DEPARTMENT OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS UCLA FACES NO. 23 ARIZONA IN TUCSON

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1 DEPARTMENT OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS Football Contacts: Marc Dellins/Steve Rourke SID Phone: 310/ Web Page: (Oct. 23, 2000) UCLA FACES NO. 23 ARIZONA IN TUCSON GAME EIGHT The UCLA Bruins, 4-3 overall and 1-3 in Pacific-10 Conference play, travel to Tucson to take on the Arizona Wildcats (5-2, 3-1). Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. The game will be televised live in the West Region by ABC with Sean Grande and former Bruin quarterback David Norrie calling the action. XTRA Sports 1150 and the Bruin Radio Network broadcasts all games throughout Southern California and parts of three other states with Chris Roberts and Billy Ray Smith in the booth and Matt Stevens on the sidelines. UCLA is unranked for the first time since prior to the Alabama game. Arizona is ranked No. 23 by USA Today/ESPN and No. 24 by Associated Press. BRUIN HEAD COACH BOB TOLEDO The Bruin head coach owns a record of (22-14 in Pac-10 play) and a winning percentage of.623 during his four-plus years on the job. The 20-game winning streak snapped versus Miami on Dec. 5, 1998 was the longest in school history, twice as long as the previous streak (10, set in 1946 and tied in ). Toledo is only the second coach in school history to win 10 regular-season games (Bert LaBrucherie in 1946) and only the second coach in school history to win 10 games in backto-back seasons (Terry Donahue in ). Under Toledo, UCLA is 26-7 when it scores at least 30 points and 13-1 when it scores at least 40. It is 7-13 when it scores 29 or fewer points. The Bruins are 27-4 when leading entering the fourth quarter, 2-0 when tied entering the final quarter and have won four times when trailing after three periods. UCLA is 22-4 when leading at the half and has won seven times after trailing at the half and four when tied at the half. The Bruins are 3-1 in overtime contests, 0-1 this season. Under Toledo, UCLA is 10-8 versus ranked teams. It has won three of the last four (last year versus Washington and this year against Alabama and Michigan) and is 9-3 in the last 12 games against Top 25 teams. MITCHELL RANKS SECOND IN NCAA Junior flanker Freddie Mitchell ranks second in the NCAA in receiving yards with his average of per contest. His average of 19.3 yards per catch ranks No. 2 nationally among players in the NCAA Top 25 on receptions per game. POST-SEASON HONORS Junior linebacker Robert Thomas is one of 11 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, presented to the nation s top linebacker. Senior defensive end Kenyon Coleman is on the Watch List for the Bronco Nagurski Award, presented to the top defensive player in the nation. Junior wide receivers Freddie Mitchell and Brian Poli-Dixon are both on the pre-season list for the Biletnikoff Award, presented to the nation s top wide receiver. Linebacker Ryan Nece was named to the watch list for the Butkus Award. Punter Nate Fikse has been added to the Watch List for the Ray Guy Award, presented to the nation s top punter. LAST GAME UCLA rallied from a 7-0 first quarter deficit and built a 10-point lead (31-21) early in the fourth quarter before Oregon State exploded for 23 consecutive points en route to a victory at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins, buoyed by the return of tailback DeShaun Foster, led 10-7 at the half and went ahead by 10 just 52 seconds into the second half when linebacker Tony White deflected a Jonathan Smith pass and end Mat Ball picked it out of the air and ran 15 yards for the touchdown. OSU also scored a strange touchdown less than two minutes later when Smith hit Martin Maurer for a 10-yard gain. Safety Marques Anderson forced a fumble which Robert Prescott picked out of midair and raced 50 yards for a score. The teams traded touchdowns later in the third quarter, but when Cory Paus found tight end Gabe Crecion all alone down the right side for a 67-yard TD, the Bruins led with 12:45 remaining in the game. The Beavers pulled to within seven on a field goal and tied the game with 9:25 remaining following a fumble by Bruin tailback Akil Harris and Smith s four-yard pass to Maurer. Two field goals gave the Beavers a lead but the Bruins almost pulled off a comeback twice. OSU faced a third-and 17 on its own eight-yard line when Anderson forced Smith to fumble and Marcus Reese recovered for an apparant score. But OSU had been whistled for a false start and then converted on third-and-21 for a first down, leading to a touchdown and a lead. UCLA, with no timeouts remaining, drove 80 yards for a touchdown to make the score and then Drew Bennett covered the onside kick to give the Bruins possession at their own 45-yard line. Following a holding penalty on the first snap, they were unable to make a first down, halting the comeback attempt. Offensively, Cory Paus passed for a career-high 363 yards, the 10th-highest total in school history. He completed 19 of 33 passes, including 15 of his first 20 for 282 yards, and threw touchdown passes of 67 yards to Gabe Crecion and 18-yards to Jon Dubravac. He completed three of four passes for 65

