DEPARTMENT OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS Football Contacts: Marc Dellins/Steve Rourke SID Phone: 310/206-6831 Web Page: www.uclabruins.com (Oct. 16, 2000) NO. 23 UCLA RETURNS HOME TO MEET OREGON STATE GAME SEVEN The UCLA Bruins, 4-2 overall and 1-2 in Pacific-10 Conference play, return to the Rose Bowl this Saturday afternoon to host the Oregon State Beavers (5-1, 2-1). Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. The game will be televised live by Fox SportsWestNet 2 with Bill Macdonald and Mike Sherrard in the booth and Suzy Shuster on the sidelines. 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 currently ranked No. 23 by Associated Press and No. 24 by USA Today/ESPN. The Beavers are ranked 19th and 18th, respectively. This will be the first time in history that both teams have been ranked in the Top 25 entering the game. The only time the Bruins played a ranked Oregon State team was in 1957, when they upset No. 7 OSU, 26-7 at the L.A. Coliseum. OREGON STATE GAME INFORMATION The 10 new members of the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame will be introduced at halftime. They will be inducted prior to the game at ceremonies at Brookside Golf Course Clubhouse. The new members are: Lucius Allen, basketball; Jeanne Beauprey-Reeves, volleyball; John Brenner, track and field; George Farmer, football; Kim Hamilton, gymnastics; Carnell Lake, football; Billie Moore, basketball coach; Steve Salmons, volleyball; Eddie Sheldrake, basketball; and Dick Vermeil, football coach. All but Allen and Vermeil will be in attendance. Two of UCLA s four 1999-2000 NCAA Championship teams -- women s gymnastics and women s indoor track and field -- will be introduced at the quarter breaks. The first 10,000 fans entering the Rose Bowl will receive a sheet of UCLA Football trading cards, featuring the senior class. Fans should plan on arriving early and picnicking at the Rose Bowl. UCLA is again sponsoring the Food Zone in Area H, just south of the bowl. Participating restaurants include Subway, Gourmet Sausage Company, In and Out Burger, American Pretzel, El Pollo Loco, Kettle Corn Café, Couple of Nuts, Java Shack, Tony s Pizza, Krispy Kreme Donuts and Cartworks. Cold beverages will be provided by Coca Cola and Evian. In an effort to promote student attendance, UCLA is offering free busing to the Rose Bowl for students with tickets to the games. Students must pick up a bus ticket by the close of business on Thursday. Busses will leave from the dormitory area and from Parking Lot 32. Parking is available on the Brookside Golf Course for $5. For those who want to avoid the traffic in the Arroyo Seco, parking will again be available at the Ralph Parsons Engineering Building on Fair Oaks and Walnut in Pasadena. Parking at the Parsons Lot is $5 and the shuttle bus to and from the Rose Bowl is free. Shuttle service begins four hours prior to kickoff. BRUIN HEAD COACH BOB TOLEDO The Bruin head coach owns a record of 33-19 (22-13 in Pac-10 play) and a winning percentage of.635 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 1954-55). 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 1987-88). Under Toledo, UCLA is 26-6 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 27-3 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 22-3 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 now 3-1 in overtime contests, 0-1 this season. Under Toledo, UCLA is 10-7 versus ranked teams. It has won three straight (last year versus Washington and this year against Alabama and Michigan) and is 9-2 in the last 11 games against Top 25 teams. Toledo is 2-1 versus Oregon State as the Bruin head coach. MITCHELL LEADS NCAA Junior flanker Freddie Mitchell now ranks No. 1 in the NCAA in receiving yards with his average of 122.7 per contest. His average of 19.37 yards per catch ranks No. 1 nationally among players in the NCAA Top 30 on receptions per game. POST-SEASON HONORS 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. Linebackers Ryan Nece and Robert Thomas were named to the watch list for the Butkus Award which is given annually to the top collegiate linebacker in the nation.
