LOS ANGELES -- UCLA will play its second Pac-10 game this weekend, and coach Bob Toledo realizes the Bruins probably have to go unbeaten the rest of the season to successfully defend their conference title.

	UCLA coach Bob Toledo weathered an offseason of controversy.

Beaten 42-32 at Stanford last Saturday, the Bruins (2-2, 0-1 Pac-10) can be encouraged by a recent history of rebounding from losing Pac-10 openers to experience significant success.

The loss to Stanford marked the seventh time in the 1990s the Bruins opened league play with a loss, but on four of the six previous occasions that happened, they bounced back to play in a bowl game.

However, that probably won't be the case this year if the UCLA defense, specifically the secondary, doesn't show considerable improvement.

"It's a pivotal game for both teams," Toledo said of Saturday's game at Arizona State (1-2, 0-1). "Both teams' backs are against the wall. The one that wins, it is still in the hunt, I believe. The one that loses, it is definitely out of the Rose Bowl race."

Backup Stanford quarterback Joe Borchard completed 15-of-19 passes for 324 yards and five touchdowns against UCLA after relieving injured starter Todd Husak in the second quarter.

Husak passed for 141 yards before being knocked out, and in all, the Cardinal torched the Bruins for 672 yards.

"Our inexperience, and a lot of injuries we have, showed up against a veteran team like Stanford," Toledo said. "I thought our effort was very good, I thought our execution was very poor. You'd have to be blind not to see it, our secondary played horrible."

"I'm trying to stay as positive as I can. They've just got to grow up real fast. We've just got to play better back there. There is no quick fix."

Starting cornerback Jason Bell has missed the last two games because of an injured heel, and won't play against ASU. Freshmen Ricky Manning Jr., and Joe Hunter started at cornerback against Stanford, but Hunter was removed in favor of safety Ryan Roques after experiencing problems.

Roques had difficulties, too.

"It's like one of those games I wish I had back," Roques said Monday. "At cornerback, I usually don't make those kind of mistakes. I don't see myself doing that again. I'm completely comfortable playing (cornerback) next week, if need be."

Roques and Manning will start against ASU, with seniors Joey Strycula and Eric Whitfield opening at the safety positions. The start will be Whitfield's first of the season.

Meanwhile, Toledo said quarterback Cory Paus, who suffered a bruised check and strained neck against Fresno State on Sept. 18 in his first career start and didn't play at Stanford, is expected to play at ASU.

It's a good thing, because backup Drew Bennett, who went 19-of-31 for 207 yards at Stanford, is listed as questionable because of an injured throwing elbow he suffered on the final play of the game.

Meanwhile, Toledo had no explanation for the early-season rash of upsets in the Pac-10. Arizona, USC, UCLA and Arizona State, picked to finish in the top four spots in the preseason media poll, all lost their conference openers.

"Look what's happening across the country," he said. "It's just crazy, what's happening in college football. Cincinnati wins (over Wisconsin); East Carolina wins (over Miami), New Mexico State wins (over ASU)."

Only one Pac-10 team -- 25th-ranked Oregon -- is ranked among the nation's Top 25 this week.

"We've struggled with non-league opponents, I know that," Toledo said of the Pac-10. "Maybe we're all a little young, and not as good as we've been in the past."

Pac-10 teams have a 13-11 record against non-conference foes, but the wins have come over Middle Tennessee State, Boise State, Hawaii, Rutgers, Georgia Southern, San Diego State, UTEP, Texas Tech, Colorado, Fresno State (twice) and Nevada (twice).

None of those schools are ranked, and Pac-10 teams are winless in five non-league games against ranked opponents, being outscored in those games by a total score of 224-64.