2 yards on UCLA s late scoring drive, moving the Bruins 80 yards in 34 seconds. Brian Poli-Dixon made six receptions for 93 yards and five first downs and Freddie Mitchell caught five passes for 94 yards and four first downs. Foster, returning to action for the first time since Sept. 30, carried the ball 18 times for 56 yards. He entered the game for the Bruins second series and carried five times for 18 net yards, including a two-yard touchdown. Harris added 38 yards and one touchdown on the ground. Defensively, the Bruins yielded 604 yards, its highest total since last season s Stanford game (672 yards). UCLA held the Beavers to 21 points through three quarters but allowed 23 in the final 10:34. Jason Zdenek led the team with 11 tackles and Ricky Manning added 10, forcing one fumble. Anderson made seven tackles, recovered two fumbles and forced another, and Rodney Leisle also made seven tackles. DID YOU KNOW? The triple-overtime contest against California is the longest game in school history. The previous longest game was a two-overtime victory against USC in UCLA is 3-1 in overtime. UCLA s 21-point comeback against Arizona State ties the largest in school history. In 1982, the Bruins trailed 21-0 at Michigan before rallying for a victory. On Sept. 30, UCLA spotted ASU a 21-0 lead in the second quarter and rallied for a victory. UCLA s 233 yards rushing against Arizona State on Sept. 30 was its highest total since the 1998 Arizona game (Oct. 10), when it ran for 297 yards. UCLA s 500 yards total offense against Arizona State was its highest total since the 1999 Rose Bowl when it gained 538 yards against Wisconsin. Eight different Bruins have attempted at least one pass this season and six have completed at least one attempt. Four different Bruins have thrown touchdown passes. UCLA has won five of its last six games at the Rose Bowl (the loss to Oregon State snapped a five-game winning streak) and 18 of its last 21 home games (this does not include the 1999 Rose Bowl game). UCLA is 17-4 under head coach Bob Toledo when a Bruin rushes for at least 100 yards and when no Bruin cracks the 100-yard barrier. The Bruins played in five bowl games in the 1990s -- the Hancock Bowl in the 1991 season, the Rose Bowl in the 1993 season, the Aloha Bowl in the 1995 season, the Cotton Bowl in the 1997 season and the Rose Bowl in the 1998 season. In just one of those five years did UCLA win its Pac- 10 opener. In the 1980s, UCLA appeared in three Rose Bowls and was in Pac-10 openers in those seasons. The Bruins defeated then-no. 3 Alabama and No. 3 Michigan in the first three weeks of the 2000 season. UCLA had never defeated two teams ranked No. 3 or higher in the same year prior to this season. The last time the Bruins defeated two Top 10 teams in the same season was 1988 when they bested No. 8 Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl and No. 2 Nebraska at home. The last time a school defeated two teams ranked No. 3 or higher during the regular season was in 1993, when Notre Dame defeated No. 1 Florida State and No. 3 Michigan. In 1998, Texas A&M defeated No. 2 Nebraska during the regular season and No. 2 Kansas State in the Big 12 championship game. UCLA has trailed in the first quarter of all seven games this season and has rallied to win four times. In a fifth game, UCLA rallied from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to force the game to overtime only to lose in the third overtime, and in another, the Bruins rallied to build a 10-point fourthquarter lead before losing by six. Twelve of UCLA s 26 offensive touchdown drives have covered at least 80 yards, including three against Oregon State, one versus California, two versus Arizona State, three against Michigan, two versus Alabama and one against Fresno State. Eight of the 22 touchdown drives have utilized at least 10 plays and six have consumed at least four minutes, including the first drive of the year that burned 9:06 off the clock. Defensive lineman Kenyon Coleman saw his streak of 21 straight starting assignments end at Oregon. The Bruin with the most consecutive starts on defense is Rusty Williams at 18. Overall, offensive lineman Brian Polak is the team leader having made his 30th straight start against Oregon State. UCLA s 2000 schedule was ranked as the second toughest in the nation by Sports Illustrated. According to the SI rankings, the Bruins who were ranked #31, will face 10 of the top 50 ranked teams in the country (#3 Alabama, #4 Michigan, #13 Washington, #18 USC, #27 Oregon, #35 Oregon St, #45 Arizona, #46 Fresno St, #48 Stanford, #50 Arizona St). Oregon State was the sixth UCLA opponent to date which played in a bowl game last season. In all, eight of the 11 teams on the 2000 slate played in a bowl. Ten Bruins made their varsity debut in this year s opener against Alabama seven redshirt freshmen (starter Rodney Leisle and reserves Dave Ball, Mat Ball, Kevin Brant, Shane Lehmann, Jerry Owens and Dennis Link) and three true freshmen (Brandon Chillar, Tab Perry and Keith Short). Two more redshirt freshmen -- Akil Harris and Ryan Wikert -- made their varsity debut in week two against Fresno State. Wide receiver Jon Dubravac made the first start of his career against Fresno State. Two Bruins -- defensive tackle Rodney Leisle and free safety Jason Zdenek -- made their first starts against Alabama. Sean Phillips made his first career start at Oregon and Audie Attar made his first start against Arizona State. Akil Harris and Mat Ball each made their starting debuts in the Oregon State contest. UCLA s winning percentage of.667 is the third-highest in the Pac-10 over the last three-plus years. UCLA has won 28 games in those three-plus seasons and only Arizona (30-14,.682) and Oregon (30-13,.698) have won as many games. No school has recorded more than UCLA s 18 Pac-10 wins in that span. The Bruins have rebounded from their last three losing campaigns by advancing to a bowl game in the following season (9-3 and Hancock Bowl in 1991); (7-5 and Aloha Bowl in 1995); (10-2 and Cotton Bowl in 1997).

