BYU football: Story lines aplenty for matchup against UCLA

PROVO — While BYU was squeaking out a 28-27 victory at Washington last Saturday to keep its Bowl Championship Series hopes alive, UCLA took a break, having experienced its share of drama earlier in the week.

Both the Cougars (2-0) and the Bruins (1-0) tumbled in The Associated Press poll released Sunday. BYU dropped three spots to No. 18 while UCLA, which vaulted to the No. 23 spot last week, fell out of the top 25, to No. 26. The Bruins had the weekend off after vanquishing then-nationally ranked Tennessee, 27-24, in overtime, at the Rose Bowl on Labor Day. They upset the Volunteers when Tennessee kicker Daniel Lincoln missed a field goal in OT.

UCLA visits BYU Saturday at 1:30 p.m., and it will mark the third time the two teams have played in 370 days. The way things are going, this is becoming a rivalry. Last September, UCLA defeated the Cou- gars at the Rose Bowl, 27-17. BYU exacted a measure of revenge in the Las Vegas Bowl in December, 17-16, when it blocked a Bruin field goal as time expired.

Saturday at Husky Stadium, the Cougars won again in similar fashion, and by one point, when defensive lineman Jan Jorgensen blocked the Huskies' 35-yard extra point attempt with two seconds remaining. BYU has now won four of its last five games against Pac-10 teams, with the only loss, of course, coming at the hands of the Bruins.

"We've got to prepare like crazy. UCLA's a team that we've beaten before and should beat again," said BYU quarterback Max Hall, who completed 30 of 41 passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns against the Huskies. "It's going to be another dogfight. We've got to keep doing what we're doing, focusing on our stuff and battling like crazy. Hopefully we'll have a good week next week, too."

While UCLA and BYU are becoming very familiar with each other, the Bruins have added some new but familiar faces since the last time the two teams played. Former UCLA quarterback Rick Neuheisel was hired to take over his alma mater's program in late December. The last time he coached in Provo, it was his debut as Washington's coach back in 1999 (BYU won, 35-28). Neuheisel's offensive coordinator is former BYU offensive coordinator Norm Chow, who filled that position for the Cougars from 1982-1999.

UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft is a transfer from Mt. San Antonio College via San Diego State. Craft started for the Aztecs in a 47-17 loss at BYU in 2006. He took the controls of the Bruin offense after injuries to Ben Olson (broken foot), who redshirted at BYU in 2002, and Pat Cowan (knee).