UA Sports

UCLA has struggled to remain unbeaten

Who said the Pac-10 does not have a championship game? It looks like UCLA and USC are on a collision course to meet for the title Dec. 3. As smooth as the sailing has been for the No. 1-ranked Trojans, the Bruins have been taking on water over the last few weeks. UCLA has rallied from a fourth-quarter deficit of double digits in four of the last five weeks. "What it tells you is, if you get up at all, you better keep your foot on the gas," said coach Mike Stoops, whose Wildcats (2-7, 1-4 Pac-10) host the No. 7 Bruins (8-0, 5-0) this Saturday. No comeback was bigger than the one last week. UCLA wiped out a 21-point deficit in the final 8 1/2 minutes to defeat Stanford 30-27. It was the Bruins' second overtime win this year. "This team doesn't panic, and our coaches don't panic, either," UCLA coach Karl Dorrell said this week. "You learn the most when you have the experience of going through it." An undefeated team gets everyone's best shot, Dorrell said, and he has been trying to get that point across to his team about Arizona. "This is a dangerous football team," Dorrell said of the Cats. "They made a quarterback change, and it was a very productive change. They put up some numbers in the passing game that give them a lot of confidence." Resisting the urge to look past Arizona this week, and ASU the following week, to the USC showdown is imperative for the Bruins, Dorrell said. "Last week was a real hit in the gut," Dorrell said. "Our players understand where they're at. They see the possibilities. Arizona's going to put a great effort into knocking us off. "We haven't had this feeling in awhile; a team that has the recognition it has right now. Now we have to go out and prove it every week." Extra points

● Arizona is 18th nationally in holding opponents on third down, with a conversion rate of 31.5 percent. That figure ranks first in the Pac-10, and is the best west of Manhattan, Kan. ● With 175 yards last week at Stanford, UCLA tailback Maurice Drew became the school's career leader in all-purpose yardage, surpassing Gaston Green (1984-87). ● The Wildcats ran for a career-high 258 yards last year against the Bruins, a high for the Stoops era. UCLA again is ranked last in the conference against the run.