3 UCLA is 9-3 in its last 12 bowl games. The nine wins in the last 17 years rank first in the Pac-10. Only five schools in the nation have won more bowl games during that span. In 1999, 45 different position players 26 on defense and 19 on offense made at least one start. Twenty-seven players, including both kickers, made their first career starts last season. Only four players (excluding kickers) started every game in 1999 offensive lineman Brian Polak, defensive linemen Kenyon Coleman and Rusty Williams and safety Joey Strycula. Seven former Bruin players and three former coaches have been elected to the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame, including 2000 inductee Terry Donahue. Three players Billy Kilmer, Jerry Robinson, Kenny Easley and three coaches Donahue, Tommy Prothro and Red Sanders have been inducted in the last 11 years. The Bruins have four sets of brothers on this year s team -- twins Dave and Mat Ball, twins Josh and Micah Webb, Ken and Matt Kocher and Jason and Eric Zdenek. In addition Michael Coleman, brother of Kenyon, and Tim Vanis, brother of Mike, are managers on the team. Starting cornerback Ricky Manning, Jr. played this past summer for the Minnesota Twins Rookie League team in Ft. Myers, FL. Manning, an outfielder, hit.275 in 26 games with a.427 on base percentage and six stolen bases. During the past 18 years, UCLA has been ranked in the final Associated Press Top 20 on 11 occasions. No other school in the Pac-10 has been ranked more than eight times and only seven schools in the nation have been ranked more than the Bruins in that span. UCLA has produced two Outland Trophy winners (Jonathan Ogden and Kris Farris ) and three first-team All-America tackles (Ogden, Chad Overhauser in 1997 and Farris) in the last five years. SERIES NOTES UCLA owns a series advantage, but lost last year s matchup in the Rose Bowl, The Bruins came out strong and moved down the field only to miss a field goal on their first drive and then scored a touchdown on their second drive to take an early 7-0 lead. The Wildcat defense then forced UCLA to punt on ten of its next 11 possessions. Arizona put up 588 yards in total offense. Wildcat defenders tied a school record with nine sacks which helped to limit the Bruins to minus-31 yards rushing. UCLA won the last meeting in Tucson, in 1998, to break a four-game losing skein in the desert. That game featured a matchup between two Top 10 teams which combined for 926 yards of total offense. UCLA scored three fourth quarter touchdowns on three consecutive offensive plays from scrimmage in just 1:11 of elapsed clock time to earn the win which elevated it to No. 2 in the polls. NOTING THE WILDCATS Arizona is coached by Dick Tomey, who is in his 37th season (23rd as a head coach) as a coach and 14th as head coach at Arizona. He began as a graduate assistant at Miami of Ohio in , was a Bruin assistant in the early 1970s and entered the current season ranked No. 9 in career victories by active Division I-A head coaches. His record is Tucson is and his career mark is Arizona leads the Pac-10 in turnover margin (+1.71), rushing defense (80.0) and punt returns (12.3). The Wildcats rank 10th in the league in total offense ( passing and rushing) and third in total defense ( on the ground and in the air). BRUINS IN THE 2000 POLLS AP: Pre-season, NR; Aug. 28, NR; Sept. 3, No. 16; Sept. 10, No. 14; Sept. 17, No. 6; Sept. 24, No. 15; Oct. 1, No. 16; Oct. 8, No. 13; Oct. 15, No. 23; Oct. 22, NR. USA Today/ESPN: Pre-season, NR; Aug. 28, NR; Sept. 3, No. 17; Sept. 10 No. 17; Sept. 17, No. 8; Sept. 24, No. 17; Oct. 1, No. 17; Oct. 8, No. 15; Oct. 15, No. 24; Oct. 22, NR. THE DEFENSE LINEBACKER ROBERT THOMAS Compared to a cobra by head coach Bob Toledo because of his explosiveness at the point of attack, Thomas is one of 11 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, which honors the nation s top linebacker. On the year, Thomas leads the team with 48 tackles, six more than No. 2 Jason Zdenek. He ranks second with seven tackles for loss and leads the Bruins and the Pac-10with five fumbles forced. A true junior, the middle linebacker accounted for four tackles in the victory over Alabama, including one for loss, and also forced two fumbles. Against Fresno State, Thomas led the defense, which held the Bulldogs to 26 yards on the ground, with six stops. In the victory over Michigan, he was credited with seven tackles, one shy of the team lead, including two behind the line of scrimmage. At Oregon, he made seven tackles, including two for losses, and forced a fumble at the goal line. In the victory over Arizona State, he again made seven tackles, including one for loss. At California, he led the Bruins with a season-high 11 tackles, including one for loss. He also forced one fumble. Against Oregon State, he was credited with six tackles and forced his fifth fumble of the year. Thomas moved into the starting lineup in He made a team-high 14 tackles against Fresno State, the most by a Bruin since Brian Willmer made 15 versus Arizona on Nov. 16, In 1999, Thomas ranked second on the squad with his 68 tackles despite missing three games (the season s first two and the Arizona contest). He also had four tackles for loss, including 1.5 sacks. LINEBACKER RYAN NECE The junior, who writes a weekly column for the official athletic department website, was selected to the 2000 pre-season Watch List for the Butkus Award, which honors the nation s top linebacker. A 1998 first-team Freshman All-American, the junior outside linebacker ranks fourth on the squad with 37 tackles and has forced two fumbles. In the season-opening win against Alabama, he tied for the

4 team lead with six tackles despite playing with a shoulder which will need surgery after the season. Against Fresno State, he made two stops and in the victory over No. 3 Michigan, he made five tackles, including one for loss. At Oregon, he made a career-high 13 tackles, tying Tony White for the team lead. In the win over Arizona State, he was credited with three tackles and forced a fumble. At California, he ranked second with six tackles, including his first sack of the year, and also forced a fumble. That fumble led to a Bruin touchdown just before halftime. He added two tackles against Oregon State. In his 1999 debut against Fresno State, Nece made 10 tackles and broke up one pass. On Oct. 2 at Arizona State, he made the first interception of his career, leading to UCLA s thirdquarter field goal. He played very well in the final four games of that season, averaging 9.8 tackles (39 total). In his nine games, he made 65 tackles and ranked third on the squad. LINEBACKER TONY WHITE The true senior was at his best in the Bruins Pac-10 opener at Oregon. He made a career-high 13 tackles, tying Ryan Nece for team honors. He also made a team-high three stops for