DEPARTMENT OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS UCLA HOSTS USC IN ROSE BOWL

DEPARTMENT OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS Football Contacts: Marc Dellins/Steve Rourke SID Phone: 310/206-6831 Web Page: www.uclabruins.com (Nov. 13, 2000) UCLA HOSTS USC IN ROSE BOWL GAME 11 The UCLA Bruins, 6-4 overall and 3-4 (tied for fourth place) in Pacific-10 Conference play, return to the Rose Bowl to play USC (4-6 overall, 1-6 in the Pac-10) in the 70th game in the series. Kickoff time and the television situation are TBA.. XTRA Sports 1150 and the Bruin Radio Network broadcasts all games throughout Southern California and parts of three other states. This week, Chris Roberts and Billy Ray Smith will call the action from the booth with Matt Stevens on the sidelines. In addition, the game will be broadcast in Korean by Radio Korea, through an arrangement with XTRA Sports 1150. USC will also originate a Broadcast on XTRA Sports 690 with Lee Hamilton and Paul McDonald in the booth and Tim Ryan on the sidelines. BOWLING For the third time in five seasons under Bob Toledo, the Bruins will finish the season by playing in a bowl game. In 1997, the Bruins played in the Cotton Bowl and following the 1998 season, they played in the Rose Bowl. This year, the Bruins will play in one of the Hawaii bowls or possibly, the Wells Fargo Sun Bowl. This will be UCLA s 14th bowl trip in the last 20 years. GAME FESTIVITIES The game is a sellout, so fans are again encouraged to arrive early at the Rose Bowl and take advantage of 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. 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. INTRODUCTIONS Former UCLA head coach Terry Donahue will be inducted into the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame on December 12. On Saturday, he will participate in the pre-game coin toss and will be introduced to the crowd between the first and second quarters. Saturday s game will be the final Rose Bowl appearance for 14 Bruin seniors and they will be introduced prior to the contest. This class has earned three bowl berths in the last four seasons and helped UCLA set a school record with 20 straight wins in 1997 and 1998. The seniors are: cornerback Jason Bell, wide receiver Drew Bennett, offensive guard Oscar Cabrera, tight end Gabe Crecion, defensive back John Hall, tailback Jermaine Lewis, defensive tackle Kory Lombard, offensive guard Brian Polak, tailback Mike Vanis, offensive tackle Josh Webb, offensive tackle Micah Webb, outside linebacker Tony White, wide receiver Ryan Wilkins and free safety Jason Zdenek. This will also be the final game in the career of head equipment manager Richard Nick Nichols, who is retiring at the end of this month after 40 years of service to the Athletic Department. ATTENDANCE RECORD The Bruins will set an all-time season attendance record on Saturday. Through six games, 390,734 fans have seen the Bruins play and Saturday s game could push that total to approximately 480,000. The current record is 442,850 in 1988 (seven games). The Bruins will average over 68,000, third behind 1998 s 73,709 and 1947 s 69,812. BRUIN HEAD COACH BOB TOLEDO The Bruin head coach owns a record of 35-21 (24-15 in Pac-10 play) and a winning percentage of.625 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 27-7 when it scores at least 30 points and 13-1 when it scores at least 40. It is 8-14 when it scores 29 or fewer points. The Bruins are 28-4 when leading entering the fourth quarter, 2-0 when tied entering the final quarter and have won five times when trailing after three periods. UCLA is 23-5 when leading at the half and has won eight 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 11-9 versus ranked teams. It has won four of the last six (last year versus Washington and this year against Alabama, Michigan and Arizona) and is 10-4 in the last 14 games against Top 25 teams. The Bruins are 3-2 this year versus the Top 25, 2-1 versus the Top 10.

