Pac-12 title game: Bruins go light in preparation for Cardinal

UCLA plays it safe as it prepares itself to play physical Stanford for the second time in a week.

By Jon Gold

Nov 26, 2012 at 10:49 pm ET • 2 min read

Here are some news and notes from around the Pac-12 title game:

UCLA was bullied at the line of scrimmage by the physically overpowering Cardinal, but as they say, there is no rest for the weary. With the physically overpowering Cardinal coming up with even less time for preparation, the Bruins took to the practice field on Monday morning on what is typically an off-day, albeit sans pads. With Stanford causing so many bumps and bruises, it's not as if UCLA can afford to give itself any, Jack Wang of InsideSocal.com/UCLA wrote.

“I wanted them to be sharp Friday night,” coach Jim Mora said. “Wanted them to be healthy, wanted them to be at max efficiency.”

Efficiency is a curious word choice, given that Mora's Bruins were anything but in the team's Round 1 matchup. UCLA had 12 penalties for 135 yards and two turnovers while Stanford rushed for more than 220 yards.

Still, that's no reason to add any additional risk of injury this late in the year, with a trip to the Rose Bowl on the line.

“I’m pretty sure the team we’re playing against went light contact, too," UCLA defensive end Datone Jones said. "It would be dumb for anyone to come out, knowing we have a big, physical game coming up. Our bodies haven’t fully recovered. That’s a 48-hour period, and we’ll be back in full pads. It’s important so someone doesn’t get hurt.”
With his extensive NFL background, Mora is experienced in preparing for the same team twice in a season. But this back-to-back matchup? Not very familiar, Wang wrote.

"You become very familiar with those teams," Mora said. "You'll see patterns. You'll see certain plays they only run against you. You'll see coverages they only run against you. There are similarities, but the six-day window makes it very interesting."

Stanford knows what is at stake as it prepares to play the Bruins, Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News reported. Unlike most teams that advance to the conference title game and await their postseason fate, it appears clear for the Cardinal: win, and play in the Rose Bowl; lose, and it's the Alamo Bowl.

"It's good to know we control our future," senior linebacker Chase Thomas said. "Since we lost to Washington (in late September) we've known we had to win out to go to the Rose Bowl. The fact that we know if we win, we know what bowl we're going to is good."

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