losses. In the win over Arizona State, he had four tackles, including one for loss, and deflected one pass that was picked off by Mat Ball and returned 15 yards for a touchdown. In the game at California, he was credited with five tackles. He also returned a fumble 12 yards and had two tackles for loss, including one sack. The fourth-quarter fumble recovery and return gave the Bruins the ball at Cal s 41, setting the stage for UCLA s game-tying touchdown. He added four stops versus Oregon State. On the year, White is third on the squad with 38 tackles. He leads the team with eight tackles for loss and is tied for the lead with two sacks. White was very active in the season-opening victory over Alabama. He was credited with four tackles, including a fiveyard sack and another half-tackle for loss. He added one tackle in the victory over Fresno State, but had a big game against Michigan, making seven tackles, one shy of the team lead. In 1999, White made 53 stops in his nine games, including six for losses (fourth on the squad). His 53 tackles were fourth on the team and he averaged 5.9 tackles per contest. RICKY MANNING JR. The true sophomore cornerback has developed a reputation for making big plays. In the season-opening victory against Alabama, Manning tied for the team lead with six tackles, returned an interception 37 yards and helped hold Freddie Milons to just 49 yards on five receptions. In the win over Fresno State, he made two stops, including one sack, and broke up two passes. He also returned three punts for 24 yards. In the win over No. 3 Michigan, Manning made six tackles, including one for loss. He also returned four punts for 20 yards and had a 65-yard scoring return wiped out because of a penalty. Against Oregon, he was credited with six solo tackles, including one for loss, and two pass defenses. In the win over Arizona State, he was credited with three tackles, made his second interception of the year and also broke up a long pass. At California, he made two stops and averaged 12.5 yards on two punt returns. Against Oregon State, he ranked second on the squad with 10 tackles and also forced a fumble on third-and-goal at the Bruin one yard-line. UCLA converted that turnover into a field goal with 44 seconds left in the first half. He has now started 16 consecutive games since moving into the lineup last year against Fresno State. He is sixth on the squad with 35 tackles (three for losses) and first with his two interceptions and eight pass defenses. In 1999, Manning ranked fourth (tied) on the squad with 53 tackles and led the Bruins with 10 stops behind the line in He made his first career start against Fresno State and returned an interception 83 yards to set up a field goal. Against Ohio State, Manning made a career-high eight tackles, including two for losses. THE RETURN The opener against Alabama marked the return of two players who had been instrumental in UCLA s 20-game winning streak -- junior Marques Anderson and senior cornerback Jason Bell. Anderson missed last season due to suspension while Bell was sidelined after the year s second game due to heel problems. Anderson, starting at strong safety after playing cornerback in 1997 and 1998, was credited with four tackles against Alabama, including one sack, and also broke up two passes. In the win over Fresno State, he added five tackles, one shy of the team lead, including one for loss and broke up two passes. He was at his best in the win over Michigan, making a teamhigh and career-high tying eight tackles, including one for loss. He also forced a fumble and broke up a pass. Against Oregon, he again tied his career high with eight tackles, including two for losses (one sack). Anderson, who sat out the ASU game after undergoing a routine medical procedure for a non-football condition, returned to action against California. He made five tackles against the Golden Bears and his diving interception at the Cal 39-yard line set up the first of UCLA s two fourth-quarter touchdowns. He also recovered a fumble just before halftime that resulted in another Bruin touchdown. Against Oregon State, he made seven tackles, including one for a loss. He also recovered two fumbles and forced one. Late in the game, he forced another fumble at the goal line but the play was ruled dead on a false start by the Beaver offense. Anderson ranks fifth on the squad with his 37 tackles but his 6.2 average is second only to Robert Thomas 6.9. He ranks first with three fumble recoveries, is tied for the team lead with two sacks, is third with six tackles for loss and is tied for second with seven pass defenses. Bell, a starter in 1998, made two tackles and did an outstanding job of covering the Alabama wide outs, helping hold Freddie Milons to five receptions for just 49 yards. Against Fresno State, he made five tackles and broke up one pass and added one tackle and one pass break up in the victory over Michigan. His coverage efforts helped limit Michigan to only 111 passing yards and just eight completions on 28 attempts.

5 At Oregon, he was credited with five solo tackles and a teamhigh three pass defenses. In the win over Arizona State, he made three tackles and broke up one pass before leaving the game at halftime with tightness in his left hamstring. At California, Bell was credited with five tackles. Against Oregon State, he made three tackles and broke up one pass. Bell ranks second (tied) on the squad with seven passes defensed and has made 24 tackles. JASON ZDENEK The senior free safety is one of the surprises of the season. Zdenek, who played just 17 defensive snaps a year ago against Boise State, currently ranks second on the team with 42 tackles. He is tied for second on the team with two fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and seven pass defenses. Zdenek made the first start of his career against Alabama a successful one. He accounted for five tackles, recovered one fumble and forced another. Against Fresno State, he was credited with four stops and added four tackles and two pass break ups in the win over Michigan. In the Pac-10 opener at Oregon, he made nine tackles, including one that forced a fumble. In the win over Arizona State, he made four stops and recovered one fumble. At California, he was credited with five tackles. Against Oregon State, he led the Bruins with 11 tackles and broke up two passes. DEFENSIVE DATA Tackles Anthony Fletcher, a true junior, and Rodney Leisle, a redshirt freshman, have each played well. Against Fresno State, both were credited with four tackles, including one for loss. Fletcher made five tackles in the win over Michigan while Leisle added three stops. Fletcher was credited with a career-high seven tackles, including two for losses, versus Oregon. He made three stops versus Arizona State, including two for losses, one for loss at California. Against