beat Kansas State without him as Kevin Craft passed for 186 yards. Craft started all last season, so he’s not your normal backup. And he did play one of his best games against Stanford.
Still, it’s hard to forget that he threw 20 interceptions in 2008. So it’s more likely that UCLA will try to feed the Cardinal a heavy dose of Johnathan Franklin and not get too fancy with the passing. Franklin, who’s run for 242 yards and two TDs on 52 carries, has been the closest thing UCLA's had to a consistent offensive weapon. He had 119 yards vs. Kansas State.
Terrence Austin leads UCLA in receptions with nine, gaining 104 yards and scoring two touchdowns. Taylor Embree has seven catches for a team-high 114 yards, and Derrick Coleman’s rushed 18 times for 116 yards.
The Bruins also have a preseason All-American kicker in Kai Forbath. The junior has connected on nine of 10 field goals. His only miss was a 51-yarder.
Carter, Moore, Verner Lead UCLA Defense
UCLA’s yielding only 12.7 points and 251 yards per game, and allowing just 74.3 yards rushing. The Bruins have also come up with eight interceptions.
Safety Rahim Moore leads the FBS with five picks, and has broken up four other passes. Cornerback Alterraun Verner has three interceptions.
In addition, UCLA has nine sacks, including two apiece by linebacker Akeem Ayers, and linemen Brian Price and David Carter. Price leads the Bruins with five tackles for losses.
Linebacker Reggie Carter is leading the Bruins in tackles for the second consecutive season, recording 24 over the first three games. Next are linebacker Kyle Bosworth with 20 and safety Tony Dye with 17. Verner, a preseason All-American, has 13 tackles.
