Seniors Ready for a Big Day

Cornerback Marcus Cassel is one of 15 UCLA seniors playing their final college home game today against Arizona State at the Rose Bowl.

“I just know this is going to be a real emotional game,” said Cassel, who has 32 tackles, including 27 solos, this season. “It’s going to be a high-intensity affair.”

Cassel has battled for playing time as a Bruin. In 2002, as a redshirt freshman, he played sparingly in only four games, and as a sophomore, played mainly on special teams.

Last year, he opened the season as a starter but after seven games was replaced by Trey Brown. In camp this year, Cassel had beat out Rodney Van to earn a starting position opposite Brown.

“I have so many people coming to the game,” said Cassel, a former standout at St. John Bosco High in Bellflower. “This is just going to be great. I’m looking forward to having a good game.”

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Arizona State, which needs a victory to become bowl eligible, has at least 28 players on the roster with Southern California roots, and Coach Dirk Koetter said the Sun Devils were glad to have them.

“At one point or another, many kids from California grow up thinking they’re going to play for USC or UCLA, but for one reason or another they change their mind,” Koetter said.

“With the way our schedule works before the game, there isn’t a lot of time to be distracted. I know our players will be excited because they’ll have a lot of family and friends going to the game, and I think that’s great.”

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UCLA Coach Karl Dorrell on last week’s 52-14 loss to Arizona: “I would say it’s a big message about this conference. This is a dangerous conference, particularly in the final stretch of the season when teams are starting to play their best. It’s unfortunate we played our worst football against a team playing its best.” ... UCLA has won the last two meetings against Arizona State at the Rose Bowl.

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WHEN UCLA HAS THE BALL

The Bruins have been held under 100 yards rushing the last two games. Junior Maurice Drew has been hampered by a bruise above his right knee but practiced this week and will play. Tight end Marcedes Lewis had a career-high 11 catches for 131 yards last week at Arizona and will again be key to the passing game for Drew Olson, who has 25 touchdown passes with only three interceptions this season.

WHEN ARIZONA ST. HAS THE BALL

The Sun Devils like to throw with redshirt freshman quarterback Rudy Carpenter, who replaced injured starter Sam Keller. Carpenter’s main target is senior wideout Derek Hagan, who needs six catches to tie the Pacific 10 Conference career reception mark. Rudy Burgess and Keegan Herring are a good 1-2 combination at running back and they should benefit from the return of injured linemen Grayling Love and Stephen Bang.

KEYS TO A UCLA VICTORY

1. Start fast: The Bruins can’t afford to sleepwalk through the first quarter as they have done in more than half their games this season.

2. More Maurice: The Bruins have to find a way to get the football to Drew, eighth nationally in all-purpose yardage and first in punt returns.

3. Create turnovers. The Bruins have forced the second-lowest number of turnovers in the Pac-10, 14 -- including only five interceptions.

HOW THEY COMPARE

*--* UCLA Ariz. St. 39.4 Scoring 37.7 30.1 Points allowed 28.2 271.7 Passing offense 381.6 148.8 Rushing offense 136.9 420.4 Total offense 518.4 202.8 Passing defense 263.4 223.8 Rushing defense 187.2 426.6 Total defense 450.7

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-- Lonnie White