Punter Nate Fikse has been added to the Watch List for the Ray Guy Award, presented to the nation s top punter. LAST GAME In the longest game in UCLA history, the Bruins rallied from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit, only to lose a triple-overtime thriller at California, 46-38. The Bruins trailed 21-7 late in the first half before Cory Paus followed a Cal turnover with his second touchdown pass of the day to tight end Brian Fletcher to make the score 21-14 with 38 seconds remaining. UCLA trailed by 14 points (28-14) in the fourth quarter when safety Marques Anderson made an acrobatic interception to give the Bruins the ball at the California 39-yard line. Paus and tailback Akil Harris teammed up on a 20-yard pass play to bring the Bruins to within seven with 8:43 remaining. On California s ensuing possession, outside linebacker Tony White recovered a fumble and returned it 12 yards to give the Bruins the ball on the Cal 41. On the third play of that possession, Paus found flanker Freddie Mitchell on an inside slant and the wide receiver raced 35 yards for the game-tying score. Both team scored touchdowns in the first overtime, the Bruins using an 11-play drive to tie the game, and both teams kicked field goals in the second overtime. The Golden Bears scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion and won the game when they intercepted Paus on the Bruins second play of the third overtime. Offensively, Paus completed 20 of 39 passes for 309 yards, the second-best total of his career, and a career-high four touchdowns but also threw three interceptions, one of which was returned for a score. His favorite target was Mitchell, who accounted for 167 yards, the seventh-highest receiving total in school history, and one touchdown with his eight receptions. It was Mitchell s fourth straight game over 100 yards, tying a record set by Kevin Jordan in 1994. The Bruins, playing without injured tailback DeShaun Foster, struggled on the ground, finishing with just 45 net yards. Defensively, UCLA recovered four turnovers and allowed 359 net yards, 252 in the air and 107 on the ground. Middle linebacker Robert Thomas led the team with 11 tackles, including one for loss, and also forced a fumble. Outside linebacker Ryan Nece added six stops, including one sack, and forced a fumble. Several Bruins were credited with five stops, including Anderson, who recovered a fumble to set up one score and made an interception to set up another; White, who had two for loss (one sack) and recovered a fumble to set up the game-tying touchdown in the fourth quarter; safety Jason Zdenek and cornerback Jason Bell. 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 1996. 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 31-27 victory. On Sept. 30, UCLA spotted ASU a 21-0 lead in the second quarter and rallied for a 38-31 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 its last five games at the Rose Bowl (Washington in 1999 and Alabama, Fresno State, Michigan and Arizona State this year) and 18 of its last 20 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 in a game. A season ago, the Bruin defense surrendered over 444 yards per game. In 2000, against one of the nation s toughest schedules, the defense has lowered that total by nearly 100 yards per game to a mark of just over 349.5 yards a game. 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 -- 1998 -- did UCLA win its Pac-10 opener. In the 1980s, UCLA appeared in three Rose Bowls and was 0-1-2 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 six 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. Nine of UCLA s 22 touchdown drives have covered at least 80 yards, including 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 now Rusty Williams with 17. Overall, offensive lineman Brian Polak is the team leader having made his 29th straight start against California. 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 will be 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. UCLA s winning percentage of.683 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 (30-13,.698) and Oregon (29-13,.690) have won as many games. UCLA s 18 conference wins in that span are more than any other school in the Pac-10. The Bruins have rebounded from their last three losing campaigns by advancing to a bowl game in the following season 1990 5-6 (9-3 and Hancock Bowl in 1991); 1994 5-6 (7-5 and Aloha Bowl in 1995); 1996 5-6 (10-2 and Cotton Bowl in 1997). 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 - 1995 and Kris Farris - 1998) and three first-team All-America tackles (Ogden, Chad Overhauser in 1997 and Farris) in the last five years. SERIES NOTES UCLA owns a 34-12-4 series advantage, but lost last year s matchup in Corvallis, 55-7. The nation s second-ranked offense entering the game had its way with the Bruins most of the day scoring on six of its seven first half possessions. OSU set the tone for the day by taking the opening kickoff and marching 80 yards on 12 plays. After OSU went ahead 21-0 early in the second quarter, UCLA mounted its only scoring drive of the afternoon. Cory Paus found Gabe Crecion on a short touchdown pass to culminate an 80-yard drive. The Beavers returned the ensuing kickoff 50 yards and on the first play from scrimmage Antonio Battle, subbing for an injured Ken Simonton, ran the next 50 for a score. After a 28-point second quarter, Oregon State took a 42-7 advantage to the locker room. For the Bruins, quarterbacks Scott McEwan and Ryan McCann each completed the first passes of their careers in the game in relief of Paus. UCLA won the last meeting in Pasadena, 34-10 in 1997, and is 5-1 versus the Beavers in the Rose Bowl. NOTING THE BEAVERS Oregon State is coached by Dennis Erickson, who is in his second season in Corvallis after posting a 7-5 record last season and earning a date in the Jeep O ahu Bowl. The winning record was OSU s first since the 1970 season. He owns a record of 12-6 as the Beaver head coach. Tailback Ken Simonton ranks fourth nationally in rushing (149.0), eighth in scoring (11.0) and 15th in all-purpose yards (148.3). He is first in the Pac-10 in all three categories. As a team OSU ranks 23rd in the NCAA in total defense (296.3), second in the Pac-10 in total defense, pass defense (185.8), scoring offense (30.5), rushing offense (182.3), kickoff returns (22.7) and punt returns (9.5) and third in rushing defense (110.5) and scoring defense (17.0). 