Extra points: Saturday’s loss is only logical

Bruin fans shouldn’t be baffled by their football team’s disappointing Saturday in Pasadena. The Bruins’ 24-10 loss to Oregon really wasn’t so complicated. UCLA did all the things that mediocre football teams tend to do.

– The Bruins were abysmal inside the red zone.

They could not punch in what should have been an easy touchdown in the first quarter. Good football teams control the line of scrimmage when it matters. UCLA could not. Quarterback Kevin Prince was stuffed on two consecutive runs from the one-yard line, and the Bruins gave the ball over to the Ducks. Later in the game, UCLA failed to capitalize on a 45-yard punt return by Terrence Austin. This ineptitude is somewhat surprising, given that head coach Rick Neuheisel and offensive coordinator Norm Chow have reputations as offensive masterminds.

– UCLA could not protect its quarterback.

UCLA’s offensive line has improved this season, but it struggled to contain the Oregon blitz. On crucial plays in the second half, freshman quarterback Richard Brehaut had little or no time to deliver the ball to his wide receivers.

– The Bruins committed costly turnovers.

Prince seemed a little lost early in the second half when he threw a poor ball to Austin that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. Then he failed to secure the football and fumbled on the ensuing UCLA possession. Later in the game, wide receiver Taylor Embree let a decent pass slip through his hands and into the arms of an Oregon defender.

– UCLA special teams made a big mistake.

I spoke to special teams coach Frank Gansz Jr. last week, and he was adamant about the need to contain Oregon’s return men. Again, the Bruins failed. Kenjon Barner returned the opening kickoff of the second half 100 yards for a touchdown. That burst of momentum propelled the Ducks to a dominant third quarter and, ultimately, a 14-point victory. I’m sure Gansz Jr. wasn’t too happy.

So, even with its stellar defense (defensive tackle Brian Price was a beast, again), UCLA pretty much gave this game away. The end result was familiar: an ugly loss in which the Bruins simply failed to show any offensive firepower. But Bruin fans shouldn’t be asking how it happened or what exactly went wrong. No, they have heard that explanation many times. The better question is, how will the Bruins respond?

All through the fall, we heard about how this was a different type of Bruin team. Players and coaches talked about a new confidence, a belief that things had changed in Westwood. Maybe swagger is the best word.

Now the Bruins have fallen back down to earth, or, more specifically, to the very bottom of the Pac-10 standings.

Will they bounce back? Or will they sputter through the remainder of the season like teams of the past two seasons?

Next week against Cal becomes perhaps UCLA’s biggest game of the season. If UCLA loses, it will hit the road later this month with an 0-3 Pac-10 record.

It’s funny, because two weeks ago, college football fans would have considered the UCLA-Cal game a matchup of two high-flying teams. UCLA was 3-0 and had upset Tennessee in Knoxville. Cal was also undefeated and ranked in the top 10.

The past three weeks have been unkind, however. Both UCLA and Cal are winless in that stretch,, and both played ugly football in those losses. Next week will be a sort of desperation game for both teams. The Bruins will have no chance if they deliver the type of dud performance that we all saw Saturday. But really, it’s not rocket science. This team can compete. They just have to play good football and execute smart offense. That never happened against Oregon.

E-mail Allen at [email protected].