Toledo is 3-1 versus USC as a head coach and was 2-0 as offensive coordinator. As a USC assistant (1976-78), he was 3-0 versus the Bruins. MITCHELL RANKS IN NCAA Junior flanker Freddie Mitchell ranks second in the NCAA in receiving yards per game with his average of 117.4 per contest. His average of 18.34 yards per catch ranks No. 2 nationally among players in the NCAA Top 40 on receptions per game. His seasonal total of 1,174 receiving yards ranks No. 1 in the NCAA. POST-SEASON HONORS Junior flanker Freddie Mitchell is one of 10 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award honoring the nation s top receiver. Junior linebacker Robert Thomas was one of 11 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, presented to the nation s top linebacker. Punter Nate Fikse is on the Watch List for the Ray Guy Award, presented to the nation s top punter. LAST GAME UCLA yielded touchdowns on Washington s first two possessions of the game and first three possessions of the second half and could not overcome a 35-21 deficit, dropping a 35-28 decision to the No. 6 Huskies at Husky Stadium. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak against Washington. The Bruins trailed 14-0 less than 12 minutes into the game before mounting a comeback. With 1:46 remaining in the first quarter, Cory Paus found Ed Ieremia-Stansbury for a five-yard score. DeShaun Foster scored twice in the final 3:30 of the half to give UCLA a 21-14 lead at intermission. The game turned around in the third quarter when the Huskies scored on their first three possessions and UCLA accounted for just one first down on its first two possessions. The Bruins, who still trailed 35-21 with 3:35 remaining in the game, mounted an 88-yard drive which culminated with Paus seven-yard scoring pass to Brian Poli-Dixon. UCLA had one last possession, at its own 36-yard line with 27 seconds remaining and no timeouts but turned the ball over as Paus was sacked. On the afternoon, Paus completed 22 of 38 passes for 298 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the end zone. Brian Poli-Dixon made eight receptions for a careerhigh 165 yards, the No. 10 yardgage total in school history, and one touchdown. Freddie Mitchell made seven catches for 65 yards. DeShaun Foster was again the only back to carry the football and rushed for 93 yards and two touchdowns (12 and one yard). Defensively, Ryan Nece led the Bruins with a career-high 14 tackles, the most by a Bruin since Robert Thomas made 14 last year versus Fresno State. Marcus Reese made 10 stops, Ricky Manning Jr. and Marques Anderson (one forced fumble) added nine and Dave Ball made eight tackles, including one sack and a second for a loss. UCLA gained 369 yards, 298 in the air and 71 on the ground. Washington gained 460 yards, including 349 on the ground and 111 through the air. The Bruins averaged 6.0 yards per play but had the ball for just 21:21 and ran just 62 snaps. Washington held the ball for 38:39 and ran 83 plays. DID YOU KNOW? UCLA has scored at least 27 points in each of its last six games. Of the Bruins four losses, one has been by six points, another by seven and a third in triple overtime. The Bruins snapped an eight-game road losing streak with the win at Arizona. UCLA s last win on the road had been at Washington in the ninth game of the 1998 season (Nov. 14) by a 36-24 score. At the time, the game in Seattle marked the ninth straight road win for the Bruins. UCLA has trailed in the first quarter of all 10 games this season and has rallied to win six times. In a seventh game, UCLA rallied from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to force the game to overtime only to lose in the third overtime. In the win over Stanford, senior tackle Kory Lombard made his first career start, becoming the ninth lineman to start a game this season. He recorded three tackles. Eight different Bruins have attempted at least one pass this season and seven have completed at least one attempt. Four different Bruins have thrown touchdown passes. UCLA is 18-4 under head coach Bob Toledo when a Bruin rushes for at least 100 yards and 17-17 when no Bruin cracks the 100-yard barrier. Fifteen of UCLA s 37 offensive touchdown drives have covered at least 80 yards, including one at Washington, two against Stanford, three against Oregon State, one versus California, two versus Arizona State, three against Michigan, two versus Alabama and one against Fresno State. Eleven of the 37 touchdown drives have utilized at least 10 plays and nine 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 21. Overall, offensive lineman Brian Polak is the team leader having made his 33rd straight start against Washington. Washington was the eighth 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. 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. Dave Ball made his first start in the road win at Arizona and Kory Lombard made his initial start against Stanford. UCLA s winning percentage of.667 is the second-highest in the Pac-10 over the last three-plus years. UCLA has won 30 games in those three-plus seasons and only Oregon (33-13) has won more games in that span. The Bruins have now rebounded from their last four 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); 1999 4-7 (6-4 with one game remaining in 2000).