Oregon State, coming off the bench for the first time all year, he made four stops. He ranks first among the linemen and seventh overall with 26 stops and ranks fourth on the squad with five tackles for loss. Leisle ranks second among linemen with 22 tackles, including three behind the line of scrimmage. He made a career-high seven tackles, including one for loss, against Oregon State. Redshirt sophomore Rusty Williams made his 18th straight start despite spending the week in a walking boot due to a stress reaction in his right foot. He made five tackles, including one for loss and now has 13 stops on the year and is tied for second on the squad with two fumble recoveries. Redshirt freshman end Mat Ball made his first career start against Oregon State. He made two tackles, both for losses, and scored a touchdown, picking off a pass deflected by Tony White and running 15 yards for the score. Redshirt freshman Audie Attar made his first career start against Arizona State and was credited with a team-high eight tackles. He also broke up two passes. UCLA has now started seven different defensive linemen, including three strong-side defensive ends. THE OFFENSE CORY PAUS The redshirt sophomore quarterback suffered a separated right shoulder on UCLA s first offensive play of the season, stayed in for the rest of the series (three plays) and was finished for the afternoon. After missing three games, he was cleared to begin full practice on Monday, Sept. 25 and was named the starting quarterback for the Arizona State game the following day. In the victory over Arizona State, Paus completed 17 of 30 passes for 267 yards with one interception and two touchdowns despite a fierce rush from the Sun Devils. In rallying the Bruins from a 21-0 deficit, he completed eight of 14 passes for 164 yards and two scores in the second half. In the third quarter alone, he passed for 122 yards, including touchdown passes of eight and 80 yards to put the Bruins ahead for good. His 80-yard touchdown strike to Freddie Mitchell was ninth longest in school history and the second-longest of his career, surpassed only by his 85-yard scoring pass to Danny Farmer last year against ASU (sixth in UCLA history). In addition, his 32-yard scramble in the second quarter was the longest run of his career. In the triple-overtime loss at California, he rallied the Bruins from a fourth-quarter deficit to force the game into overtime. On the afternoon, Paus completed 20 of 39 passes for 309 yards and a career-high four touchdowns. He also threw three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown and one which ended the game. After throwing touchdown passes of 15 and four yards to tight end Bryan Fletcher in the first half, he was at his best in the fourth quarter. On the first scoring drive, he completed an eight-yard pass on fourth down and threw a screen pass to tailback Akil Harris for a 20-yard score. On the second drive, he completed a third down slant pass to Freddie Mitchell, who turned it into a game-tying 35-yard touchdown. In the first overtime, Paus scored on a quarterback sneak to tie the game and force another overtime. In the game against Oregon State, Paus completed 19 of 33 passes for a career-high 363 yards and two touchdowns yards to Gabe Crecion and 18 yards to Jon Dubravac. Paus total of 363 passing yards ranks 10th on UCLA s singlegame list. His touchdown to Crecion gave the Bruins a 10-point lead (31-21) with 12:45 remaining in the game. OSU scored on its next five possessions and led with 1:52 remaining when Paus took over on his own 20-yard line and no timeouts remaining. He drove the Bruins to a touchdown, culminating in the scoring pass to Dubravac, in just 34 seconds. UCLA regained possession on its own 45-yard yard line with 1:18 remaining following a successful onside kick but could not record a first down. On the year, Paus has completed 56 of 104 passes (53.8%) for 939 yards and eight touchdowns in three games plus one series. His efficiency rating of would rank second in the Pac-10 and his average of yards passing per game would rank third if he had played enough games to qualify. In addition, in his three full games (excluding the first se-

6 ries of the Alabama game on which he was injured), he is averaging 313 passing yards Paus Passing Game PA PC INT YDS TD LG ALA* Fresno Did Not Play (separated shoulder) Michigan Did Not Play (separated shoulder) Oregon Did Not Play (separated shoulder) ASU* Cal* OSU* Totals Paus Passing Game PA PC INT YDS TD LG BSU Ohio St Fresno* Stanford Did Not Play (Bruised ribs) ASU* Ore* Cal* OSU* ARIZ* WASH* USC Did Not Play (Fractured Clavicle) Totals (.482) * indicates game started In 1999, Paus started seven games after beginning the season as the No. 2 signal caller. Coming off the bench in relief of Drew Bennett, Paus completed 12 of 18 passes for 128 yards with one touchdown versus Boise State, a five-yard strike to Gabe Crecion. When he connected with Crecion, he became the first Bruin quarterback to throw a touchdown pass in his first game since Bret Johnson did it as a redshirt freshman in The following week at Ohio State, he saw action in both halves, completing eight of 20 passes for 97 yards and one interception in relief of Bennett. He made the first start of his career against Fresno State on Sept. 18 and was playing well when he suffered bruised ribs early in the second quarter. At that time, he had completed nine of 12 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. On Oct. 2, Paus returned to action at Arizona State and completed 15 of 40 passes for 235 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Paus had his best game of the year against Oregon. He completed 21 of 34 passes for a season-high 332 yards and two touchdowns. His 332 passing yards tied Tommy Maddox (1990 vs. Oregon) for the No. 3 effort among Bruin freshmen. Only Maddox (409 vs. USC and 353 at Michigan) ever threw for more yards as a freshman. His 324 yards total offense ranked No. 4 on that list. Against Arizona, he threw for 230 yards and one touchdown. Against Washington, his season came to an end when he suffered a fractured left collarbone on UCLA s second offensive play of the second quarter. FREDDIE MITCHELL Junior flanker Freddie Mitchell has established himself as one of the nation s top players at his position and a leading candidate for the Biletnikoff Award, presented to the best wide receiver in the country. The explosive Mitchell, who always seems to be in the middle of the action, ranks second in the nation with his average of receiving yards per game. He also ranks 14th (tied) in the NCAA and second in the Pac-10 in receptions (6.1 average) and his average of 19.3 yards per catch ranks second nationally among players in the Top 25 in receptions per game. He also ranks fourth in the Pac-10 in all-purpose yards (118.0) and 10th (tied) in scoring (5.1). On the year, he leads the Bruins with 43 receptions and 830 receiving yards and is second on the squad with six touchdowns. He has already accounted for more receptions and yards in seven games than he did during the entire 1999 season. At his current pace, he would finish the regular season with 1,304 yards, breaking Danny Farmer s school record of 1,274, set in 12 games. His 830 yards already rank seventh on UCLA s single-season list with four games to play. In his last five games, he has made 33 receptions for 681 yards (136.2 average) and four touchdowns. He accounted for at least 100 yards in four straight games, tying the school record set by Kevin Jordan in 1994, before finishing with 94 yards against Oregon State. He has produced 35 first downs with his 43 receptions and one of the other seven resulted in a touchdown. Mitchell flashed his explosive big-play capability against the Crimson Tide. In the first quarter, he took a pitch from tailback DeShaun Foster and hit split end Brian Poli-Dixon with a perfect strike in the back of the end zone for a 31- yard touchdown pass to give the Bruins a 14-7 lead. In the third quarter, he beat his man, hauled in a strike from Ryan McCann and dragged a defender into the end zone for a 46- yard touchdown to give UCLA the lead for good, It was his first score since visiting the end zone in the 1998 opener against Texas. On the afternoon, Mitchell led the team with four receptions for 91 yards. All four of his receptions produced first downs, including one touchdown. Against Fresno State, he led the Bruins with six receptions for 58 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown catch in the first half. Four of his six receptions resulted in first downs, including his TD. The explosive Mitchell was on fire against Michigan. The Bruins leading receiver made 10 receptions, the fourth-highest (tied) single-game total in UCLA history, for 137 yards and produced nine first downs with those 10 catches. In the second half, Mitchell made seven of his receptions for 91 yards and six first downs. He produced two first downs on each of UCLA s first two touchdown drives and made a 23-yard reception on the game-winning touchdown drive. Against Oregon, he again led the Bruins with six receptions, good for a career-high 158 yards and one touchdown on a 54-yard catch-and-run from Drew Bennett. He also had a possible 30-yard touchdown catch ruled out of bounds by officials. Five of his six receptions produced first downs, including UCLA s lone touchdown.

7 In the victory over Arizona State, he made four receptions for 125 yards and two touchdowns. His eight-yard scoring catch in the third quarter briefly gave the Bruins a lead and his 80-yard catch-and-run with 1:31 remaining in the same period put them ahead for good. It was the longest reception of his career and ninth longest in school history, topping his 79-yard touchdown catch in the 1998 opener versus Texas. He also made a spectacular diving sideline reception in the fourth quarter on second-and-nine from the UCLA three-yard line that keyed the field goal drive that gave the Bruins a lead. At California, Mitchell made eight receptions for a career-high 167 yards -- the seventh-highest single-game total in school history -- and one touchdown. His touchdown was a thirddown slant pass that he turned into a 35-yard TD and it tied the game at 28 with 5:59 remaining in regulation. He also had a 46-yard reception on UCLA s first touchdown drive. Six of his eight receptions produced first downs and four measured at least 23 yards. Against Oregon State, he made five receptions for a team-high 94 yards and produced four first downs. His 28-yard catch on UCLA s first touchdown drive, one of two receptions he made on that drive, give the Bruins the ball at the two-yard line. He also made a 27-yard reception on a third-quarter touchdown drive. During his career, Mitchell has made 85 receptions for 1,481 yards. He ranks 13th on the career receiving yardage list and needs just 37 to move into 10th place by himself. He is also tied with Paul Bergmann for 15th on the reception list, just two behind No. 14 Kurt Altenberg. He has also completed four of five passes for 144 yards and three touchdowns -- the 31-yard pass to Poli-Dixon this season, 61 yards to Durell Price in the 1999 Rose Bowl and 34 yards to Poli-Dixon in the 1998 opener. In 1999, he made 38 receptions for 533 yards (14.0 average) to lead the team. Twenty-three of his 38 receptions resulted in a Bruin first down. Mitchell was at his best in the victory over Fresno State. He made nine catches for 149 yards to set the career highs in both categories at the time. In his debut in 1998 against Texas, Mitchell made four receptions for 108 yards (79-yard TD), threw a 34-yard touchdown pass, gained 30 yards on a reverse and returned three kickoffs for 78 yards. The next week, he suffered a fractured right femur and missed the rest of the regular season. He returned to action in the 1999 Rose Bowl and tossed a 61- yard touchdown to fullback Durell Price off a fake reverse. DESHAUN FOSTER True junior tailback DeShaun Foster was sidelined in the first half of the Arizona State game with a fractured third metacarpal in his right hand. He missed the California game and returned to action last week against Oregon State. In the season opener against Alabama, he enjoyed one of the greatest games in UCLA history during the victory, demonstrating his power and strength, punishing wouldbe tacklers and gaining additional yards after the initial contact while carrying the football 42 times to tie the school record set by Karim Abdul-Jabbar in He was at his best in the fourth quarter as UCLA was protecting its lead, carrying the ball on 12 of the team s 16 offensive plays (excluding a final kneel by the quarterback) for 59 yards and three key first downs to keep the clock moving. On the afternoon, Foster rushed for a career-high 187 yards and three touchdowns (his previous high was 118 yards at Arizona in 1998). His total was the highest since the 1997 Bruin opener when Skip Hicks rushed for 190 at Washington State. Foster carried the ball 21 times for 93 yards in the first half and 21 times for 94 yards in the second half despite not having a single run of more than 20 yards. He had five double-digit runs and 35 of his 42 carries resulted in positive yardage. On UCLA s 19-play, 9:06-minute drive, Foster converted on fourth down twice, including the one-yard touchdown to tie the game. On the afternoon, his runs produced 12 first downs. In the win over the Bulldogs, the 1998 first-team Freshman All-American carried the ball 29 times for 140 net yards and two touchdowns. For the second straight week, he converted a fourth-down play into a touchdown and his 49- yard tackle-breaking, change of