UCLA SCOUTING REPORT: UCLA (3-6,1-5) vs. Washington (6-3, 5-1) : Bottom Line Is Nine Sacks

UCLA’s offensive line, revamped or not because of injury, knows it has a lot to prove today against Washington, since Bruin quarterbacks were sacked 16 times in the last two games.

Some of those sacks were attributable to the quarterbacks themselves, especially three weeks ago at Oregon State when poor decisions on getting rid of the ball were to blame. But the most recent game, two weeks ago against an Arizona defense not known for sacks, was an unqualified disaster.

“When you’re giving up nine sacks in a game, it’s definitely the low point,” guard Oscar Cabrera said.

The nine against the Wildcats increased the Bruins’ season total to 29, tied with Washington State for the second most in the conference, behind only the 31 by USC. It also prompted quarterback Cory Paus, as early as the second quarter, to gesture and shout at his linemen as they walked off the field after one series, trying to rally the blockers to do better.

“I wasn’t getting on anybody,” Paus said. “We were just trying to fire up and get something going.”

Said Cabrera: “He wasn’t in our face yelling at us. He was being a leader. He was stepping up and letting us know, ‘Give me some time and I’ll complete this pass.’

“He had done it before. But not as much as this game. He was just trying to get us going.”

To think that the line was much better then. In the two weeks since, the Bruins have lost starters Mike Saffer and Troy Danoff to practice injuries that will keep them out of the final two games, prompting an overhaul that leaves left guard, with Cabrera, as the only one of the five positions without a new starter today.

Brian Polak goes from right tackle to right guard to replace Saffer, Matt Phelan goes from backup guard to center, Blake Worley goes from left tackle to right tackle, freshman Bryce Bohlander gets a promotion at left tackle for his first start. The depth has been so depleted by the injuries that James Ghezzi is listed as second string at both guard spots and center.