Bruins re-ranked at no. 25 in USA Today poll

UCLA’s 40-14 win over Oregon State on Saturday moved the Bruins into the USA Today (coaches) top 25 once again at No. 25.

The Bruins also received votes in the Associated Press poll, but had only the 30th-highest total.

The Pac-10 now has five teams in the top 25 in at least one poll with USC and Cal in the top five and Oregon and Arizona State also ranked.

Bruins schedule long-overdue track & field dual with Oregon in Eugene

The only form of collegiate track that has any meaning for spectators is the dual or triangular meet with team scoring. After skipping scoring in meets other than the one-on-one dual with USC for four years, UCLA’s men’s team will participate in a scoring meet with Oregon in Eugene on April 19, 2008.

UCLA hasn’t met another school in a dual or triangular scoring competition since 2004, when both the men’s and women’s teams were 4-0 in duals, defeating Cal Poly SLO, Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Los Angeles on March 6 and USC on May 1.

The Bruin men lead the all-time series with Oregon at 5-4. UCLA won the first four meets in 1973-75-76-77 and then lost four in a row in 1978-79-83-84 before winning in a rout in 1985, 100-63. The meet will be the first event at the refurbished Hayward Field, which will be the site of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials.

UCLA Coach Art Venegas has a 23-4 dual meet record in his eight seasons as Bruin men’s head coach, with an 18-2 record at Drake Stadium and a 5-2 record in road meets. Both losses were against USC.

Sunday syllabus: the week that was and the week ahead

The Bruin football team overcame a bad start for a big win in Corvallis, but most of the other UCLA teams had mixed results or a rough week:

Cross Country:

>> Last week: The Bruin men finished a creditable fifth against some of the best teams in the country in the Bill Dellinger Invitational in Eugene, Ore. All-American Austin Ramos was the top Bruin finisher in fifth and the Bruins had four finishers in the top 40. The Bruin women didn’t do as well, finishing 11th out of 15 teams, led by freshman Shannon Murakami in 44th.

>> This week: The level of competition will be quite a bit lower this week at the UC San Diego Triton Invitational Saturday morning.

Football:

>> Last week: After trailing 14-0 in the first quarter, the Bruin footballers (4-1) clawed back to 14-12 after three quarters and then exploded in the fourth quarter for a 40-14 win at Oregon State (2-3). The Beavers helped with five turnovers, including two fourth-quarter fumbles on consecutive UCLA kickoffs that turned into touchdowns.

>> This week: The Bruins will face winless Notre Dame (0-5), which lost at Purdue, 33-19, on Saturday. The Irish showed some signs of life in the second half, however, outscoring the Boilermakers 19-10 after trailing 23-0 at half.

>> Of note: While the UCLA-Notre Dame game will be shown "nationally" on ABC, it’s likely that only Southern California and some of Indiana will get the game. Almost all of the country will see undefeateds Ohio State and Purdue (both 5-0) play at West Lafayette, Ind.

Men’s Basketball:

>> Last week: Senior center Lorenzo Mata-Real suffered a right foot sprain during a pickup game and is wearing a boot. He’ll be out for a few days, but should be ready for the start of practice on Oct. 12.

>> This week: Add the Sporting News to those who think UCLA will be the No. 1 team in the nation in its college basketball preview due out soon.

>> Of note: Watch for the announcement Wednesday of a "Holiday Pack" ticket offer for four games in November and December when student attendance is low. The tickets are in the upper level along the sidelines and are priced at $92 for the four games.

Men’s Soccer:

>> Last week: Maddeningly inconsistent UCLA, a consensus No. 1 pick to start the season, fell to 3-4-1 with its first-ever loss to Cal State Northridge, 3-0, on Saturday in Northridge. The Bruins managed only four shots, and the Matadors (4-2-1) scored three times in 10 minutes in the second half.

>> This week: UCLA will try to win the championship of San Diego this week with games against the University of San Diego on Tuesday at Drake Stadium (7 p.m.) and at San Diego State on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Men’s Tennis:

>> Last week: Former Bruin All-American Kris Kwinta was named as assistant coach to Billy Martin, replacing Jason Sher, who left to become the head coach at Loyola Marymount.

>> This week: The season starts with the seven-day All-American Championships in Tulsa, Okla.

Men’s Water Polo:

>> Last week: The third-ranked Bruins opened their Mountain Pacific Sports Federation season with a loss to No. 4 Stanford, 7-6, after leading 5-4 at halftime. UCLA is now 8-2 on the season; the Cardinal is 5-2.

>> This week: UCLA plays two matches today in Santa Cruz, against Santa Clara and UC Santa Cruz, and will travel to Irvine for a match with a very good Anteater squad Friday night.

Women’s Golf:

>> Last week: The No. 1-ranked Bruins played pretty well but finished third in the All-American Invitational in Albuquerque, behind Duke and USC.

