Richard Brehaut is ready for his shot against USC

UCLA quarterback Rich Brehaut is excited about the opportunity to put his own stamp on the rivalry with USC.

“I’ve watched this rivalry my whole life,” Brehaut said this week. “It’s exciting to be a part of it, knowing that I’ll be that guy when that first snap comes.”

Coach Rick Neuheisel wants him to be a little less excited. Brehaut experienced the rivalry on the sideline last season. There is a difference, Neuheisel said, when you’re the starter.

“Having played in this game [as a quarterback], you have to realize there’s a game after ‘The Game,’ ” Neuheisel said. “You’ve got to focus on that rather than getting caught up in all the pomp and circumstance leading into this.”

Brehaut said he understands that, saying, “You have to have a cool head when you’re the quarterback.”

Brehaut, who became UCLA’s quarterback after Kevin Prince had knee surgery, has started six games this season. He has thrown for 1,066 yards and five touchdowns with six interceptions.

Brehaut is coming off a 321-yard game against Arizona State, where he set school records for completions (33) and attempts (56) while trying to dig the Bruins out of a cavernous hole in a 55-34 loss.

But to hear Neuheisel tell it, Brehaut won’t repeat his Arizona State air show Saturday night because UCLA would rather play keep-away from USC’s offense with a clock-killing ground game.

“We’re not married to any one style, [but] if we can run the ball for a large amount of yards we’d love to do that,” Neuheisel said Thursday, after the Bruins’ final full practice of the season.

Were this the first half of the season, when UCLA averaged 262.4 rushing yards in its first five games, that game plan would seem sound.

But in its last six games, the Bruins have averaged just 111.2 yards on the ground.

Attack mode

Whether sophomore Matt Barkley or fifth-year senior Mitch Mustain starts at quarterback for USC, Neuheisel said the Trojans’ offensive game plan is likely to remain the same: Aggressive.

Therefore, he said, UCLA’s defensive game plan won’t change that much either, even though it’s likely that Barkley, who suffered a high left ankle sprain against Oregon State, will start.

“His mobility, even if he plays, is going to be a little bit limited,” Neuheisel said.

So does that mean UCLA will try to test Barkley’s mobility by being more aggressive with blitzes? Neuheisel wouldn’t bite.

“We’ll run the same plan and mix things up as we deem appropriate,” he said.

Quick hits

After both practiced in limited-contact red jerseys Wednesday, freshman defensive tackle Cassius Marsh and sophomore cornerback Andrew Abbott on Thursday practiced in their normal white jerseys, a sign that both are on track to play after recovering from concussions.

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