The pattern among opposing coaches preparing to face the ASU football team’s defense is easy to pick up on.

Each and every one of them establishes the importance of being a balanced offensive attack against the Sun Devils.

UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel certainly didn’t buck the trend.

“This is a very, very good defense,” Neuheisel said. “They have a great pass rush and run stopping. We are going to have to make some plays and be a balanced team this week. It is going to require a great offensive plan and great execution.”

ASU vs. UCLA preview, State Press Television
By Master Tesfatsion

In order for UCLA (5-5, 2-5 Pac-10) to be balanced, it is going to have to establish a run game that it has struggled with all season long.

The Bruins are ninth in the Pac-10 in rushing offense, only ahead of last place Washington State. As a team, UCLA only averages 113.2 yards per game on the ground, which is a major factor in why the Bruins’ offense is also ninth in scoring offense, with 22.6 points per game.

Despite the struggles, Neuheisel isn’t ready to give up on the ground attack just yet.

“Like anything else, it is about finding the right combinations,” Neuheisel said. “We believe we have the makings of a good running game. Now we need to be more consistent at it.”

The Bruins have used three different starting tailbacks, but redshirt freshman Jonathan Franklin has started eight of UCLA’s 10 games. Franklin has rushed 119 times for 532 yards on the season, but just averages 53.2 yards per game.

But Neuheisel said Franklin has had ball security issues that have cost him the role as primary carrier. In the last two games, Franklin has carried the ball just 10 times.

“It has to be instinctive just to hang onto the ball rather than thinking about hanging onto the ball,” Neuheisel said. “If you’re thinking about hanging onto the ball, you’re not playing the way you’re able to play and not using your eyes and all of that kind of stuff and it becomes almost a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

The Bruins are very similar to ASU (4-6, 2-5) in the fact that their offense is holding them back from being a successful football team. After starting the season 3-0, with wins at Tennessee and a home win against Kansas State, UCLA dropped five in a row and a bowl game was all but ruled out.

But with victories over the bottom two teams in the league, Washington and WSU, UCLA is sitting at 5-5 and needs just one win in its final two games to become bowl eligible.

Another reason that is important for teams like ASU or UCLA to make a bowl game is that it gives young teams extra practices in December, which is something Neuheisel said is very important.

“When you are dealing with a group as inexperienced as we are, it is unbelievably advantageous to get extra practices,” Neuheisel said. “You start ticking off the names of who would gain valuable experience, [and] it is fun to think about.”

But before thinking about the extra practices, UCLA must focus on beating the Sun Devils to get to that point.

“Arizona State, nothing else matters,” Neuheisel said. “There are conversations all around about things that can’t help us. Our conversations center around the Sun Devils.”

Reach the reporter at andrew.gruman@asu.edu