SPORTS WEEKEND : Week 5 Primer : The Locals
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No. 18 UCLA (2-1, 0-0)
vs. Stanford (2-1, 2-0)
* Kickoff: 2 p.m. Saturday at Stanford Stadium, Fox Sports West 2 (3:30 p.m.).
* Story line: What originally seemed like an easy Pacific 10 opener for the defending conference champions has become an early showdown and a major test for the UCLA defense. As if the Bruins don’t have enough reasons to be ready--four of the last six meetings in the series have been decided by four points or fewer and it took a miracle defensive play to turn back Stanford last year at the Rose Bowl.
* UCLA update: The Pac-10 schedule hasn’t even started and already only half of the 22 position players have started all three games at the same spot. The Bruins have won seven Pac-10 road games in a row.
* Stanford update: The Cardinal is trying to go 3-0 in the conference for the first time since 1971, when it was known as the Indians and everyone played in the Pac-8. The ’97 squad also opened 2-0 under Tyrone Willingham and then lost its next five league games and finished 5-6 overall.
* Edge to UCLA: But the Bruins won’t escape the wrath of the Stanford band.
* Line: UCLA by 1.
