BRUINS' OFFENSE HITS GROUND ZERO : CAL 17 UCLA 0.Byline: Jon Wilner Staff Writer UCLA's playbook is deep and dynamic, complex and cutting edge - a hybrid of tomes used by the Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers. It has a remedy for every defense and an option (or three) for every situation. But it had nothing for this. There's no chapter for ineptitude Ineptitude See also Awkwardness. Brown, Charlie meek hero unable to kick a football, fly a kite, or win a baseball game. [Comics: “Peanuts” in Horn, 543] Capt. Queeg incompetent commander of the minesweeper Caine. . ``Cal kicked our fannies,'' Bruins coach Bob Toledo Bob Toledo (born March 4, 1946, in San Jose, California) is an American football coach, recently hired as head coach at Tulane University. He is best-known as the thirteenth head coach at UCLA. said, and he was being kind. On a hazy October afternoon, with a cool breeze from the south and a bitter wind in the UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX locker room, the Bruins could not run, they could not pass, they could not block and they could not score. ``We've got a great offense,'' fullback Durell Price said after UCLA's 17-0 loss Saturday, in front of 55,559 in the Rose Bowl. ``Everybody's seen what we can be, last year and this year. We were great last week. But to be blanked at home? That should never happen. Man, I'm (angry).'' The vaunted vaunt v. vaunt·ed, vaunt·ing, vaunts v.tr. To speak boastfully of; brag about. v.intr. To speak boastfully; brag. See Synonyms at boast1. n. 1. UCLA offense was shut down and shut out for the first time since a 21-0 loss to Washington State in 1994. Final score aside, it was UCLA's worst offensive performance since a 38-3 loss to Michigan in 1996. In that game, sophomore quarterback Cade McNown Cade McNown (born January 12 1977 in Portland, Oregon) is a quarterback who played in the National Football League. He attended played college football at the University of California, Los Angeles. completed 8 of 27 passes for 39 yards and three interceptions. Saturday, redshirt freshman quarterback Cory Paus completed 9 of 28 passes for 81 yards and one interception. ``It was just a horrible effort on my part,'' Paus said. ``When I had time to throw, I wasn't hitting.'' But Paus did not cause the carnage. The trouble started on the line of scrimmage line of scrimmage n. pl. lines of scrimmage Football Either of two imaginary lines extending across the field parallel to the goal line at the ends of the ball as it rests prior to being snapped and at which each team lines up for , where Cal's defense manhandled UCLA's offensive line. The Bruins (3-4, 1-3) did not carve running lanes and they did not protect Paus, who was hit hard and hit early. They didn't get a first down in the first quarter. Tailbacks Keith Brown Keith Brown can refer to: People
A star high school athlete at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, he was a two-time team MVP as a running back while also starring as a sprinter on the track team, setting combined for 17 yards. On one play, Paus was sacked by six Cal defenders as his lineman watched helplessly. Heck, the loudest cheer came when the USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. score was announced. ``We billed this as a battle up front,'' Bruins right tackle Brian Polak said. ``It was our front seven against their front seven. And they won. They had an answer for everything.'' The Bears are big and fast and mean and the best defense in the Pacific-10. They held Nebraska to 114 yards rushing in Lincoln. They lead the conference in sacks (31). They have two immovable tackles, Jacob Waasdorp and Jeremiah Parker, and the best pass rusher in the west, junior Andre Carter Rubin Andre Carter [1] (born May 12, 1979 in Denver, Colorado) is a National Football League player who currently plays defensive end for the Washington Redskins. He went to University of California, Berkeley. . But they aren't this good. UCLA was just that bad. ``It was awful, just awful,'' offensive coordinator An offensive coordinator typically refers to the coach on a football team in the National Football League or College football who is in charge of the offense. This position aids the head coach by designing and scripting plays, delegating work to offensive position coaches during Al Borges Alan Borges (born October 8, 1955 in Salinas, California) is an American college football coach and the current offensive coordinator of the Auburn University football team. said. ``I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. what to tell you. I'd like to sugarcoat sug·ar·coat tr.v. sug·ar·coat·ed, sug·ar·coat·ing, sug·ar·coats 1. To cause to seem more appealing or pleasant: a sentimental treatment that sugercoats a harsh reality. 2. it, but I can't. . . . By the end of the game, they were convinced they could stop us with nine guys, and they probably could have.'' UCLA's offense praised the defense - how's that for a change? - because it held Cal to 17 points and 371 yards and caused three turnovers. But those are misleading numbers, since the Bears average 16 points and 236 yards and have the worst offense in the Pac-10. What's more, the Bruins allowed Cal to convert second-and-26 and third-and-25 predicaments on the game-clinching touchdown drive. ``We couldn't get anything generated offensively, and that put pressure on the defense,'' Toledo said. In the end, UCLA's undoing wasn't three hours of ineptitude or defensive breakdowns, but its failure to convert three scoring chances when the game was close. The first came early in the second quarter, with Cal leading 7-0 and UCLA perched on the Bears' 46. Paus had time to throw and receiver Freddie Mitchell For the fictional character, see . Freddie Lee Mitchell (born November 28, 1978 in