Cougars prepare for “aggressive” Bruin defense
Washington State quarterback Cam Ward throws a pass against Oregon State in the Cougars’ 38-35 win over the Beavers on Sept. 23.
AP PHOTO/YOUNG KWAK
The Washington State offensive line has a tough task ahead in preparing for a UCLA defense that has recorded 15 sacks through the first four games of the season.
UCLA defensive lineman Laiatu Latu (15) has recorded four sacks in the Bruins’ first four games this season, and 14.5 sacks since the start of the 2022 season.
PULLMAN — Coming off a bye week, the No. 13 Washington State Cougars travel to southern California for a matchup against a tough UCLA Bruin defense that stands toward the top of the Pac-12 in yards and points allowed per game.
“They fly around, they’re an aggressive defense,” WSU Offensive Coordinator Ben Arbuckle said at a press conference Wednesday. “They want to heat up the quarterback, bring pressure and try to get him out of his game. They do a really good job of it, a lot of respect for what those guys do.”
UCLA enters Week 6 also coming off a bye, with the Bruins’ previous outing being a 14-7 road loss to Utah on Sept. 23. Seven of the Utes’ 14 points came off a 21-yard interception returned for a touchdown, as the UCLA defense held Utah to 219 total yards of offense.
“I have not seen a bigger, longer defense in a long time,” WSU Head Coach Jake Dickert said at a press conference Monday. “These guys are long and have great length and they’re attacking. They’re playing tremendously on that side of the ball, it is impressive to watch their physicality.”
Through the Bruins’ first four games of the season, opponents have averaged just 11 points per game and 263.8 yards per game, which stand first and second in the Pac-12, respectively. UCLA has 15 sacks so far this season, fifth in the Pac-12; Bruin defensive end Laiatu Latu already has four sacks in 2023 and has 14.5 sacks dating back to the beginning of last season.
“They’re a big pressure team,” WSU quarterback Cam Ward said. “(UCLA Defensive Coordinator D’Anton Lynn) is an NFL DC, so they haven’t seen a lot of stuff that we’re going to do. I feel like if we just stay on schedule, have great timing, go through progressions, offensive line sets the tempo from the first play, I think we’ll be alright.”
Saturday will be the first road trip of the Pac-12 slate for the Cougars, but not their first road game of the season; WSU defeated Colorado State 50-24 in Fort Collins, Colo., in Week 1. Dickert said that having a road trip under their belt already this season is helpful with adding experience.
“I think it’s huge, I think we feel tested in every form,” Dickert said. “When you play good teams and you test your team, you also see the weaknesses. We have traveled together, we have played two ranked opponents — I think those things are very important. You also don’t feel, going into game five, that you don’t have any freshmen. Guys have played now.”
UCLA leads the all-time series with a 40-21-1 record against Washington State, though the two teams haven’t played since 2019, where the Bruins mounted a 32-point comeback to defeat the Cougars 67-63.
“We feel good, but we’re also hungry,” Williams said. “We’re still underdogs and still keep that chip on our shoulder; nobody’s going to give us anything, we’ve just got to be able to go in there and take it.”
Ian Bivona may be reached via email at ibivona@columbiabasinherald.com.
