Cougars have been tough on Pacific 10

UCLA’s football team leaves Pacific 10 Conference play this week to get tested.

That may not be the national image the conference hierarchy up in the Walnut Creek offices covets, but the truth -- much like watching Stanford play defense -- can hurt.

The Bruins take a step up in competition this week, playing host to Brigham Young at the Rose Bowl. The Cougars have an 11-game winning streak and are fresh from dominating Arizona, 20-7. It was their second consecutive victory over a Pac-10 school -- BYU beat Oregon, 38-8, last season in the Las Vegas Bowl.

“This offense is more seasoned” than Stanford, Bruins Coach Karl Dorrell said.

“The BYU offense is pretty entrenched, and they do a great job of utilizing all their skills,” the UCLA coach added. “The backs are very good ballcarriers and pass receivers. The receivers are tough guys who make great plays. If you try to think they can’t run, they’ll run by you.

“With Stanford being in a new system and a new coach, they had their first-game jitters and miscommunication. These guys know what they’re doing. They know how to attack a defense. If they find a weakness, they’ll exploit it.”

Such were the sky-is-falling thoughts on a Monday afternoon. But the Bruins do have reason to take care.

The Cougars limited Arizona to 41 total yards in the first half and didn’t allow the Wildcats inside the 20-yard line until the last drive of the game.

Running back Harvey Unga had 194 total yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Max Hall, in his first collegiate start, threw two touchdown passes.

All of which left the Cougars wanting more.

“When we take on somebody who has that type of hype, we want to get some notoriety too that we are a powerhouse team,” BYU sophomore wide receiver Austin Collie told the Salt Lake Tribune after the game.

“I feel that we are one of the best programs in the nation, and that is what we are striving to do -- get to that BCS bowl game -- and we are willing to take on whoever we have in front of us.”

The Bruins, though, did not seem to be shaking in their cleats.

“They’re a good team, we respect them, but we’re very confident in what we can do,” quarterback Ben Olson said. “We feel like if we play our game, we’ll be all right.”

The lingering question mark from the Bruins’ 45-17 victory over Stanford is redshirt freshman kicker Kai Forbath, who missed two of three field-goal attempts in his first collegiate game.

Dorrell, however, said Forbath’s second miss, a 42-yarder, seemed good.

“They said it just went over the upright, which, to me, that’s good,” Dorrell said. “Apparently for the officials, it’s not.”

But Dorrell had no worries about Forbath.

“He has a game under his belt, he’s had a live rush, he’s been in an opponent’s stadium,” Dorrell said. “All those things you build on from the first game as a freshman kicker.”

The Bruins are closer to getting news -- good, they hope -- about freshman defensive tackle Brian Price, who is still in NCAA Clearinghouse limbo.

“I think we cleared a couple hurdles last week,” Dorrell said.

Price, the Bruins’ top recruit, has not been allowed to practice with the team while the NCAA is checking his transcripts, including classes he took at a technical school after his sophomore year at Crenshaw High.

Cornerback Rodney Van is expected back at practice today after suffering what Dorrell called a “minor sprained ankle” against Stanford. Running back Chane Moline, out because of a broken bone in his wrist, will practice wearing a splint this week and could be available for the BYU game.

Fullback Michael Pitre (knee) will be unavailable this week.

“The doctor is waiting for Michael to be pain-free before he clears him,” Dorrell said.

Patrick Cowan (hamstring) is still rehabilitating.

Keith Lombard, who gave up his scholarship as a defensive end to move to fullback as a walk-on, will return to practice this week. He has been recovering from surgery on his left knee.

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chris.foster@latimes.com