Why Running Game Ground to a Halt

After UCLA’s 37-17 victory over Arizona on Saturday, the most-heard question in the Bruins’ locker room was, “What happened to the running game?”

The one-two punch of Maurice Drew and Manuel White had helped make UCLA the nation’s seventh-best rushing team, at 273.25 yards per game, before Saturday. But they were held to 114 by the Wildcats.

Coach Karl Dorrell said part of the problem was at center, where junior Mike McCloskey, who suffered an ankle injury in practice last week, did not play and was replaced by sophomore Robert Chai.

“Robert Chai did a great job but we missed our center,” Dorrell said after watching the Bruins average 2.9 yards a carry, after averaging 6.2 in the first four games. “It’s different when you’ve had continuity for four games with” the same five offensive line starters. “This is the first game we had a change and it happened to be with the center of the line. We missed a few line calls ... and I think that hurt our running game.”

McCloskey was in uniform and participated in pregame drills.

“He did some things before the game but we just felt that it wasn’t healthy enough,” Dorrell said.

Dorrell said McCloskey is expected to play this week at California.

Last season, Chai started eight games at center when McCloskey was injured and played well enough to be named to the All-Pacific 10 Conference freshman first team.

But on Saturday, the Bruin linemen played like strangers at times against the Wildcats’ multiple defensive fronts. Drew finished with 22 yards in 11 carries and White had 62 in 17. The longest run by a Bruin was 11 yards by freshman Chris Markey late in the game.

The Bruins know they will have to block much better against eighth-ranked Cal on Saturday.

“We were subpar,” tackle Ed Blanton said. “We ended up getting it done when it mattered ... because when we needed points, we got points. But it seemed like when the defense held, we came out with a lack of urgency. We wouldn’t score until we absolutely needed it.”

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Dorrell on Drew’s 22 yards rushing: “Nothing happened to him. He just didn’t have the type of game he has been having this season. We had hoped to utilize Chris Markey [32 yards and a touchdown in six carries] and get him some experience for future Pac-10 games.”

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Last season, UCLA held Cal to 75 yards rushing and defeated the Bears, 23-20, in overtime at the Rose Bowl. But the Bruins have been giving up 250 yards a game on the ground this season, including 258 against Arizona.

That’s not a good matchup against Cal, which has one of the best running games in the country.

Linebacker Wesley Walls said a key to UCLA’s defensive success has been its ability to stay in games.

“A good trait that our defense has been developing all season is an ability to bend but not break,” Walker said. “Sometimes we give up yards but as long as we don’t break, we’re finding a way to get the job done.”

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Freshman Marcus Everett led UCLA wide receivers with four catches for 45 yards against Arizona. Junior Taylor caught three for 21 yards but senior Tab Perry did not catch a pass.... Punter Chris Kluwe averaged 49.8 yards, including a season-best 61-yarder, in five punts.... UCLA has scored 30 or more points in four consecutive games for the first time since it did so six times in a row spanning the 1998 and 1999 seasons.