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. SERIES NOTES The Bruins trail in the series 27-35-7. However, UCLA has posted a 7-2 mark in the games played in the Rose Bowl, winning the last four in a row. UCLA has also won eight of the last nine games and is 12-5-1 in the last 18 meetings. USC won last year s contest by a 17-7 margin in the Coliseum. The loss snapped an eight-game win streak by UCLA, the longest by either team in the series. Ryan McCann assumed the quarterback controls in the game for UCLA after Cory Paus was injured in the Washington game the previous week (broken collarbone). McCann completed 17-of-29 passes for 204 yards, but threw three interceptions. His six-yard run put UCLA into the lead in second quarter at 7-3. USC answered with a scoring pass to take a 10-7 lead at the half. Neither team scored in the third quarter. With 13 minutes left in the game, USC took a 10-point lead on a five-yard scoring pass. UCLA looked ready to answer after driving to the Trojan seven-yard line, but a DeShaun Foster fumble ended the Bruin comeback chances. It was one of five Bruin turnovers on the afternoon. There were also 25 total penalties called in the contest, 16 against USC. The last time the two teams met in the Rose Bowl (1998), DeShaun Foster tied a school record by scoring four touchdowns and the Bruins defeated USC for the eighth consecutive season, 34-17. It was also the Bruins 20th consecutive victory over two seasons. On the day, Foster rushed for 109 yards on 15 carries and Cade McNown completed 12 of 20 passes for 146 yards. Carson Palmer completed 28 of 43 passes for 252 yards for USC. 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; Oct. 29, NR; Nov. 5, NR; Nov. 12, 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; Oct. 29, NR; Nov. 5, NR; Nov. 12, 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 was one of 11 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, which honors the nation s top linebacker, and is a candidate for All-America honors. On the year, Thomas leads the team with 75 tackles, 12 more than No. 2 Ryan Nece. He ranks tied for second with eight tackles for loss and leads the Bruins and the Pac-10 with six fumbles forced. His average of 7.5 tackles per game ranks ninth (tied) in the Pac-10. 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. In the victory at Arizona, he was credited with a team-best 10 tackles(nine solos), including one for loss, filling the gaps extremely well. In the win over Stanford, he again led the squad with nine tackles, all solos, and forced his sixth fumble of the year. Last week at Washington, despite missing much of the second half after aggravating his sprained foot, he still made eight tackles. 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, 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 now ranks second on the squad with 63 tackles and has forced two fumbles. In the season-opening win against Alabama, he tied for the team lead with six tackles. At Oregon, he made 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 the victory at Arizona, Nece registered six tackles and added six more stops in the win over Stanford. Against Washington, he led the team with a career-high 14 tackles, the most by a Bruin since Robert Thomas made 14 last season versus Fresno State. 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. At Arizona, White played another steady game and had four stops. In the victory over Stanford, he made two tackles and his first interception of the season. At Washington, he was credited with six stops. On the year, White is sixth on the squad with 50 tackles. He is tied for second on the team with eight tackles for loss and with two sacks. 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 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. 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. 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. At Arizona, Manning displayed his talents as a differencemaker with his third and fourth interceptions of the season. His first interception led to a Bruin field goal and his second pick came in the end zone to stop a Wildcat drive. In the win over Stanford, he contributed five tackles. At Washington, he made nine tackles, one shy of his season high. He has now started 19 consecutive games since moving into the lineup last year against Fresno State. He is fifth on the squad with 52 tackles (three for losses) and first with his four interceptions and 11 pass defenses. He is also tied for third in the Pac-10 with his average of 0.40 interceptions per contest and eighth in the Pac-10 in punt returns (6.67). MARQUES ANDERSON The starting strong safety after playing cornerback in 1997 and 1998, Anderson has played well after missing the 1999 season due to off-field problems. Fast becoming one of the top safeties in the West, he was credited with four tackles in the opener against Alabama, including one sack, and also broke up two passes. In the win over Fresno State, he added five tackles including one for loss and broke up two passes. He was at his best in the win over Michigan, making a team-high 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. In the game at Arizona, Anderson made several big plays with his five tackles, one for loss, and interception. He ran down Wildcat quarterback Ortege Jenkins from behind to prevent a touchdown (Jenkins