COLLEGE FOOTBALL : BRUINS STEAL PAGE FROM 49ERS' BOOK.

Byline: Jon Wilner Daily News Staff Writer

When UCLA quarterback Cade McNown watches video of the Bruins' new offense, he pulls tapes of two teams off the film-room shelf.

One is Oregon, since first-year UCLA head coach Bob Toledo and offensive coordinator Al Borges both coached for the Ducks within the past eight years. The other team with an offensive scheme similar to UCLA's - and this may be system shock to longtime Terry Donahue watchers - is the San Francisco 49ers.

The playbook of Montana, Young and Rice now makes regular appearances at Spaulding Field.

``It's fun watching their stuff on video,'' McNown said. ``I see what they're doing, and I can relate to what Steve Young is thinking. I can see which routes he has to look at on different plays, because our principles are very similar to theirs.''

It doesn't take an expert to notice the similarities. Throughout spring practice - which concludes today with a scrimmage open to the public - the Bruins have thrown a plethora of high-percentage short- and medium-range passes, including one in which receiver Jim McElroy runs an underneath curl route identical to the one perfected by Jerry Rice and John Taylor.

As Oregon's play caller last year, Borges ordered 16 different screen passes against California, and the Bruins have run many of them this month. The tight ends are an integral part of the passing game - another great change from a Donahue design that used tight ends as blockers almost exclusively.

One play this week typified the Toledo-Borges creation: Four players shifted at once, then a tight end went in motion, then McNown faked a handoff over right tackle, bootlegged to the left and hit a tight end in the left flat.

``There's a lot of underneath routes and play action,'' McNown said. ``I like the new offense because it gives us the ability to get big plays at a high percentage, if we run it right. It's more complex than what we were running before. I don't think anybody will be able to put together a game plan for us.''

Solid support: McNown and Co. are slowly learning the system, but one of the biggest surprises for Borges has been reserve quarterback Steve Buck, who has not played in two years in the program.

``The second quarterback was a concern of mine,'' Borges said. ``But if Steve continues progressing at this rate, we'll be fine. He has been accurate and tough and shown a willingness to learn the system.

``It's tough for Steve and Cade. You take everything all 11 players have to learn, multiply it by three, and that's what the quarterbacks must absorb.''

Injury update: Freshman receiver Brad Melsby last week suffered the most serious injury of the spring, an anterior cruciate ligament tear in his right knee that will force him to miss the '96 season.

He'll have arthroscopic surgery in the next week or two, and recovery time is usually six months, minimum.

``I don't see how he'll be back in time,'' Toledo said.

But receiver may be the one position where the Bruins can handle a season-ending injury: Derek Ayers, Tod McBride, Eric Scott and McElroy, with 65 combined catches in '95, all return.

Melsby, from Los Alamitos, was listed as the No. 3 split end, behind McElroy and Scott.

Expecting to redshirt in 1995, he was activated midway through the season and caught 12 passes, including five in the Aloha Bowl. Had he not broken his redshirt, this injury would have wiped out a year of eligibility. . . .

Skip Hicks' return lasted a few days, then he aggravated a tender hamstring and is back in a red (injured) jersey. The oft-injured Hicks, projected to be the starting tailback, strained the hamstring during the first practice and missed the next two weeks.

``Everybody talks about his ability,'' Toledo said, ``but until he gets some repetitions he's not going to be ready.''

Last chance: Admission to today's scrimmage (4 to 6 p.m.) is free. Players will be available for autographs afterward.