UCLA finds common ground

Playing for an invitation to a lower-tier bowl game will be at stake for UCLA and Arizona State tonight at Sun Devil Stadium.

Although it’s not the type of motivation either team hoped to have at this time of the year, it’s enough to make the game interesting for two programs struggling for respect in the Pacific 10 Conference.

After a 4-1 start, UCLA (5-5 overall and 3-4 in league) has lost four of its last five games. But last week, the Bruins defeated USC conqueror Oregon State, 25-7, at the Rose Bowl and still have a chance to finish the season on a positive swing.

“We’re not trying to look at the bigger picture because I think that’s been part of our problem this year,” UCLA junior safety Dennis Keyes said.

“At times, we’ve thought too much about what would come from a victory, instead of just going out and playing the game. We’re just focused on ASU and ready to play solid football,” he said.

Arizona State (6-4, 3-4) began the season ranked in the top 25 and won its first three games. But then the Sun Devils lost three in a row and they’ve been trying to recover ever since.

“You definitely see a lot of similarities between ASU and us,” Keyes said. “Every year, ASU is considered among the top in the Pac-10 ready to contend for the title. But it just seems like they always slip up.

“You have the same thing with us this year. We had big aspirations for our team, but a couple of breakdowns throughout the season cost us some games.”

Ending games was a strong point for the Bruins a year ago. With senior leadership provided by quarterback Drew Olson, tight end Marcedes Lewis and safety Jarrad Page, UCLA had five come-from-behind victories and finished 10-2.

This year, despite its mediocre record, UCLA has rebounded after setbacks.

“We’ve shown that we’re extremely tough-minded,” said sophomore quarterback Patrick Cowan, who will make his sixth consecutive start in place of injured Ben Olson tonight. “We’ve stuck together through some tough times. Where some other teams would have folded and called it a day, we’ve kept playing hard. This is a very strong team.”

After losing at California, 38-24, two weeks ago, Karl Dorrell told his team to forget about the first nine games and turn the final three games into a mini-season and a springboard into next year.

The new approach worked last week against Oregon State.

“To lose four games in a row like we did and then come back and beat a good opponent, it showed that we’re still fighting and playing to win,” UCLA junior defensive tackle Brigham Harwell said.

To defeat Arizona State for the second year in a row (UCLA won last season, 45-35, at the Rose Bowl), the Bruins will have to play a solid defensive game.

Sun Devils sophomore quarterback Rudy Carpenter earned the No. 1 job over former starter Sam Keller in training camp. The team is averaging 369.1 yards and 28.4 points a game.

Junior college transfer Ryan Torain, fourth in the Pac-10 in rushing, leads a solid group of running backs for Arizona State, which rushed for 196 yards in a victory over Washington State last week.

“They’re a team that runs the ball very well,” UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker said about the Sun Devils. “They make the most of their big plays off of play-action.”

Carpenter, 10-5 as a starter, passed for a season-high 339 yards against the Cougars last week and has thrown five touchdown passes in the last three games. His top receiver is tight end Zach Miller, a John Mackey Award finalist who has a team-high 37 catches and three touchdowns.

“We’re going to have to play a real disciplined football game against them,” Walker said. “They do have some weapons.”

Meanwhile, UCLA will be looking for Cowan to play the way he did in the second half against Oregon State last week when he passed for two touchdowns and ran for two key first downs in leading the Bruins to a comeback win.

“I’m impressed with the guy,” Arizona State Coach Dirk Koetter said. “He is about 10% less on his completion percentage than Olson was.

“He adds a mobility factor that Olson didn’t have.”

This year the Bruins are 0-4 away from the Rose Bowl.

If Dorrell is going to stretch his bowl-game streak to four, UCLA must win on the road.

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lonnie.white@latimes.com