COLLEGE FOOTBALL REPORT HART'S IACENDA CATCHES ON SENIOR FULLBACK HAS BECOME A DEPENDABLE RECEIVER FOR NEW MEXICO.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Staff Writer

All day long, Ted Iacenda got himself open coming out of the New Mexico backfield.

The senior fullback had a career-high eight receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown at Colorado State on Saturday. But when the Lobos looked for Iacenda again in the closing seconds, the Rams learned their lesson.

On a fourth-and-1 play with just under a minute left, New Mexico called a pass play for Iacenda, a Hart High graduate, that went for a touchdown earlier. On this one however, the Rams covered Iacenda and Lobos quarterback Rudy Caamano's pass was overthrown to seal a 17-14 loss.

``Ted was the primary target,'' Caamano said. ``But they blitzed and took him away. I tried to loft it up. I didn't even know it went out of bounds.''

Iacenda, who transferred to New Mexico from USC, has developed into a dependable receiver. He's now caught 17 passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns. Playing much of the game while fellow running back Jarrod Baxter was injured, Iacenda was also successful on an option pass that went 39 yards to Rob Caston.

In the first half, Iacenda caught a short pass from Caamano, broke two tackles and then raced into the end zone from the 25.

``It was a big Ted week this week,'' Lobos offensive coordinator Dan Dodd said. ``We knew going in, with Jarrod ailing, that we'd have to go to Ted even more.''

The Lobos have constantly leaned on Iacenda lately. He has four touchdowns the past three games and rushed for a career-best 58 yards two weeks ago against Northern Arizona.

``People talk about quarterbacks having a security blanket. Well, Ted is my security blanket,'' Caamano said. ``I know whenever we have a play that looks covered, I can always check off to him. He's always there to bail me out.''

Iacenda was asked if he had established himself as one of the Lobos' top offensive performers after accumulating modest numbers early in the season.

``You always hope so,'' he said.

--Holtfreter's hope: California coach Tom Holmoe, his Golden Bears destined for their fourth consecutive loss, made a quarterback change. Whether or not that will equate into more playing time for Eric Holtfreter is unknown.

Holtfreter, from Quartz Hill, has backed up ineffective sophomore Kyle Boller, from Hart, without taking any snaps until Saturday's 30-10 loss at Arizona State.

With the Bears down 23-3 in the third quarter, Holmoe inserted Holtfreter for Boller, who had taken every snap previously.

``It was a time when we could get him in the game,'' Holmoe said.``You don't want to concede and we weren't. We felt this was as good a time as any to get him some reps. I'm glad we did. It's good for him and for our team in the long run.''

Holtfreter played two series, completing 1 of 4 passes for two yards. The transfer from L.A. Valley College also had an 11-yard scramble to setup Cal's lone touchdown.

Boller's struggles continued. He went 12 of 27 for 127 yards. The task of rejuvenating Cal's offense only gets harder for Boller, who faces UCLA, Washington and USC the next three weeks.

``We've just to close the deal,'' Boller said. ``Each week we make steps. We can't take two steps forward and one back. We've got to execute.''

--Add Cal: Despite Cal's four-game losing skid, senior defensive tackle Jacob Waasdorp, from Quartz Hill, continues to be one of the Bears' leaders.

The losing - which figures to continue given the quality of opponents upcoming - has Waasdorp and his younger teammates frustrated.

``I can see it in their eyes,'' said Waasdorp, who wants to guide Cal's less-experienced players through the tough times.

``I'm going to come out the next game and be ready to hit somebody . . I can have them feed off me. That's all I can do,'' he said.

Waasdorp had two sacks on Saturday, giving him nine tackles for loss against ASU since his sophomore year in 1998.

--Rebel yell: Nevada's 38-7 loss to instate rival UNLV was the Wolf Pack's first to the Rebels since 1994.

Wolf Pack quarterback David Neill, from Hart, completed 9 of 29 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown as Nevada fell to 1-4.

``As hard as it's going to be, we have to forget this one,'' Neill said. ``This one really hurts.''

--Odds and ends: Northern Arizona junior tight end Peter Cich, from Paraclete, caught a key two-point conversion to tie Saturday's game at Idaho State before the Lumberjacks lost 28-21.

Cich, a member of the Spirits' 1997 Southern Section Division XI championship team, transferred to NAU from Palomar Junior College.

Senior defensive back Will Demps, from Highland, is averaging 7.2 tackles for San Diego State and helped the Aztecs to their first win of the season, 34-0 at Wyoming.

Sophomore Bryan Gelt, from Canyon, started at tight end for the Aztecs. He didn't catch a pass.