>> The Bruins are off until Oct. 19 and the Stanford/Pepsi Invitational in Palo Alto.

Women’s Soccer:

>> Last week: The Bruins (5-1-2) were ranked eighth in the nation going into Friday night’s match against second-ranked Portland (7-2) at Drake Stadium, but UCLA extended its home unbeaten streak to 31 games with a 2-1 win in overtime. Both goals were scored by returning star Kara Lang, who just finished her stint with the Canadian team at the Women’s World Cup in China.

>> This week: The Bruins will play San Diego State in San Diego on Friday night, then return to campus for a Sunday match with No. 1-ranked Santa Clara at Drake Stadium at 1 p.m.

Women’s Swimming:

>> This week: The season starts with a dual meet against Idaho on Friday afternoon in the Men’s Gym Pool at UCLA.

Women’s Volleyball:

>> Last week: The fifth-ranked Bruin women overcame a two sets-to-none start to No. 10 California on Thursday night to win a five-set thriller, 28-30, 24-30, 30-28, 31-29, 15-9. UCLA wasn’t as lucky on Friday night, getting swept aside by No. 2 Stanford at Maples Pavilion, 30-20, 30-23, 31-29. The Bruins are now 13-2 on the season; the Cardinal is 14-0.

>> This week: A key battle in the Lexus Gauntlet is on tap with the Bruins facing No. 4 USC at Pauley Pavilion on Friday night at 7 p.m.

UCLA-Oregon State postgame: what a mess . . .

A win is a win and a 40-14 victory makes UCLA 4-1 overall, 3-0 in the Pac-10 and even 2-1 on the road with a match-up with winless Notre Dame next week at the Rose Bowl. There were some highlights:

>> No. 1 on the hot list is the defense: In the last three quarters of the game, Oregon State had a total of 96 yards on offense and wasn’t really close to scoring in the last 45 minutes. The Beavers didn't get further than their own 46 in the second half.

>> In the fourth quarter, the Bruins out-gained the Beavers, 134-28, outscored them by a ridiculous 28-0 and were the beneficiary of two kickoff return fumbles by Gerard Lawson and a blocked punt for 21 of those points.

>> The Bruins ran 43 plays in the second half to 27 before the game degenerated into garbage time after the score was 40-14. Oregon State came into the game giving up 29.5 yards a contest, but UCLA managed 128, more than OSU had given up in total in its first four games. That’s what happens when a defense is on the field too long.

>> Oregon State collapsed when UCLA took the lead on the middle screen from Ben Olson to Brandon Breazell for a 69-yard touchdown in the middle of the fourth quarter. That single play was longer than any UCLA drive in the game.

>> Team statistics: UCLA had 349 total yards (128 rushing, 221 passing) to 243 for Oregon State (97 rushing, 146 passing). The Bruins had three turnovers that led to seven OSU points, but the Beavers suffered five that led to 20 Bruin points. A blocked Alexis Serna punt led to another touchdown.

>> Individual leaders: Rushing — UCLA: Khalil Bell, 24-77 and 2 TDs; Chris Markey, 16-58, 1 TD; Oregon State: Yvenson Bernard, 24-122, 1 TD. Passing — UCLA: Ben Olson, 16-28 for 221, 1 TD and 2 INTs; Oregon State: Sean Canfield, 23-35 for 146, 0 TD and 2 INTs. Receiving — UCLA: Joe Cowan, 4-46; Bell, 4-40 and Brandon Breazell, 2-99 for 2 TDs; Oregon State: Anthony Brown, 7-33; Brandon Powers, 5-24.

It was a win and that’s good. But Bruin Coach Karl Dorrell told Fox Sports Net’s Jim Watson that the Bruins will play better and will have to in the future. When?

UCLA-Oregon State fourth quarter: This is hard to watch

In the last five series, UCLA has run 23 plays to Oregon State’s six, but the Bruins have six penalties and an interception that has kept them from taking the lead.

On the fourth series of the fourth quarter, the Bruins got a break using the one offensive play that has worked — the middle screen — for a 69-yard touchdown to Brandon Breazell, and then Oregon State committed its fourth turnover of the day to give the Bruins another touchdown.

How weird is this?

Now the Bruins get enough turnovers to make them stockholders in Jack in the Box restaurants! Two turnovers and a blocked punt turned into 21 Bruin points and the game looks like a rout.

Ben Olson finished the game at 16-28 for 221 yards and two touchdowns, and Khalil Bell and Chris Markey combined for 40 carries for 135 yards at tailback.

Final score: UCLA 40, Oregon State 14

UCLA-Oregon State third quarter: Beavers are in a giving mood

After taking a 19-0 lead in Tempe last week, Oregon State turned the ball over six times (five interceptions, one fumble) and helped Arizona State to a 44-32 win. Today, the Bruins gave away seven points to start the game, but have now scored 12 in a row thanks to OSU turnovers and bad punting.

