When Stanford upset then-No. 5 Oregon in Eugene last weekend, the Cardinal had a grand ol’ time beating the Ducks.
Onside kicks, blocked punts and two-point conversions were just some of the wild and wacky plays offered up by Stanford in its 49-42 win.
But this week, the Cardinal will meet a wall. A decidedly blue and gold wall.
The UCLA defense is ranked 15th nationally overall, and fifth nationally in scoring defense. What could happen when a team that gives up only 12 points per game meets a team that scores more than 39? Only time will tell.
UCLA will have some major factors when it travels to Palo Alto to face Stanford on Saturday. Cardinal quarterback Randy Fasani, ranked 10th nationally in pass efficiency, will miss the game because of a knee injury he suffered at Oregon. The Bruins will also be fueled by this week’s Bowl Championship rankings, which place UCLA third in the nation.
Bruin head coach Bob Toledo said his team will try not to bring the expectations from the rankings into Saturday’s matchup.
“This BCS stuff, it doesn’t really matter right now,” Toledo said. “There is a lot of football to be played. Everybody has this guy matched up against that guy — there is too much football to be played.”
Stanford will have some factors in its corner as well. The Cardinal’s running back tandem of Brian Allen and Kerry Carter will try to work the same magic that they brought into Autzen Stadium, where the duo combined for 111 yards and four touchdowns against the Ducks.
UCLA and Stanford will square off at 12:30 p.m. Saturday in Palo Alto. The game will be televised on ABC.