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. 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. 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 on the 2000 pre-season Watch List for the Butkus Award, which honors the nation s top linebacker. On the year, Thomas leads the team with 42 tackles, seven more than No. 2 Ryan Nece. He ranks second with seven tackles for loss and first with four 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. Thomas moved into the starting lineup in 1999. 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, 1996. 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, has been 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 ransk second on squad with 35 tackles, seven shy of the team lead, and has forced two fumbles. In the season-opening win against Alabama, he tied for the 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. 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. 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. On the year, White is third on the squad with 34 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 quickly 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. He has now started 15 consecutive games since moving into the lineup last year against Fresno State. He is sixth on the squad with 25 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 1999. 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. He now ranks fifth on the squad with his 30 tackles but his 6.0 average is second only to Robert Thomas 7.0. He is tied for the team lead with two sacks, is third with five tackles for loss and is tied for second with six 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. 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. Bell ranks second (tied) on the squad with six passes defensed and has made 21 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 fourth on the team with 31 tackles. He is tied for the team lead with two fumble recoveries, is tied for second with two forced fumbles and is fourth with five 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. 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. He ranks first among the linemen and seventh overall with 22 stops and ranks third on the squad with five tackles for loss. Leisle ranks second among linemen with 15 tackles, including two behind the line of scrimmage. He made three stops at California, as did fellow defensive tackle Ken Kocher. 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. End Rusty Williams is tied for the team lead with two fumble recoveries. 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 last week s triple-overtime loss at California, he rallied the Bruins from a 28-14 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. The 309 yards and 20 completions were the second-best efforts of Paus career, topped only by his 332 yards and 21 completions last season against Oregon. 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. On the year, he has now completed 37 of 71 passes for 576 yards and six touchdowns in two games plus one series. His efficiency rating of 136.88 would rank second in the Pac-10 in he had played enough games to qualify. 2000 Paus Passing Game PA PC INT YDS TD LG ALA* 2 0 0 0 0 0 Fresno Did Not Play (separated shoulder) Michigan Did Not Play (separated shoulder) Oregon Did Not Play (separated shoulder) ASU* 30 17 1 267 2 80 Cal* 39 20 3 309 4 46 Totals 71 37 4 576 6 80
1999 Paus Passing Game PA PC INT YDS TD LG BSU 18 12 2 128 1 28 Ohio St 20 8 1 97 0 40 Fresno* 12 9 0 113 1 24 Stanford Did Not Play (Bruised ribs) ASU* 40 15 2 235 1 85 Ore* 34 21 2 332 2 65 Cal* 28 9 1 81 0 13 OSU* 15 7 1 95 1 33 ARIZ* 27 13 0 230 1 44 WASH* 3 1 0 25 0 25 USC Did Not Play (Fractured Clavicle) Totals 197 95 (.482) 9 1336 7 85 * 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 1989. 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 the best game of his young career against Oregon. He completed 21 of 34 passes for a career-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, currently leads the nation with his average of 122.7 receiving yards per game. He also ranks 14th (tied) in the NCAA and first (tied) in the Pac-10 in receptions (6.3 average) and his average of 19.4 yards per catch ranks first nationally among players in the Top 30 in receptions per game. He also ranks third in the Pac-10 in all-purpose yards (122.0) and fifth (tied) in scoring (6.0). On the year, he leads the Bruins with 38 receptions and 736 receiving yards and is tied with DeShaun Foster for the team lead with six touchdowns. He has already accounted for more yards in six games than he did during the entire 1999 season. At his current pace, he would finish the regular season with 1,349 yards, breaking Danny Farmer s school record of 1,274, set in 12 games. His 736 yards already rank eighth on UCLA s single-season list with five games to play. In his last four games, he has made 28 receptions for 587 yards (146.8 average) and four touchdowns. He has accounted for at least 100 yards in each game, tying the school record set by Kevin Jordan in 1994. He has produced 31 first downs with his 38 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, 28-24. 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. 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 38-31 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. During his career, Mitchell has made 80 receptions for 1,387 yards. He ranks 14th on the career receiving yardage list and 16th on the reception list. 