Lakeland, Florida) is a former American football wide receiver in the NFL who most recently played for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was a 1st round draft pick in the 2001 NFL Draft out of UCLA. was open near the goal line. But the pass was a wobbler wob·ble also wab·ble v. wob·bled, wob·bling, wob·bles v.intr. 1. To move or rotate with an uneven or rocking motion or unsteadily from side to side. 2. , ugly and underthrown, and Cal cornerback Chidi Iwuoma Chidi Iwuoma (born February 19, 1978 in Los Angeles, California) is a former American football cornerback, most recently played for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL. He played for the Detroit Lions during the 2001 season, and began his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the intercepted at the 6. ``I should have made them pay three or four times that I missed,'' Paus said. ``They have a great defense, but we should have played better. They shouldn't demolish us.'' Two possessions later, the Bruins were moving again. Paus found Danny Farmer for one first down and scampered 10 yards for another. But at Cal's 37, he was hit from behind and fumbled. The Bears recovered, ran out the clock and took a 7-0 lead into the locker room. ``This game was a matter of who wanted it more,'' Carter said. ``We knew we had to come in here and dominate for four quarters. The bottom line was who was going to play with passion and heart.'' UCLA's last chance came on a trick play late in the third quarter, when reserve quarterback Drew Bennett - he of the bad elbow and mediocre arm - faked an option run and threw an errant pass to Farmer. Cal safety Damian Marzett intercepted at the 2, and the Bruins were out of chances. ``They played it better than we executed,'' Toledo said. UCLA vs. Cal: A closer look THE HERO Cal freshman tailback Joe Igber, who rushed for 113 yards, averaged 5.7 yards per carry and made the Bruins play two-dimensional defense (run and pass). THE GOAT UCLA's offensive line. The Bruins did not create running lanes and did not protect beleaguered be·lea·guer tr.v. be·lea·guered, be·lea·guer·ing, be·lea·guers 1. To harass; beset: We are beleaguered by problems. 2. To surround with troops; besiege. quarterback Cory Paus, who was sacked four times and hurried countless others. STAT OF THE GAME UCLA was shut out for the first time since a 21-0 loss to Washington State in 1994 - a span of 60 games. QUOTE OF THE GAME ``I'm really shocked we got shut out at home. We couldn't move the ball. We couldn't get a drive going. But you should never be shut out at home.'' - UCLA fullback Durell Price. Notebook: Cal's Harris kicks UCLA out of game The best player on the field did not run the ball, did not catch a pass, did not make a tackle or score a point. But Cal punter Nick Harris made his presence felt each time he uncoiled un·coil tr. & intr.v. un·coiled, un·coil·ing, un·coils To unwind or untwist or to become unwound or untwisted. Adj. 1. his right leg. Harris not only averaged 53 yards on seven punts, he dropped three inside the Bruins' 10-yard line and was the reason UCLA's average field position was its own 24. ``He had a huge impact,'' Bruins coach Bob Toledo said. ``That's why we went after him (tried to block the punts) every time except once. We tried to get him off his rhythm. He leads the Pac-10. He didn't hurt himself today.'' Harris, a junior, entered the game as the nation's No. 4 punter, averaging 47 yards. Saturday, he was even better: subtract the two chippies he tried to drop inside the 20 and Harris averaged an astounding a·stound tr.v. a·stound·ed, a·stound·ing, a·stounds To astonish and bewilder. See Synonyms at surprise. [From Middle English astoned, past participle of astonen, 58.6 yards on his five open-field punts. ``That's two years in a row he's killed us,'' Bruins receiver Danny Farmer said. ``He put them inside the 10, inside the 5. We had terrible field position all day. ``And what really hurt was we didn't move the ball enough to put them in bad field position.'' Handle with care: UCLA's season may hinge on how freshman quarterback Cory Paus responds to his 9-of-28 performance, which included an interception, a fumble and several bad throws to open receivers. ``He's very fragile,'' Toledo said. ``I don't want to destroy him. He's going through a growing process.'' The Bruins expect more inconsistency from Paus, who was bad against Arizona State, great against Oregon, then awful against Cal. ``He's a young guy who played against a mean defense,'' offensive coordinator Al Borges said. ``He's been thrown into the fire because we thought he was the best quarterback. With that, you take the bitter and the sweet.'' Injury update: Reserve linebacker Ali Abdul Azziz sprained his left shoulder and is questionable for the Oregon State game. Tailback DeShaun Foster (sprained ankle) is doubtful. The Bruins don't want to risk aggravating the ligaments on Oregon State's artificial turf. By the numbers: UCLA had three penalties for 15 yards. Cal had 14 penalties for 117 yards. The Bears had a 38-22 advantage in time of possession. Cal converted 8 of 17 third-down attempts, while the Bruins converted 3 of 14. Cal freshman tailback Joe Igber rushed for 113 yards - 26 more than UCLA. Cornerback Ryan Roques Roques is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:
CAPTION(S): 3 photos, box PHOTO (1 -- color) Cal's Joshua White (40) celebrates with teammates after his key third-quarter run. (2) Neither UCLA's Freddie Mitchell (3) nor Cal's Deltha O'Neal can catch up to this errant second-quarter pass. (3) UCLA's Joey Strycula, left, knocks down a pass intended for Cal's Ronnie Davenport during the third quarter on Saturday. David Crane/Staff Photographer BOX: UCLA vs. Cal: A closer look |
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