Washington State Favored Over Bruins, for a Change

Washington State University is located in the Palouse hills, only 11 miles from Moscow, Ida. It’s not easy to get to. The usual route from Los Angeles is a one-stop flight to Spokane and then a 75-mile drive to Pullman.

The rural atmosphere can be something of a culture shock to visiting teams, especially those from large cities.

UCLA Coach Terry Donahue says it’s a difficult place to play football.

Tonight, Donahue will bring his team into Martin Stadium to play the Cougars, and he’s uneasy about the game. “I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s so different from (Los Angeles),” Donahue said. “You don’t want to be here. You want to be home.

“Moreover, Washington State has the psychological advantage of playing as an underdog against a team such as UCLA.”

Not this time: Washington State is favored, and that’s news.

You might have to go back to the first meeting between the schools in 1928, UCLA’s first year in the old Pacific Coast Conference, to find a game inn which the Cougars were favored. WSU won, 38-0, at Pullman that year.

UCLA, with a 1-2 record, isn’t going into the game on a roll, having been battered by Oklahoma, 34-14, and Michigan, 38-15, and barely beating Stanford, 32-31.

But the Bruins are 1-0 in the Pacific 10, and the Cougars (2-2 overall, 1-0 in the conference) are in UCLA’s league literally and figuratively.

WSU presents a different offensive style from UCLA’s other opponents, with the possible exception of Stanford.

“We’ve played Oklahoma, an option team; and then we played Stanford, which is a passing, running team. Then, it was Michigan, an off-tackle, I-formation, ‘smash-mouth’ team,” Donahue said. “Now we play Washington State, which is a one-back, spread-you-out-all-over-the-field type of team. It puts strain (on the) preparation work for your defensive team. “Philosophically, Washington State wants to be balanced offensively, running for 200 yards and passing for 250 a game.”

If so, the Cougars haven’t achieved that balance so far. They lead the Pac-10 in passing offense, averaging 277 yards, but are seventh in rushing, averaging 124.3 yards.

The latter figure was bolstered by a 256-yard rushing output last Saturday in a 41-31 victory over California, the weakest defensive team in the conference.

The Cougars have a skilled quarterback in Brad Gossen, who is the Pac-10 passing leader. He has completed 63.6% of his passes for 942 yards and six touchdowns, with two interceptions. Gossen was a star quarterback at Westlake High and once threw passes to Gary Wellman, USC’s leading receiver.

Several players figure in WSU’s passing scheme, mainly flanker Ron Young, who is averaging 17.1 yards in 12 catches; split end Calvin Griggs, who has caught 18 passes for 187 yards; and tight end Clarence Williams, who has 19 catches and a 14.4-yard average.

Gossen also utilizes tailback Shaumbe Wright-Faire as a receiver. He has 14 catches for 189 yards and is also the team’s leading rusher, averaging 4.9 yards a carry.

With only three returning starters on defense, all in the secondary, the Cougars have to rely on their offense to outscore the opposition. For example, they led Brigham Young, 29-6, at halftime, only to lose, 50-36.

WSU Coach Mike Price is upbeat about his team. “We always believed that we had a good football team, but there wasn’t much evidence because we weren’t winning,” Price said, referring to losses to Wyoming (34-13) and BYU. “This last game against Cal provided the evidence because I think the Bears are pretty good.”

Over the years, WSU has proved difficult for UCLA to beat at Pullman. The Bruins edged the Cougars, 31-30, in 1985, after winning, 24-14, in 1983 and tying, 17-17, in 1981. WSU stunned UCLA, 34-30, at the Rose Bowl in 1988 when the Bruins were the nation’s top-ranked team.

Price said the atmosphere tonight will be great for his team. “It’s going to be loud, one of the loudest stadiums UCLA has played in, even though they played before a crowd of 104,000 at Michigan,” he said. “They’ll play before only 35,000 this week, but it will be a lot different 35,000. Half of them are students and they’re very vocal.”

Bruin Notes

WSU Coach Mike Price, on his All-American kicker, Jason Hanson: “His field-goal range is from Pullman to Palouse (18 miles), and he warms up before a game by kicking 65-yard field goals.”

Injury report: UCLA Coach Terry Donahue said flanker Scott Miller will play and possibly start for the first time this season. Miller, a senior, suffered a broken collarbone in the opening days of fall practice. Outside linebacker Roceen Keeton, who has been sidelined with a knee injury, will make the trip and may play. Defensive end Mike Chalenski, who has been bothered by a lingering shoulder injury, isn’t expected to play, nor is defensive tackle Brian Kelly, who hasn’t fully recovered from a knee injury. Kelly has been inactive since the start of the season. Matt Werner will replace Chalenski. Donahue called Kelly and Chalenski the Bruins’ best defensive linemen.

Rapid transit: UCLA quarterback Tommy Maddox has directed seven scoring drives this season, with the longest taking only 3 minutes 10 seconds.