then threw an interception). Anderson s interception led to a UCLA touchdown (by Brian Poli-Dixon) which put the Bruins ahead at the time, 14-7. In the victory over Stanford, he was credited with eight tackles, including his third sack of the year and a second stop behind the line. At Washington, he made nine tackles and forced his third fumble of the year. Anderson ranks third on the squad with his 59 tackles but his 6.6 average is second only to Robert Thomas 7.5. He leads the squad with nine tackles for loss, three sacks and three fumble recoveries and is second with three forced fumbles, three interceptions and 10 passes defensed. He ranks third (tied) in the Pac-10 with his three fumble recoveries and fifth (tied) with his three fumbles forced. JASON BELL The senior cornerback has been a steadying influence in the secondary after being sidelined a year ago due to complications from heel surgery. A starter in 1998, Bell made two tackles in the opener 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. 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. He contributed five tackles and broke up one pass in the win over Stanford. At Washington, he made seven tackles and recovered one fumble. Bell ranks fourth on the squad with eight passes defensed and has made 37 tackles, seventh on the team. 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 57 tackles. He is tied for second on the team with two fumble recoveries, tied for third with two forced fumbles and third with nine 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. 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. Against Oregon State, he led the Bruins with 11 tackles and broke up two passes. He added six stops in the road win at Arizona. In the victory over Stanford, he made the first interception of his career and returned it 56 yards for a touchdown to give the Bruins a 13-6 lead with 1:14 left in the first quarter. He also made four tackles and broke up a second pass. At Washington, he made 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. Against Oregon State, coming off the bench for the first time all year, he made four stops. He ranks second among the linemen and ninth overall with 26 stops and ranks fourth on the squad with five tackles for loss. Leisle is first among linemen and eighth overall with 29 tackles, including four behind the line of scrimmage. He made a career-high seven tackles, including one for loss, against Oregon State. He added his first career interception in the final seconds at Arizona and also recorded his first sack. He made three stops at Washington. Redshirt sophomore Rusty Williams made his 21st straight start against Washington despite playing with a sprained ankle and an injured shoulder. Against Oregon State, he made a career-high five tackles, including one for loss. He has 17 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. He started at Washington and made five tackles and tipped one pass. His brother Dave made his first start in the road win at Arizona and had three tackles, including one for loss. He also tipped a pass that Rodney Leisle intercepted with 10 seconds remaining to seal the win. Dave Ball became the eighth different defensive linemen to start a game, and the fourth at strong-side defensive end. Against Stanford, he made five tackles and recovered one fumble. At Washington, he came off the bench to make eight tackles, including one sack on which he forced a fumble, and a second for loss. In the win over Stanford, senior tackle Kory Lombard made his first career start, becoming the ninth lineman to start a game this season. He recorded three tackles. He added four tackles against Washington in his second start. 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 (Tuesday). In the victory over ASU, 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 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. 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 -- 67 yards to Gabe Crecion and 18 yards to Jon Dubravac. Paus total of 363 passing yards ranks 10th on UCLA s singlegame list.the toss to Dubravac came after he marched the team 80 yards down the field with no timeouts remaining in just 34 seconds. In the game at Arizona, Paus helped rally the team from deficits of 0-7 in the first quarter, 14-21 at the half, 20-21 at the end of the third quarter and 20-24 in the final minute of the contest. UCLA took over at their own 34-yard line after an Arizona punt with 2:47 remaining on the clock. Passes to Freddie Mitchell (23 yards) and Gabe Crecion (nine yards) moved the ball to the Wildcat 34. After two rushing attempts left the Bruins with a fourth-and-four on the Wildcat 37, Paus hit Mitchell for 19 yards and a first down on the Arizona18-yard line with a about a minute and a half left on the clock. After two incomplete passes to the end zone and an offside penalty against the home team, UCLA was faced with a third-and-five situation from the 13. Paus dropped back to pass, was forced from the pocket, and ran around the left side for 13 yards and the go-ahead score with 0:48 on the clock. In the win over Stanford, Paus completed 16 of 27 passes for 328 yards, the third-highest total of his career, with three touchdowns and two interceptions. His 21-yard pass to DeShaun Foster gave the Bruins the lead for good and his 22-yard strike to Mike Seidman gave the Bruins a 13-point lead.

