UCLA’s Farris Facing Devil of a Matchup

It’s a numbers game, success on defense coming when you can rush five against four blockers, and on offense when you can take advantage of a one-on-one situation.

But how about these numbers: 59 against 71, 222 against 300, 24 against 19.

Arizona State defensive end Derrick Rodgers, No. 59, against UCLA left tackle Kris Farris, No. 71.

It’s a featured matchup in today’s feature matchup at the Rose Bowl.

Fourth-ranked Arizona State, 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the Pacific 10 Conference, against UCLA (2-2, 1-0).

Rodgers, the oldest Sun Devil on the field, against Farris, the youngest Bruin starter.

Rodgers, a trumpet player who marched with his high school band while the team was in the locker room at halftime; an Air Force medical lab technician who found that he liked flag football enough to call Riverside City College Coach Barry Meier and say he was being discharged at March Air Force Base, and what about this tackle football business?

Rodgers, who was good enough at Riverside to play anywhere, but was naive enough to ask about the University of La Verne.

Rodgers, a 222-pounder, largely responsible for Arizona State’s greatest victory, 19-0 over Nebraska three weeks ago. He sacked Cornhusker quarterback Scott Frost for a loss of 12 yards and a safety and made eight other tackles.

“People who just watch the game, recognize [the sack and safety] for what it is, a great tackle,” Farris, 19, said. “But people who understand the game realize how incredible an athletic play that was.”

Rodgers turns 25 Monday.

“I’m an old man,” he said. “To me [football] is a step I’m taking. I love the game. I love to play it. . . . It’s just like a checkbook. You have this bill and pay it off. That’s the way I lay it out, step by step.”

Farris understands his problem today. He is 6 feet 8, 300 pounds, a mild-mannered, soft-spoken freshman taking on a player as old as some coaches.

To borrow from another sport, he wants a wrestling match, not Rodgers’ step by step.

“That’s the only way I think I can be at the advantage,” Farris said. “He wants to dance, and he’s a good dancer.”

Farris can get his wrestling match by getting his hands on Rodgers quickly after the ball is snapped, maneuvering him, using strength against Rodgers’ quickness.

But if Rodgers wards off the hands--he uses a slap-and-chop technique he might have learned in Air Force basic training--Farris is in trouble.

“He’s got this thing called the ‘hammer chop’ where he slices down on your hands,” Farris said, “so if you get your hands on him quickly, you can make him stop and have to start again. If I can make him stop and have to start again, then the quarterback will have time to throw the ball. But if he just rushes straight at him, there’s no way.”

UCLA’s Cade McNown knows that could keep him on the run all day. To keep things honest--and, perhaps, save McNown’s limbs--he will hand the ball to Skip Hicks as often as possible.

“You’ve got to throw the ball effectively, but you’ve got to be able to run,” Bruin Coach Bob Toledo said. “If we aren’t able to run the ball against them, it could be a long day.”

It has been a good week for UCLA, coming on the heels of a 41-22 victory over Oregon. In that game, the Bruins rushed for 303 yards, and Hicks had 175 of them.

But the Ducks’ defense is last in the Pac-10 in every category. Arizona State is first in rushing defense, second in pass defense and first in total defense.

The Sun Devils are also the top rushing and total offense team and lead the league in scoring.

“We have to not beat ourselves,” Toledo said. “They’re also No. 1 in the conference in turnover ratio [12 caused, five given up]. We can’t throw interceptions and fumble the ball and make big mistakes. We can’t lose the ball.”

It’s a lesson learned a year ago, when UCLA was ahead, 27-10, at halftime, then lost to the Sun Devils, 37-33. The Bruins fumbled three times in the third quarter, gave up a safety on a botched punt return and had two holding penalties.

Arizona State quarterback Jake Plummer passed for 312 yards.

“The general feeling of some people was that we didn’t compete the whole time,” Toledo said. “I’m trying to tell them that this is a different program, a different football team. We were up 17 points at halftime and end up losing the football game. I don’t ever want that to happen again.

“We’ve got to play for 60 minutes.”

Farris will be satisfied with competing for about half that, bridging the generation gap.

“Isn’t that kind of weird?” he said of the youngest Bruin starter playing against the oldest Sun Devil. “I haven’t thought of it that way.”

He’ll give it plenty of thought today.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

ARIZONA STATE at UCLA

* When: 12:30 p.m.

* Where: Rose Bowl

* Records: Arizona State (5-0, 2-0), UCLA (2-2, 1-0)

* TV: Channel 7

* Radio: XTRA (690), KAVL (610)