[October 21, 2006] UCLA (4-2) at #9 Notre Dame (5-1)

[maison bleu]

UCLA's statistical rankings don't mean anything. Take a closer look at their competition. Navy does concern me though, since we can't stop runs up the middle and our LBs have trouble getting off of blocks and making a tackle. You guys have PSU this weekend. Why do I feel that's a trap game? Clock issues last year....At PSU.....they're not too satisfied with the current season. This is a big game for them and I bet they will play with alot of emotion. Hope Michigan matches that. Everybody's on your jock and heaping mounds of praise on you. PSU can play the spoiler role Saturday.

Road games against mid-to-upper level teams in your own conference are always scary. With respect to PSU, since they joined the Big Ten, Michigan has owned them. So I fear the law of averages...

Manningham might not play. As usual, OyDDD is saying nothing.

 

[Stealingshrimp]

The problem is we are two teams.
Team 1 can consistently play mediocre and come out with 3 td wins against pretty lousy competition.
Team 2 can look like a deer in the headlights going against actual opponents, and that's not just the defense, the offense struggles against ANY formidible defense.

That just leads me to think, is our offense really that good...?

 

[Guest]

PSU is due a win against Michigan. If Morelli was even decent against OSU, there's chance PSU wins that game. Morelli has looked better the last two games, granted it was against Northwestern and Minny. Should be an interesting game, I'm looking forward to it, Iowa will be a tough game for you guys as well.

As for UCLA's defense, I am not a believer yet. Their defnse was awful last year, so I doubt it turned great overnight. They haven't played anyone with a good offense yet, this weeks upcoming game against Oregon will gives us a better idea of how good their defense is. Washington did manage to score 29 on them, and Stanback played a very good game throwing for 3 TD's

 

[dbldomer]

Knee injury KOs UCLA QB Olson indefinitely
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- Ben Olson waited nearly five years to become a starting college quarterback. Now, the 23-year-old UCLA sophomore will miss at least part of the toughest portion of the Bruins' schedule because of a knee injury.

Olson sprained his knee in the first quarter of Saturday's 27-7 victory over Arizona at the Rose Bowl when his left leg was rolled on after a pass. He had an MRI on Monday, and the results were not immediately known.

"He will probably be out weeks. I don't know how many," coach Karl Dorrell said. "He won't play this week."

Patrick Cowan, effective after Olson went out, will get his first start Saturday when the Bruins visit No. 18 Oregon.

"It's unfortunate it had to happen like this," Cowan said following the Arizona game.

The Bruins (4-1, 2-1 Pac-10) and Ducks (4-1, 2-1) are tied for third in the Pac-10, along with Washington and Washington State.

"We need another week of improvement going up to Eugene," Dorrell said. "We still aren't quite at our potential yet."

After Oregon, the Bruins play at No. 9 Notre Dame, and visit No. 10 California on Nov. 4.

If Olson's injury is no more than a sprain, he might be back in the next few weeks. If not, he'll almost surely miss a key stretch of the season, or more.

"I don't think my season's over at all," Olson said after watching the rest of the Arizona game on crutches.

Olson and Cowan competed for the starting job in training camp, with Olson emerging as the starter after spending a redshirt season at BYU, two years on a Mormon mission in Canada and one season as a reserve in Westwood.

Cowan's resume was equally spotty.

The sophomore made a single brief appearance last season, and had not attempted a pass until Saturday. But he proved an able replacement against the Wildcats, completing 20 of 20 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.

"Our team will rally around him," Dorrell said. "As the starter, Ben got 70 percent of the reps. He (Cowan) watched and always registered what to do. He stays involved in the game plan."

The Bruins didn't practice Monday, and Cowan and Olson weren't available to reporters.

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

crap...that sucks. If we are going to beat them, I want to beat them when they are at 100% strength... I don't want pundit excuses.

 

[irishfox]

could end up hurting us with in the BCS rankings when all is said and done, praying we finish the season 11-1

 

[leppycole]

UCLA QB Olsen out 4-6 weeks ESPN Link

UCLA QB Olsen out 4-6 weeks ESPN Link

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2618840

Not sure how I feel about this - the back up came in and torched AZ

 

[Irish Envy]

2-4 Arizona, that has only beaten BYU and Stephen F Austin. I'd much rather see the backup.

 

[leppycole]

We will see what he does Sat. One good thing - does not look like UCLA has a running game - also they scored 7 in the second half which was an Int for 6.

Quinn needs a big stat game to get back into the H-Race - He is currently 3rd.

 

[AlbuquerqueIrishFan]

Georgia Tech (who by the way is better than everybody thought) put up 31 Offensive points.

