 |
 |
|
| | Monday, September 6 | |||||
| 1998 Record: 10-2 (8-0) | 1998 statistics | 1999 schedule Head coach: Bob Toledo Returning starters: 14 (offense 6, defense 8) Outlook For the first 10 games of last season, UCLA could do no wrong. But a shocking loss to Miami and a 38-31 defeat by Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl quickly turned the Bruins' dream season into a nightmare. And you could argue that it has only gone downhill from there. An embarrasing offseason scandal involving healthy players using handicapped parking passes on campus will continue to haunt the Bruins during the season and the team failed to get a grip on the biggest question it faces this season: Who will replace Cade McNown? Not even having 14 starters back, including amazing depth at the offensive skill positions, has made Bob Toledo happy. Despite having eight starters back on defense, that unit faces an overhaul because it finished 90th in the country last season. Embattled coordinator Nick Aliotti is no longer around (longtime assistant Bob Field becomes UCLA's third defensive coordinator in four seasons) and the defense is switching from a 3-4 to a 4-3 alignment. The parking-pass scandal will keep the team from getting a fresh start come September because the 11 players implicated have been suspended for the first two games of the season -- vs. Boise State and a night game at Ohio State in front of a national audience. A win over the Buckeyes would go great lengths in getting the lingering sour taste out of the Bruins' collective maw, but UCLA faces an uphill battle in Columbus breaking in a new quarterback and without its full roster. Offense No coach looks forward to replacing his all-everything quarterback and top offensive lineman in the same offseason. Toledo's pain of waving goodbye to McNown and Outland Trophy winner Kris Farris won't go away easily, but knowing that he has depth at the skill positions should salve the discomfort a little. Junior Drew Bennett, who appeared in six games and hit 3-of-5 passes for 24 yards last season, is a good all-around athlete but failed to lock down the job in spring practice.He had a solid scrimmage early in fall camp and earned the starting nod for the opener against Boise State. Sophomore Scott McEwan has a strong arm and good delivery, redshirt freshman Ryan McCann is a hard worker but has been criticized for being too analytical and redshirt freshman Cory Paus has shown intangibles similar to what made McNown such a great leader. Hot-shot incoming freshman J.P. Losman, who graduated early from high school so he could take part in spring drills at UCLA, was concerned about playing time right away and announced that he is transferring. The rest of the backfield is stocked -- any one of three Bruin tailbacks (Jermaine Lewis, Keith Brown and DeShaun Foster) could start at any school in the conference. The three combined for 1,649 yards and 28 TDs on the ground. Foster led the team with 635 yards without starting a game. However, Brown and starting fullback Durrell Price will miss the first two games due to suspensions. The receiving corps is just as loaded. Danny Farmer, a major award candidate provided the team can find someone to throw him the ball, nabbed 58 balls and racked up a school-record 1,274 yards as McNown's primary target. His 22-yards-per-catch average led the Pac-10, but an ankle sprain will keep him out of the opener. Brian Poli-Dixon, who reminds many of a young J.J. Stokes, hauled in another 712 yards on 44 catches. Freddie Mitchell and Brad Melsby give the Bruins two talented backups. UCLA does need to find a tight end, but that's not a major concern with so much talent coming back elsewhere. On the line, the hole left by Farris' early departure looks to be filled by redshirt freshman Blake Worley (6-6, 290) or junior Josh Webb (6-6, 285). Tackle Brian Polak is the top returning lineman and guard Oscar Cabrera is the only other returning starter, but he'll miss the first two games due to suspension. Junior Micah Webb, who started 10 games last season at nose tackle prior to injuring his knee against Miami, will switch over to the offensive line. It's a good sign if: Bennett -- or whoever -- turns into a reasonable facsimile of McNown in a hurry. It's a bad sign if: The ankle injury and a lack of a consistent quarterback robs Farmer of an all-America season. Defense After being trampled by by Edgerrin James (299 yards) and Ron Dayne (246) at the end of last season, the run defense needs a major overhaul. Switching to a 4-3 puts more beef on the line in hopes of gumming up the rushing lanes. Both ends return in Kenyon Coleman (6-5, 278) and Pete Holland (6-3, 264). The tackle spots are up for grabs. Senior Travor Turner started three games at end last year and will likely start inside. This is where UCLA's awesome recruiting efforts the last two seasons might pay off. Redshirt freshmen Rusty Williams and Saia Makakaufaki, who were both prep All-Americans, will figure in the mix. No unit will be more affected by the legal troubles than linebacker. Sophomore Ryan Nece, a definite starter, is out for two games. Ali Abdul Azziz, also a projected starter, was suggested to be the ringleader of the parking scam, according to UCLA police. Junior Tony White, who was third on the team with 69 tackles last season, will have plenty of pressure on him as the middle linebacker in the new 4-3 scheme. Sophomore Robert Thomas, who played in every game as a true freshman, could take the job away from White. The secondary knew it faced the task of replacing safety Larry Atkins. Now it will be without cornerbacks Ryan Roques and Marques Anderson for the first two games (suspension). Jason Bell, who started all 12 games last year and led the Bruins with 14 passes knocked down, is back at the other corner. Jason Stephens, who started alongside Atkins last year, slides over to take his place at free safety. The other safety spot will likely be manned by Audie Attar, who must serve a one-game suspension at the start of the season because of a fight. It's a good sign if: No one threatens to break a single-game NCAA rushing record against the Bruins. It's a bad sign if: The suspensions rob the defense of any cohesiveness until the middle of the season. Special Teams Lost in the shuffle to replace McNown is the departure of placekicker/punter Chris Sailer. He handled every kicking duty last year, and was one of the nation's best. Prep All-American Nate Fiske has kicked 56- and 54-yard field goals in his high school career. Chris Griffith, a backup to Sailer who saw no action last season, also should figure in the mix. Roques averaged 27.2 yards on 14 kickoff returns last season (the highest average for a Bruin since 1969) and 12.7 yards per punt return. Mitchell was a force on kickoff returns before he broke his right femur. Lewis may return kicks just to see action on the field if Foster takes over in the backfield as some expect. -- Greg Collins |
 | |||||