Offense Will Need All of Its Weapons

Coach Karl Dorrell maintains that UCLA’s West Coast offense works best when every weapon is utilized and the Bruins have shown that in recent weeks.

Heading into Saturday’s game at eighth-ranked California, the Bruins are averaging 445.6 yards in total offense after beating Arizona last Saturday, 37-17. After pounding opponents with their running game over the first four games, the Bruins turned loose quarterback Drew Olson and tight end Marcedes Lewis, who combined for three touchdown passes against the Wildcats.

“In this offense, if you focus in on one guy, we’re dead,” Olson said. “[Against Arizona] we came in with a good game plan for [Lewis]. We had several plays for him based on one read. That’s how we scored those three touchdowns that we threw. We had a good game plan that we executed.”

This week, UCLA will have to carry out a game plan against the Pacific 10 Conference’s best defense. In giving up 247.5 yards a game -- nearly 65 yards fewer than No. 2 Arizona State -- the Bears will be a difficult challenge.

“We’re getting better week by week,” Dorrell said. “We’re finding ways to win and the players are getting familiar with that.... This is a week that we need to be in tip-top shape playing against a good Cal team.”

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UCLA is tied with Arizona State and USC for first place in the Pac-10 with a 2-0 record, but the 4-1 Bruins are big underdogs against the Bears, who are coming off a six-point loss to the Trojans.

“They are well coached and have the best defense and offense in the conference right now and they look that way on tape,” Dorrell said about Cal. “I would guess they are probably angry because they had a good opportunity to win that game last week and want to get themselves back in the win column again.”

The combined record of the teams UCLA has defeated is 6-15 and the Bruins’ two Pac-10 victims, Washington and Arizona, have the worst offenses in the conference.

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Dorrell on Cal quarterback Aaron Rodgers: “I really don’t see any weaknesses. He does a nice of job of checking into plays that are positive plays for them under blitz situations. He has tremendous poise and is very accurate.”

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Starting center Mike McCloskey, who did not play against Arizona because of an ankle injury, is expected to play against Cal.... Linebacker Justin London, who played sparingly last Saturday because of an ankle sprain, is expected to be close to full strength this week.... Dorrell said senior wide receiver Craig Bragg, who had sat out the last two games because of a shoulder injury, would not play this week.