direction TD run with 8:49 remaining was his longest since his 65-yard score in the 1998 USC game. In the win over the No. 3 Wolverines, he carried the ball 24 times for 95 net yards and his sixth touchdown of the season. In the second half, he gained 83 yards on 16 attempts, including a five-yard touchdown in the third quarter. In the final 15 minutes, he carried the ball eight times for 54 yards, including a 29-yard run on UCLA s game-winning touchdown drive. In the Pac-10 opener at Oregon, he was limited to just 49 net yards on 19 attempts. In the win over Arizona State, he fractured the third metacarpal in his right hand in the first quarter, played one snap in the second quarter and was finished for the night. At the time, he had carried nine times for 30 yards. He missed the game at California and returned to action against Oregon State. He entered the game for UCLA s second series and carried five times for 18 yards, including a two-yard touchdown. On the afternoon, he gained 56 net yards on 18 attempts and also made one reception. Foster has gained over 100 yards in his career on five occasions. His back-to-back 100-yard games against Alabama and Fresno State were the first by a Bruin since Skip Hicks did it in the final five games of the 1997 season. In his career, Foster has scored 25 touchdowns and is tied for No. 6 on that UCLA career list. His 152 points (one twopoint conversion) rank 14th on that career list. Next are No. 13 Eric Ball at 156, No. 12 Peter Boermeester at 160 and No. 11 Theotis Brown at 162. He also ranks 18th on the career rushing list with 1,605 yards, just behind No. 17 Danny Andrews at 1,644. Foster ranks 33rd in the nation and fourth in the Pac-10 in rushing (92.8), second in the Pac-10 in scoring (7.0 points) and sixth in the Pac-10 in all-purpose yards (105.2). A year ago, he led the Bruins in rushing five times. However,

8 he carried just five times in the month of October due to a sprained right ankle incurred at Stanford (9/25/99). On the year, he finished as the team s second-leading rusher (375 yards) and led the squad with six touchdowns. Foster played in nine games and started five times. In 1998, Foster wrote his name into Bruin lore by scoring all four touchdowns (three rushing and one receiving) in UCLA s victory over USC. He became the first true freshman in school history to score four TDs in one game and tied the school record. Foster ranked second on the team with 12 touchdowns (10 rushing and two passes), a school record for true freshmen Foster Rushing Name TCB Net Avg. TD LG Alabama Fresno State Michigan Oregon Arizona State California (DNP - Broken bone in hand) Oregon State Totals Foster Career Rushing Totals Name TCB Net Avg. TD LG Totals 378 1, Foster Career Receiving Totals Name Rec. Net Avg. TD LG Totals BRIAN POLI-DIXON The redshirt junior, an All-Pac-10 honorable mention selection in 1998, is on the Biletnikoff Award pre-season list. In the victory over Arizona State, Poli-Dixon made a seasonhigh eight receptions for 107 yards. He made a key thirddown reception deep in UCLA territory on the team s first touchdown drive and his 17-yard reception gave the Bruins a first-and-goal at the 10-yard line on the drive that gave them their first lead of the game, On the night, he produced four first downs and had two other double-figure receptions. At California, he made five receptions for 59 yards, producing three first downs. Against Oregon State, he made a teamhigh six receptions for 93 yards, producing five first downs. On UCLA s late fourth-quarter touchdown drive, he made receptions of 22 and 25 yards. On the year, Poli-Dixon currently ranks second on the squad with 29 receptions and 370 yards. He ranks fourth in the Pac-10 with his average of 4.8 receptions per game. In the season-opener against Alabama, he made one reception -- a 31-yard catch at the back of the end zone while keeping his feet inbounds. However, he suffered cramps in both hamstrings on a long pass in the third quarter and did not return. He sat out the game versus Fresno State with tightness in his hamstrings. In the victory over No. 3 Michigan, he made four receptions for 44 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown that brought the Bruins to within three points, He also tossed a 32-yard pass to Jon Dubravac on UCLA s first-half field goal drive. At Oregon, he made five receptions for 36 yards. Poli-Dixon has now made 91 receptions for 1,332 yards as a Bruin. He ranks 13th on the career reception list, just one behind No. 12 Reggie Moore, and 15th on the career yardage list. In addition, he has scored 15 touchdowns on his 91 receptions, one touchdown every 6.07 catches. In 1998, he was the team s second-leading receiver with 44 catches for 712 yards and 10 touchdowns, a mark which tied for the conference lead. His 1999 season ended in the third game against Fresno State when he suffered a fractured wrist. In 1998, Poli-Dixon started the final 10 games of the season. Only J.J. Stokes ever gained more yards as a Bruin sophomore, and only two other players ever caught more balls in a sophomore season. WIDE RECEIVERS Junior Jon Dubravac made his first career start against Fresno State and made four receptions, matching his total for the entire 1999 season. He added a 32-yard reception against Michigan on the Bruins field goal drive and a key fourth-down catch on a fourth-quarter scoring drive at California. Against Oregon State, he made two receptions, including an 18-yard touchdown catch with 1:18 remaining in the game. He is currently third on the squad with 11 receptions. Redshirt freshman Jerry Owens and true freshman Tab Perry both made the first reception of their careers against the Bulldogs. OFFENSIVE LINE A year ago, this unit had three new starters, no seniors and was decimated by injury as the season progressed. This year, all five starters return to the unit, which is led by a pair of seniors -- captain Oscar Cabrera (left) and Brian Polak (right) at guard. Both are three-year starters, although this is Polak s first at guard after playing tackle in 1998 and Fourth-year junior Troy Danoff started the first nine games of 1999 at center before suffering a knee injury. True sophomore Bryce Bohlander, who started the final two games at left tackle, is back at that spot again in Sophomore Mike Saffer has moved to right tackle after starting seven times at right guard in Sophomore Blake Worley, who started 10 games last season at tackle, is competing for playing time at guard and tackle this year and saw his first offensive action against Michigan. This unit enjoyed a great afternoon against Alabama. It dominated the line of scrimmage and allowed the Bruins to control the football for 37:19 and run 84 offensive plays. It opened holes for DeShaun Foster, who ran for 187 yards, UCLA s highest total in three years.

