BRUINS CHERISH THEIR SENIOR MOMENTS HAVNER, PAGE KEEP UCLA ON PACE FOR 10-WIN SEASON.

Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer

EL PASO, Texas - Jarrad Page could've been playing professional baseball. Spencer Havner could've been playing in the NFL.

The two seniors, however, opted to stay for their final year at UCLA in an attempt to improve their stock and resurrect the football program. They helped accomplish the latter, as the Bruins (9-2) need a Sun Bowl victory to tie a school-record with 10 wins. Whether they did much to alter their pro status is debatable.

``As seniors, we had a chance to lead this team,'' Page said. ``We've all done a good job. We're happy. I know you can't change what happened in the past. We have a chance to go out in a good way.''

Havner leads UCLA in tackles for the second consecutive season. He has 92, including 15 for losses.

``From the beginning of the year, I said I wasn't going to be caught up in stats,'' said Havner, who made 125 tackles last season. ``Stats don't mean anything to get to the next level. I knew I would have the same number of tackles. I wasn't shooting for 150 tackles. I wanted to improve on the little things. It's the way you tackle and way you take on blockers. That was something I was going for this year - and tackles for losses. I was proud of that.''

Havner will play in the Senior Bowl and was a semifinalist for the Lombardi and Butkus awards. While NFL scouts seem to agree Havner should be selected in the NFL Draft, his tackling is an issue.

``He's a height, weight and speed guy,'' said an NFC scout. ``He does have some production, but he's not proven to be a good tackler. He's more of a chase guy than a take-on guy. A second-day (draft) guy. He might be worth taking then if he can prove he can handle a physical game.''

Havner doesn't have to stick around campus as he earned his history degree earlier this month.

``That sets me up for life,'' he said.

When Havner and Page got to UCLA, the defense was good. But it has been rated the worst against the run in the Pac-10 the past two years. The defensive line is suspect at best and this season as three starters were lost to injuries.

Havner has made a career of being in the right place at the right time and has 10 career interceptions.

``I think Spencer's really improved his physical toughness at the point of attack,'' said Larry Kerr, UCLA's defensive coordinator. ``He's gotten better and better. He's still a very athletic player and open-field player. I really think he's matured a ton this year. I think he has a really good future ahead of him.''

Life for Page could've been much different. He was a fifth-round selection by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2002, but opted to stick with football. He did, however, skip spring drills this year to play for the Bruins' baseball team.

Page, a strong safety, has eight career interceptions (two in his first year and three in each of the following seasons) but none this year. That's something that bugs him a bit. He returned one for a touchdown in the Las Vegas Bowl last year.

``You'd like to see a guy make interceptions back there but sometimes it doesn't always come,'' Kerr said. ``That doesn't mean you haven't been doing a good job in coverage or anything like that. Jarrad's been a solid guy overall for us. He'll get an opportunity to go play next year. He's a very athletic kid and he works hard, so I think there will be a lot of people that will be interested in him.''

Page has 66 tackles, five pass deflections, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

He has three more quarters to earn his political science degree, but he'll take the quarter off to prepare for the draft. He has yet to choose an adviser. What he does know is that his speed in the NFL Combine is awfully important.

``Not playing spring ball hurt,'' said an AFC scout. ``He was a raw athlete as a freshman and pretty good, but I don't see the development that I hoped to see. He doesn't break real well (on the ball).''

Page enrolled at UCLA when he was 17 and just turned 21. He said he's the same person, just a little older. The same goes for Havner.

After the Sun Bowl, football becomes a business.

``I feel I had a good season but it's not up to me,'' Page said. ``A lot of attention is paid to what happens in the postseason. Once the season is over, people change a lot of their opinions.''

Jill Painter, [phone]

jill.painter(at)dailynews.com

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) HAVNER

(2 -- color) PAGE