>> Yards in the quarter: UCLA 86, Oregon State 43.

End of the quarter: Oregon State 14, UCLA 12

UCLA-Oregon State second quarter: not the same energy

FSN’s Petros Papadakis has a keen grasp of the obvious on the UCLA offense: "They’re not playing with the same energy" as with Patrick Cowan last week against Washington.

>> Nice pick by Trey Brown as OSU quarterback Sean Canfield continues to turn the ball over, this time thanks to the tip of the pass by Yvenson Bernard. The Bruin defense is almost heroic in how it has kept UCLA in the game. But you can’t win if you can’t score.

>> Bruin drives in the first half thus far have consumed 1-1-3-3-3-3 plays before the current drive. The Bruins’ initial first down of the game came with 8:35 to play in the second quarter. But a nine-play drive for 40 yards and a Kai Forbath field goal at least gives the defense a much-needed rest.

>> Now the defense is getting its rest as the Bruins run 20 plays in two series to three for the Beavers, and gets six points. Good field position didn’t hurt either: The Bruins started their last two drives at the Bruin 40 and midfield.

>> Yards in the half: 172 for the Beavers and 109 for the Bruins, but that’s 91 to 30 in the second quarter for UCLA, 78 in the last two drives. Olson is 9-14 for 85 yards while Sean Canfield is 17-21 for 105 yards, but with two interceptions. Khalil Bell is 12-33 rushing while Yvenson Bernard is 15-69.

End of the half: Oregon State 14, UCLA 6

UCLA-Oregon State first quarter: Can anyone play this game?

A fumble on the first two carries by Khalil Bell, the second fumble returned for a touchdown by Al Afalava and a dropped softball pass by Trevor Theriot on the third series: Can anyone in a white shirt play this game? Fox Sports Net had a good stat: UCLA turnovers cost the Bruins just 34 points all of last year. The total is 52 so far in five games this season.

>> Oregon State entered the game with a 40-3 advantage in the first quarter; it’s now 47-3 and the Bruins are very lucky it isn’t much more. At least OSU’s usually dependable Alexis Serna missed a 45-yard field goal.

>> Now it’s 54-3 in OSU’s first quarters this season after a 61-yard, 11-play drive. The Bruin defense is being overpowered, thanks in part to an offense that has done nothing. Yvenson Bernard has 62 yards by himself.

>> Yards in the quarter: Oregon State 142, UCLA 14 on 26 plays for OSU to nine for the Bruins.

End of the quarter: Oregon State 14, UCLA 0

Bruin basketball 'Holiday Pack' is being readied for sale

UCLA will offer a limited number of "Holiday Pack" programs for November-December nonconference games that traditionally do not have strong student attendance.

The $92 four-game package includes games against:

>> Yale: Friday, Nov. 23, at 7:30 p.m. (which will not be televised);

>> Idaho State: Saturday, Dec. 15, at 5 p.m.;

>> Western Illinois: Tuesday, Dec. 18, at 7:30 p.m. (also not televised);

>> UC Davis: Saturday, Dec. 29, at 4:30 p.m.

All of the seats are on the upper level, but are reported to be on the sideline rather than at the end of the court.

Public sale is slated to begin Oct. 3, but subscribers to the "Bruin Locker Room" program will have first shot at this program Oct. 2.

Pauley Pavilion photo courtesy of UCLA

Bruins affecting National League playoff races

UCLA Assistant Sports Information Director Alex Timiraos noted that several recent Bruin players are having a major effect in the down-to-the-wire playoff races in the National League:

>> Arizona is holding on for dear life in the National League West, in part thanks to Eric Byrnes, who played at UCLA from 1995-98. Byrnes bats lead-off much of the time for the Diamondbacks, but has 21 home runs and 83 runs batted in to go along with a solid .288 average.

>> Colorado third baseman Garrett Atkins, who played at UCLA from 1998-2000, has been a big part of the Rockies’ surge toward the postseason during the team’s current 11-game win streak. For the season, Atkins is hitting .294 with 25 homers and 107 RBIs, but has been on a tear in the last month, batting .379. The Rockies and Diamondbacks play three games in Denver this weekend that will decide the fate of both teams.

>> In Philadelphia, Chase Utley (also 1998-2000) is proving to be one of the most valuable players in the league as the Phillies’ rise to a tie for the lead in the National League East has come with his return from injury. In just 129 games, he’s batting .331 with 22 home runs and 101 RBIs, and a sensational .411 on-base percentage.

In the American League, ex-Bruin Ben Francisco (2000-01) has enjoyed a modest rookie season with the Central Division-winning Indians, hitting .271 with three home runs and 11 RBIs since being called up May 1.

Thanks, Alex.