When Stanford rallied to within two points (30-28), Paus connected with Freddie Mitchell for a 41-yard touchdown with 6:58 left in the game. After Stanford pulled to within two points again, his 56-yard pass to Mitchell gave the Bruins a first down at the Cardinal 12-yard line. At Washington, he almost rallied the Bruins to a victory. Trailing by 14 points with 3:35 remaining, he drove the offense 88 yards in just 1:38, tossing a seven-yard scoring pass to Brian Poli-Dixon to make the score 35-28. UCLA got the ball back with 27 seconds on its own 36-yard line and no timeouts, but the rally fell short when Paus was hit and fumbled. On the afternoon, he completed 22 of 38 passes for 298 yards and two touchdowns -- five yards to Ed Ieremia-Stansbury and seven yards to Poli-Dixon -- and rallied UCLA from a 14-0 first-quarter deficit to a 21-14 halftime lead. On the year, Paus has completed 113 of 204 passes (55.4%) for 1,795 yards and 14 touchdowns in six games plus one series. His efficiency rating of 143.1 and his average of 256.4 passing yards per game would rank first in the Pac-10 if he had played enough games to qualify. In his six full games (excluding the first series of the Alabama game on which he was injured), he is averaging 299.3 passing yards. He has passed for at least 298 yards in four of his last five games. In his career, he has now completed 208 of 401 passes for 3,131 yards and 21 touchdowns. He ranks eighth on the career yardage list and also ranks ninth on the career completions list, 23 behind No. 8 Matt Stevens. 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 OSU* 33 19 0 363 2 67 Arizona* 35 19 2 230 1 23 Stanford*27 16 2 328 3 56 Wash.* 38 22 1 298 2 48 Totals 204 113 9 1795 14 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. 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. 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 117.4 receiving yards per game and leads the nation with his 1,174 yards this season. He also ranks 14th in the NCAA and second in the Pac-10 in receptions (6.4 average) and his average of 18.34 yards per catch ranks second nationally among players in the Top 54 in receptions per game. He also ranks second in the Pac-10 in all-purpose yards (117.4) and leads the Pac-10 in receiving yardage by 23.1 yards per game. On the year, he leads the Bruins with 64 receptions and 1,174 receiving yards and is second on the squad with seven touchdowns. He is averaging 40.6 yards on his touchdown receptions and five of the seven have measured at least 35 yards. Twenty-two of his 64 receptions have measured at least 20 yards. At his current pace, Mitchell would finish the regular season with 1,291 yards, breaking Danny Farmer s school record of 1,274, set in 12 games. His 1,174 yards rank fourth on UCLA s single-season list, just seven behind No. 3 J.J. Stokes (1,181 in 1993) and 54 behind No. 2 Kevin Jordan (1,228 in 1994). His 64 receptions rank fifth, just two behind No. 4 Mike Farr (66) in 1988. In his last eight games, he has made 54 receptions for 1,025 yards (128.1 average) and five 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 and Arizona and a career-best 185 versus Stanford. He has produced 49 first downs with his 64 receptions and one of the other eleven 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 for a 46-yard touchdown to give UCLA the lead for good, 28-24. On the afternoon, Mitchell led the team with four receptions for 91 yards.