9 Most importantly, this unit was just as strong in the fourth quarter as it was in the first quarter. In the final quarter, the Bruins gained possession with 7:19 remaining and holding an 11-point lead. They took 5:20 off the clock, running 11 plays before missing a field goal with 1:49 remaining. UCLA gained four first downs on that drive thanks to the efforts of the line. Cabrera, Saffer, Danoff and Bohlander played every snap while Polak missed just six plays. Redshirt freshman Shane Lehmann spelled him and recovered a fumble. Against Fresno, the line played a key role in helping UCLA control the football for 38:00 and run 81 offensive plays. It allowed just two sacks. In the win over No. 3 Michigan, the line helped UCLA control the football for 16:31 in the second half and convert six of nine third-down situations. The Bruins ran 46 plays for 266 yards in the final 30 minutes and produced 18 first downs. The line also protected Ryan McCann extremely well, allowing just one sack. In the win over Arizona State, the line was a key factor in UCLA s offense gaining 500 yards., its highest total since the 1999 Rose Bowl (538). Despite the loss of DeShaun Foster in the first half, UCLA rushed for 233 net yards. Against California, the line helped UCLA pass for 309 yards. In the OSU game, the line kept the Beavers away from Cory Paus long enought for him to set a career high with 363 passing yards. JERMAINE LEWIS The dependable senior came off the bench against Arizona State following DeShaun Foster s injury and enjoyed one of the most productive games of his career. Lewis rushed for 104 net yards on 17 carries, the second-highest total of his career. Late in the first half, he burst free for a 32-yard gain to set up UCLA s first touchdown of the night. On the first snap of the second half, he raced 57 yards, the longest run of his career, for a touchdown to jump-start the Bruin comeback. At California, he made his first start since 1998 and finished with 15 net yards on 16 carries. He did not play against Oregon State due to an ankle sprain suffered at California. On the year, he has now rushed for 196 yards after gaining 216 yards on 63 attempts in In this year s season opener against Alabama, he carried the ball five times for 14 net yards, including runs of five and four yards on UCLA s second-quarter scoring drive. Against Fresno State, he gained 29 yards on six carries, including an 11-yard run to the sevenyard line early in the fourth quarter to set up the first of Foster s two touchdowns. In the victory over Michigan, he gained 34 yards on seven carries, including a 14-yard run to the Wolverine eight-yard line on the game-winning touchdown drive. He did not carry the ball versus Oregon. On Sept. 19 of 1998, Lewis ran into the Houston end zone four times to tie the school record for rushing touchdowns and total TDs in a game. His career high is 113 yards versus Texas in He finished the 1998 season as the team s second-leading rusher with 553 yards. He led the team in rushing five times and with 13 touchdowns, a TD total exceeded only seven times in school history. TIGHT ENDS The tight end position is one of the deepest and most experienced units on the Bruin team. Senior starter Gabe Crecion led the group with 12 catches last season. All three tight ends -- Crecion, junior Bryan Fletcher and sophomore Mike Seidman -- are considered starters and all have seen extensive action throughout the year. At California, Fletcher made three receptions for 42 yards, including first-half touchdowns of 15 and four yards. He is the first Bruin tight end to catch two touchdown passes in a game since Mike Grieb did it against USC in Against Oregon State, Crecion scored on a 67-yard catchand-run and Bryan Fletcher had two receptions for 39 yards, including a tackle-breaking 30-yarder. In 1999, Crecion finished fifth on the squad with his 12 catches, and his average of 13.7 yards was No. 3 among players with at least six receptions. Fletcher was seventh on the team with his nine receptions. AKIL HARRIS When the redshirt freshman entered the Arizona State game late in the second quarter, he had one career carry for one yard. On his first attempt of the night, he raced around right end for 23 yards and his first career touchdown. In the third quarter, he tied the game with a seven-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter, he raced 33 yards on UCLA s field goal drive that gave the team a seven-point lead. On the night, Harris gained 100 yards on 13 carries and teamed with Jermaine Lewis to become the first pair of Bruins to rush for 100 yards in a game since At California, he led the Bruins with 59 yards on 20 attempts. He also made two receptions for 25 yards, including a screen pass on which he broke a tackle and turned it into a 20-yard fourth-quarter touchdown. He made his first career start against Oregon State. He rushed for 38 yards on nine carries, including a nine-yard touchdown run, and made two receptions for 36 yards. He also fumbled in the fourth quarter, setting up the Beavers game-tying touchdown. JUST FOR KICKS UCLA s kickers enjoyed success in their first year of action. Redshirt sophomore place kicker Chris Griffith made the biggest kick of his career against Washington, hitting a 22-yarder in overtime to give the Bruins a victory. Griffith made his first five field goal attempts of the season before missing (partial block) at Stanford. On the year, Griffith made 13 of 18 field goals and all 25 of his PATs. He was the team s leading scorer with 64 points. In this year s season opener against Alabama, Griffith made all five of his PATs but missed a 43-yard field goal attempt (wide). He also had a pooch punt of 26 yards from field goal formation in the fourth quarter, pinning the Crimson Tide at its 10-yard line. In the win over Fresno State, he made a 45-yard field goal and converted all three PATs. In the victory over Michigan, he kicked a 29-yard field goal and added two PATs. At Oregon, he kicked a 46-yard field goal and added another 46-yard field goal and five PATs in the win over Arizona State. At California, he kicked a 36-