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 35-21 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 has been sidelined since the first half of the Arizona State game with a fractured third metacarpal in his right hand. In the season opener against Alabama, he enjoyed one of the greatest games in UCLA history during the 35-24 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 1995. He was at his best in the fourth quarter as UCLA was protecting its 35-24 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. 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 24 touchdowns and one twopoint conversion and his 146 points rank 16th (tied with Zenon Andrusyshyn) on that career list. Next are No. 14 Kermit Johnson and Bob Davenport at 150 and No. 12 Peter Boermeester at 160. He also ranks 19th on the career rushing list with 1,549 yards, having passed Chuck Cheshire (1,539) versus ASU. Foster ranks 25th in the nation and third in the Pac-10 in rushing (102.2), third in the Pac-10 in scoring (7.2 points) and fifth in the Pac-10 in all-purpose yards (112.2). A year ago, he led the Bruins in rushing five times. However, 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 34-17 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. 2000 Foster Rushing Name TCB Net Avg. TD LG Alabama 42 187 4.5 3 20 Fresno State 29 140 4.8 2 49 Michigan 24 95 4.0 1 29 Oregon 19 49 2.6 0 18 Arizona State 9 30 3.3 0 9 California DNP Totals 123 501 4.1 6 49 Foster Career Rushing Totals Name TCB Net Avg. TD LG 2000 114 471 4.1 6 49 1999 111 375 3.4 6 23 1998 126 673 5.3 10 65 Totals 360 1,549 4.3 22 65
Foster Career Receiving Totals Name Rec. Net Avg. TD LG 2000 8 60 7.5 0 21 1999 17 114 6.7 0 24 1998 16 163 10.2 2 51 Totals 41 337 8.2 2 51 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, 28-21. On the night, he produced four first downs and had two other double-figure receptions. Last week at California, he made five receptions for 59 yards, producing three first downs. He currently ranks second on the squad with 23 receptions and 277 yards. 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, 20-17. 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 85 receptions for 1,239 yards as a Bruin. He is tied with Paul Bergman for 14th on the career reception list and 15th on the career yardage list. In addition, he has scored 15 touchdowns on his 85 receptions, one touchdown every 5.67 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. 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 fourthdown catch on a fourth-quarter scoring drive at California. He is currently third on the squad with nine 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 1999. 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 2000. Sophomore Mike Saffer has moved to right tackle after starting seven times at right guard in 1999. 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. 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 a seasonhigh 309 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. Last week at California, he made his first start since 1998 and finished with 15 net yards on 16 carries. On the year, he has now rushed for 196 yards after gaining 216 yards on 63 attempts in 1999. 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 seven-yard 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 1998. 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. Last week 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 1997. 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 1996. Last week 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. RYAN McCANN The redshirt sophomore quarterback led the Bruins back from a 10-point third-quarter deficit, throwing touchdown passes of 20 yards to Brian Poli-Dixon and two yards to Ed Ieremia-Stansbury to help the Bruins to a 23-20 come-from-behind victory over No. 3 Michigan. McCann was at his best in the second half, completing 15 of 21 passes for 160 yards and two scores, including four of five attempts on third down. His three second-half touchdown drives measured 80, 80 and 85 yards. On the afternoon, McCann completed 21 of 40 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns -- all career highs. In the Pac-10 opener at Oregon, he completed just 13 of 33 passes for 152 yards and one interception. At least four of his passes were dropped. He did not see action against Arizona State or California. In his four games, he has completed 60 of 120 passes (.500) for 688 yards and four touchdowns and just two interceptions. He ranks fourth (tied) in the Pac-10 in completions (15.0 per game), ninth in passing efficiency (105.8) and ninth in total offense (160.3). In the opener, McCann did an outstanding job against No. 3 Alabama, coming off the bench following the injury to Cory Paus to twice rally the Bruins from behind for the victory. On his first series, he put together a 9:08, 19-play drive that resulted in a game-tying touchdown. The Bruins moved 80 yards for touchdowns on each of its next two possessions under his direction. With just under nine minutes remaining in the third quarter, Alabama took a 24-21 lead when McCann s pass was picked off at the nine-yard line and returned 91 yards for a score. Undeterred, McCann came right back and on the third play of the ensuing series, he hit Freddie Mitchell with a 46-yard touchdown strike, the first TD throw of his career, to give the Bruins the lead for good. On the day, he completed 14 of 24 passes for 194 yards and one score. Versus Fresno State, he started and played only the first half, completing 12 of 23 passes for 106 yards and one touchdown (20 yards to Freddie Mitchell). However, UCLA led just 10-7 at the half and the coaching staff decided to use Scott McEwan in the second half. 2000 McCann Passing Game PA PC INT YDS TD LG ALA 24 14 1 194 1 46 Fresno* 23 12 0 106 1 20 Mich* 40 21 0 236 2 23 Oregon* 33 13 1 152 0 35 ASU DNP CAL DNP Totals 120 60 2 688 4 46 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 23-20 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