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. Against Oregon, he again led the Bruins with six receptions, good for 158 yards and one touchdown on a 54-yard catchand-run from Drew Bennett. 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. At California, Mitchell made eight receptions for 167 yards -- the eighth-highest single-game total in school history -- and one touchdown. His touchdown was a third-down 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 scoring drive. Against Oregon State, he made five receptions for a team-high 94 yards and produced four first downs. At Arizona, Freddie made two of his seven grabs on the gamewinning touchdown drive. His first catch on the drive went for 23 yards and moved the Bruins into Arizona territory at the UA 43-yard line. His second catch of the drive was perhaps the key play of the day as he caught a pass on fourthand-four with 1:41 remaining on the clock and ran it down to the Arizona 18. Five of his seven catches on the day were good for first downs. In the victory over Stanford, he made seven receptions for 185 yards -- the fourth-highest single-game total in UCLA history -- and one touchdown. His twisting 41-yard touchdown reception gave the Bruins a 37-28 lead with 6:58 remaining and his 56-yard reception on which he stopped and out-fought the defensive back for the ball gave the Bruins a first down on the Cardinal 12-yard line with under two minutes to play. Six of his seven receptions accounted for first downs and four measured at least 28 yards. His average of 26.4 yards per catch is amazing, especially since his first reception, good for 30 yards, was officially a one-yard reception due to a blocking penalty. He averaged 30.7 yards on his other six receptions. At Washington, he made seven receptions for 65 yards and three first downs. During his career, Mitchell has made 106 receptions for 1,825 yards. He ranks ninth on the career receiving yardage list, 84 behind No. 8 Cormac Carney (1,909). He is tied with Brian Poli-Dixon for ninth on the reception list, two behind Carney and Karl Dorrell, both tied for seventh with 108 catches. 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. Career Receptions Year Rec. Yards TD 1. Kevin Jordan 1992-95 179 2548 12 6. Mike Farr 1986-89 124 1497 2 7. Karl Dorrell 1982-86 108 1517 9 7. Cormac Carney 1980-82 108 1909 8 9 Freddie Mitchell 1998-106 1825 8 9. Brian Poli-Dixon 1997-106 1609 17 Career Recving. Yds Year Rec. Yards TD 1. Danny Farmer 1996-99 159 3020 19 6. Willie Anderson 1984-87 105 2023 14 7. Mike Sherrard 1982-85 128 1965 10 8. Cormac Carney 1980-82 108 1909 8 9. Freddie Mitchell 1998-106 1825 8 10. Jojo Townsell 1979-82 100 1773 20 11. Brian Poli-Dixon 1997-106 1609 17 Season Recving. Yds Year Rec. Yards TD 1. Danny Farmer 1998 58 1274 9 2. Kevin Jordan 1994 73 1228 7 3. J.J. Stokes 1993 82 1181 17 4. Freddie Mitchell 2000 64 1174 7 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 Cal game and returned to action against Oregon State. He returned to the starting lineup in the road win at Arizona. He carried the ball 29 times for 78 yards and a rushing touchdown in Tucson. In UCLA s initial scoring drive of the game, he carried on seven of the 12 plays of the drive. He rushed six times on first down for gains of five, seven, five, five, 12 and one yard for the touchdown. In the Nov. 4 win over Stanford, he looked like the Foster of old. Playing with a smaller cast on his right hand, he rushed for 159 yards, the second-highest total of his career, and a 14-yard touchdown. He also made two receptions for 37 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown that gave the Bruins the lead for good, 20-14. On Nov. 11 at Washington, he rushed for 93 yards on 20 carries. In the second quarter, he carried seven times for 40 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown with 3:30 left in the half and a one-yard run with 0:43 on the clock. On the year, Foster, despite missing one game and most of a second, leads the Bruins with 887 yards on the ground and 12 touchdowns (one receiving) and has rushed for at least 100 yards three times. If he reaches 1,000 yards, it would be the 15th 1,000-yard season by a Bruin back. Foster ranks 30th in the nation and fourth in the Pac-10 in rushing (98.6), tied for second in the Pac-10 in scoring (8.0 points) and third in the Pac-10 in all-purpose yards (113.1). In the season opener against Alabama, he enjoyed one of the greatest games in UCLA history 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.

