First look

Time: 7:15 p.m. Saturday. TV: FSN

The records: WSU (1-4, 0-2 in Pac-10); UCLA (1-3; 0-1)

Last week: UCLA lost to Fresno State, 36-31;

WSU lost to Oregon, 63-14.

Last time: WSU defeated UCLA, 27-7, in Pullman last season.

The line: UCLA by 17.

What it means for WSU

The Cougars are looking for any type of victory, so much so that coach Paul Wulff said after last Saturday he’s going to celebrate little ones, like the offensive line’s pass-blocking improvement against Oregon. But this is a chance for what may be rare the rest of the season, a big win, the type that actually goes on the left side of the won-loss ledger. And Wulff understands that, coming close to saying Sunday that UCLA is a team the Cougars feel they can defeat. To earn a victory, which would be its first against a Football Bowl Subdivision school, WSU must have a lot of little victories add up.

What it means for UCLA

The Bruins may have turned a corner against No. 22 Fresno State last week, even though they lost. The offense performed markedly better that it had the previous two games, though the defense had some letdowns. Now Washington State comes to town, sandwiched in between the Bulldogs and No. 23 Oregon, which the Bruins play on the road next week. A win here keeps the Rick Neuheisel rebuilding effort on track. A loss brings out the naysayers on campus and in the L.A. media.

Key matchup

UCLA’S offensive line vs. WSU’s front seven.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before. An offensive line has been decimated by injury. It struggles. The coach says there needs to be better weight training and an infusion of talent. Yes, you’ve heard it, but this time we’re talking about UCLA, not WSU. The Bruins, under veteran offensive line coach Bob Palcic, went into the Fresno State game having rushed for a total of 153 yards in three games. But the Bruins, with true freshman Jeff Baca starting at left tackle and center Micah Reed back from injury, eclipsed that easily, running for 234 yards against the Bulldogs. Saturday, WSU’s run defense — yielding 269 yards a game, second-to-last in the NCAA — will be on the other side of the ball. With Reed out again, this time with an MCL, will the Bruins be able to open holes for running backs Kahill Bell and true freshman Derrick Coleman, who combined for 159 yards against Fresno? The answer may decide the game.

Vince Grippi, staff writer