Yup, G-Tech is much better than most thought. So our win on the road to start the season looks pretty good now.

p.s. UCLA's defense is ranked very high. I'm not sure who they've played, but that's impressive.

 

[nshope]

I don't see how a WIN hurts us in the BCS. I understand that UCLA may not win as many games without Olsen under center, but if we go out and destroy UCLA...our votes go up in both polls, which to me...boosts our BCS rating the most.

 

[jiggafini19]

The O line needs to continue doing the job they've been doing over the last two games.

Yes, I know who they played during those two games and yes UCLA is better than both of those teams.

ND needs to continue to convert the third downs and stifle the opponent on third down. They do that, they beat UCLA. And everyone else.

 

[jiggafini19]

Stanford's only shot at a win this year is against Arizona. They're bad.

Suddenly, I feel a little better about the UCLA game.

 

[domerfor life]

PSU is due a win against Michigan. If Morelli was even decent against OSU, there's chance PSU wins that game. Morelli has looked better the last two games, granted it was against Northwestern and Minny. Should be an interesting game, I'm looking forward to it, Iowa will be a tough game for you guys as well.

As for UCLA's defense, I am not a believer yet. Their defnse was awful last year, so I doubt it turned great overnight. They haven't played anyone with a good offense yet, this weeks upcoming game against Oregon will gives us a better idea of how good their defense is. Washington did manage to score 29 on them, and Stanback played a very good game throwing for 3 TD's

Yeah, Morelli was horrible that game. The defense played outstanding and made Troy Smith look ordinary, except for one play. He gave them 14 points. Anyway, this injury just means that ND needs to come out and pound the Bruins into submission. This needs to be at least a 2 touchdown win, like 24-10 or something like that. We know that our D can play well in stretches. Virginia Tech is supposed to have a strong D every year and Georgia Tech (who by the way is better than everybody thought) put up 31 Offensive points. We need them to start putting whole games together. We need that from our offense as well.

 

[domerfor life]

Stanford's only shot at a win this year is against Arizona. They're bad.

Suddenly, I feel a little better about the UCLA game.

Last year, this game would have caused great concern. They had Marcedes Lewis and Maurice Jones-Drew (he's doing well in the NFL). They don't have those guys. We should beat them and we need to come out with an attitude that we have a point to prove. This needs to be total domination. We have to continue to erase the stain of that Michigan loss.

 

[Greatdome34]

I want

I want

the irish to win against ucla my Birthday is on the 24. A little early birthday gift would be nice. Go ND.

 

[jerseyborn1971]

My thoughts on Stanford and style points. The Stanford game was the prototypical game ND played last year. Methodical. The difference is the clock. Each game has nearly 17 less plays. That could be the extra 7-14 points. With last years clock rule, the Stanford game could have easily been 38-10 or 45-10. Purdue could have been a bigger difference as well.

 

[proudndfan]

I don't see UCLA coming in here and beating us... I'm more worried about the trip to Colo. Springs... sort of night game, thin air, different offense... That one worries me...

I agree, its just a very different atmosphere

 

[jiggafini19]

UCLA's defense is very good.

The Hickman kid at DE is tough. Harris and Young will be put to the test in this game. I don't see ND being able to run on UCLA, so they'll need to throw.

Guard Quinn and let him distribute the ball. If the Bruins get to him, this could be an upset.

 

[Irish Envy]

I will again be absent this weekend, so be sure to hold down the fort. This weekend is my alma mater's Homecoming and I will trek back and give her the old college try.

 

[BGIF]

... The difference is the clock. Each game has nearly 17 less plays. That could be the extra 7-14 points. With last years clock rule, the Stanford game could have easily been 38-10 or 45-10. Purdue could have been a bigger difference as well.

And Michigan might have score 65!

If you use the clock to explain ND's lower offensive point production than shouldn't ND's defensive points allowed be lower as well?

 

[Irish Envy]

You'd think... *shakes head* You'd think.

 

[Irish Envy]

Hour and a half until kickoff. I hope our defense shows up to stop the run today. It will be interesting to see how much production UCLA gets out of their QB position.

 

[nayers]

As long as we can keep them one dimentional, i dont see any problem with the outcome

 

[Stalking_Eagle]

Game Time, sucks I'm at work but F it. Go IRISH!!!!!!

 

[lattedatte]

My boy ABI, lining up offsides..

 

[tommy]

cant have them kind of peniltys

 

[lattedatte]

how bout a p6 here, their QB looked a little nervous...

 

[Irish Envy]

A whole lot of nothing thus far.

 

[Óglaigh_na_hÉireann]

Yeah, no kidding. I'm actually bored.