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. He had five double-digit runs and produced 12 first downs. In the win over the Bulldogs, the 1998 first-team Freshman All- American carried the ball 29 times for 140 yards and two touchdowns. For the second straight week, he converted a fourth-down play into a touchdown and his 49-yard tacklebreaking, 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 six 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 30 touchdowns and is No. 4 on that UCLA career list. His 182 points (one two-point conversion) rank ninth on UCLA s career scoring list.he also ranks 13th on the career rushing list with 1,935 yards. 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). 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. Foster Career Rushing Totals Name TCB Net Avg. TD LG 2000 223 887 4.0 11 49 1999 111 375 3.4 6 23 1998 126 673 5.3 10 65 Totals 460 1,935 4.2 27 65 UCLA All-Time Touchdown List Name TD PAT FG Pts 1. Skip Hicks (1993-97) 55 0 0 330 2. Gaston Green (1984-87) 40 4 0 248 3. Gary Beban (1965-67) 35 2 0 214 4. DeShaun Foster 1998-) 30 1 0 184 UCLA Career Rushing Totals Name TCB Net Avg. 1. Gaston Green (84-87) 708 3731 5.3 11. James Owens (75-78) 414 2074 5.0 12. Eric Ball (85-88) 401 1984 4.9 13. DeShaun Foster (98-) 460 1935 4.2 BRIAN POLI-DIXON The redshirt junior, an All-Pac-10 honorable mention selection in 1998, was 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. 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. In his return to his hometown, Poli-Dixon had five catches for 77 yards and an 18- yard touchdown grab which game UCLA a 14-7 lead over Arizona at the time. He added two receptions for 35 yards, including one for 26, in the victory over Stanford. He was at his best against Washington. Poli-Dixon made eight receptions for a career-high 165 yards and one touchdown. The 165 yards rank No. 10 on UCLA s single-game list and the eight catches tied his season high. His 48-yard reception set up UCLA s first touchdown and his 45-yard catch gave the Bruins the ball at the four-yard line to set up the go-ahead score at the end of the half. He also made three catches on the fourth-quarter scoring drive, including the seven-yard TD. On the year, Poli-Dixon currently ranks second on the squad with 44 receptions and 647 yards and four receiving touchdowns. He ranks fifth in the Pac-10 with his averages of 4.89 receptions and 71.89 yards. In the season-opener against Alabama, he made one reception -- a 31-yard TD catch. 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 106 receptions for 1,609 yards as a Bruin. He is tied with Freddie Mitchell for ninth on the career reception list, just two behind No. 7 Karl Dorrell and Cormac Carney. He also ranks 11th on the yardage list.

In addition, he has scored 17 touchdowns on his 106 receptions, one touchdown every 6.24 catches. 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. Dubravac added another big thirddown grab at Arizona to help set up a field goal but did not play against Stanford due to a concussion. He is currently third on the squad with 13 receptions. Senior Drew Bennett made three receptions for 38 yards against Washington and is averaging 16.0 yards on his six catches this year. Redshirt freshman Jerry Owens and true freshman Tab Perry both made the first reception of their careers against Fresno State. 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. 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. 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. In the victory over Stanford, the line s protection enabled the Bruins to pass for 346 yards, their second-highest total of the 2000 season. 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 in three games (Oregon State, Arizona and Stanford) due to an ankle sprain suffered at California and played a handful of snaps at Washington. On the year, he has now rushed for 196 yards after gaining 216 yards on 63 attempts in 1999. 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. 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. Against Oregon State, Crecion scored on a 67-yard catch-andrun and Bryan Fletcher had two receptions for 39 yards, including a tackle-breaking 30-yarder. Tight ends made four receptions in the victory over Stanford, including a 22-yard touchdown by Seidman, the first score of his career. 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. 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. Harris 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. On the year, he is the team s No. 2 rusher with 201 yards and his average of 4.5 yards per attempt is the team s best.