UCLA Ready to Make Case Against Defense : College football: Washington State should find out if unit is real today against Bruin offense.

Half of today’s game at the Rose Bowl offers an intriguing matchup: UCLA’s high-powered offense, one of the Pacific 10’s best, against Washington State’s defense, one of the best in the country.

The other half could be downright ugly, thanks to a shaky Washington State offense.

The 22nd-ranked Cougars have lost four fumbles, and quarterback Chad Davis has thrown four interceptions in winning both their games, mainly on the strength of a defense that has not given up a touchdown in 10 quarters, dating to last season.

It’s a defense that knows its place and wants you to know it. Think defense in the Pac-10, and you think Arizona.

“That bothers the hell out of us, and that’s our motivation right now,” said DeWayne Patterson, who holds the school record with 27 sacks. “That and being predicted for 10th place (in the Pac-10 by the media in the preseason poll).

“We feel like we have a good defense, just like Arizona has a good defense, but not too much offense, like Arizona doesn’t have too much offense. We feel we’re in the same predicament as Arizona, and we can’t go on the sideline bitching about the offense turning over the ball. We’ve got to think we can still win.”

Washington State has, against Illinois and Fresno State. The defense is ranked No. 1 in the Pac-10 against the run, giving up a little more than 22 inches per carry, and in passing efficiency.

But it figures to have its hands full with the No. 18 Bruins, who have moved the ball against everybody--even Nebraska, which beat them last week, 49-21.

“But we haven’t been getting the ball in the end zone enough,” said quarterback Wayne Cook, who has also thrown four interceptions in the last two games while trying to step up his game without J.J. Stokes as a target. “We’ve been able to move between our 20 and about their 30-yard lines, but not the end zone.”

Long-distance field-goal tries by Bjorn Merten have resulted, eight of them in three games, six from 40 or more yards.

The possibility of having Stokes back for limited duty today excites Cook and perplexes Cougar Coach Mike Price.

“I would like to see our offense at its best,” said Cook, who hasn’t since Stokes suffered a bruised thigh muscle against Tennessee in the first half of the season opener.

“We are going to have to surround him,” said Price of Stokes, adding, “We will have a certain package for J.J.”

The problem is that Stokes is questionable for the game, and the decision on him won’t be made until shortly before kickoff. If he plays, all sorts of possibilities open. For instance, the running game.

The running game?

“When you look at the Tennessee film, you could see three people roll toward him,” offensive coordinator Bob Toledo said. “Then you look at the Nebraska film and that safety that would have been rolling toward J.J. was moving up to the line of scrimmage to play the run.”

Given Washington’s State’s proclivity against the run, UCLA tailback Sharmon Shah, who has 382 running yards in three games, would prefer that the Cougars’ defensive backfield was otherwise occupied.

UCLA’s defense, which carried the team at times last year in a Rose Bowl season, has fallen on hard times.

The Bruins were outmanned against Nebraska, which rushed for 484 yards, sending the Bruins to the bottom of the Pac-10 in defensive statistics. Only USC is worse overall.

UCLA is feeling the loss of experienced defenders. Three juniors defected to the NFL--nose guard Bruce Walton, linebacker Jamir Miller and safety Marvin Goodwin. Linebackers Brian Tighe and Andrew McClave did not return from off-season surgery. Safety Tommy Bennett has legal problems, and cornerback Carl Greenwood suffered a broken ankle against Southern Methodist.

“I really think that the first two games were more indicative of our defense,” said Coach Terry Donahue, referring to victories over Tennessee and SMU, dismissing the effort against Nebraska’s option offense as an aberration and declaring that the Bruins are more able against Pac-10 schools that like to throw.

“We’re in better shape to play anybody than Nebraska,” Donahue said.

What remains for UCLA is putting last week’s rout into the archives.

“I think UCLA will have to get their loss last Saturday out of their system before they take on the Cougars,” Price said.

Have the Bruins done that?

“I honestly think that psychologically we’re fine,” Donahue said. “I think we’re eager to get into Pac-10 play. I think the loss is behind us.

“(But) you don’t know how teams will respond. Sometimes things like this can be the best thing to happen to you. Other times, it can be devastating. You just don’t know until you keep playing.”

UCLA BRUINS

TODAY’S GAME

* Opponent: Washington State.

* Site: Rose Bowl.

* Time: 3:30 p.m.

* Records: UCLA 2-1, Washington 2-0.

* Radio: XTRA (690).

* TV: Prime Ticket.