HICKS ISN'T EXPECTING TO FACE SITTING DUCKS.Byline: Jon Wilner Daily News Staff Writer Skip Hicks Brian "Skip" LaVell Hicks (born October 13, 1974 in Corsicana, Texas) is a former American football running back in the NFL. In his four seasons, Hicks played for the Washington Redskins and the Tennessee Titans. had never experienced anything like it. Not in Pop Warner Pop Warner refers to
UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX . His first run of the third quarter gained 14 yards. The next, 11. A few minutes later, he rumbled for 14 again, then 10, then 35, then 20. Full perspective would not come for several days, but in the heat of the moment Hicks suspected something special was unfolding. Each time he jogged back to the huddle, he thought, ``Wow, that was a big hole.'' Fifty-one weeks ago, in Oregon's Autzen Stadium The stadium is tucked between the Willamette River and Coburg Hills. The uniquely shaped bowl blends in with the wooded Eugene landscape. The shape also allows for unique acoustics, making it one of the loudest stadiums in NCAA Football for its capacity. , Hicks lived a running back's dream. A near-perfect quarter: 153 yards and two touchdowns. He'd finish with 173 yards, a career-high at the time, but the third quarter was unforgettable. ``If we were ever close to a perfect game, that quarter was it,'' Hicks said. ``It was something special, like we couldn't do anything wrong. I don't think I was touched the entire quarter.'' He's expecting a more treacherous path when the Bruins (3-2, 1-1) meet Oregon (3-2, 1-2) this afternoon in Autzen. ``It won't be that easy again, no way,'' said Hicks, who's averaging 103 yards rushing per game and leads the nation in scoring. ``I expect them to be ready to play. There's a lot of pride on the line. Our backs are against the wall if we want to win the Pac-10 championship and their backs are against the wall if they want to go to a bowl game.'' The Bruins have won three straight for the first time in two years and are ranked 18th in the nation. They've scored 172 points in the past three games. They lead the nation in turnover margin (plus-3.8 per game) and they're second in scoring (46 points per game). With each victory, they move one step closer to recreating the 1993 team's Rose Bowl drive after an 0-2 start. They're looking good and feeling good, but not too good. 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. has tried to temper enthusiasm. ``We can't go off half-cocked Verb 1. go off half-cocked - act prematurely or without reflection or too soon; "she wanted to quit her job but her mother told her not to go off half-cocked" go off at half-cock thinking we're better than everyone else,'' he said. ``That's the time somebody knocks you off.'' Oregon's defense is not likely to repeat its mistake of '96 - no weakside run support - and figures to make Hicks the priority today. The Ducks played their best game of the season last week in holding Washington State to 24 points, but they're last in the conference in every defensive category. The Bruins will try to establish their running game early, just as they did against Texas and Arizona. Wind and rain are expected - a combination that could hamper Cade McNown's passing. The Bruins practiced with a wet ball all week. ``I told the kids to expect rain and expect wind,'' said Toledo, who was Oregon's 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 from 1983-88 and knows the effect of water on Autzen's artificial turf Artificial turf, or synthetic turf, is a grass-like man-made surface manufactured from synthetic materials. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass, however, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial . ``(Those conditions) make for a lot of mistakes, fumbled snaps and exchanges. It can affect the kicking game and the passing game.'' Oregon's offense lacks the potency of its years with quarterbacks Bill Musgrave Bill Musgrave is the current quarterbacks coach for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons. Musgrave was born November 11, 1967 in Grand Junction, Colorado. He was a standout athlete at Grand Junction High School and was named the Colorado High School Athlete of the Year in 1985. , Danny O'Neil and Tony Graziani. Coach Mike Bellotti rotates Akili Smith and Jason Maas, both juniors who are directing the offense for the first time. Smith, the better runner, should start today against UCLA's blitzers. The Ducks' best chance for success is to establish their running game. Tailback Saladin McCullough, a Pasadena native and former USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. recruit, is one of the best in the conference. Shifty shift·y adj. shift·i·er, shift·i·est 1. Having, displaying, or suggestive of deceitful character; evasive or untrustworthy. 2. and quick, he's the anti-Hicks. Oregon's mediocre offensive line makes a consistent running game difficult, even with a back as talented as McCullough. It also places the quarterbacks under heavy pressure, one reason the Ducks are last in the Pac-10 in turnover margin (minus-1.2). Meanwhile, UCLA has forced 24 turnovers this season. The Ducks use terminology from Toledo's tenure, but UCLA's greatest coaching advantage might be defensive coordinator Rocky Long, whose amoeba amoeba: see ameba. amoeba One-celled protozoan that can form temporary extensions of cytoplasm (pseudopodia) in order to move about. Some amoebas are found on the bottom of freshwater streams and ponds. defense has confused Oregon for years. In five seasons with Oregon State and one with UCLA, Long's defenses have held the Ducks to an average of 12 points per game. Like Hicks, he believes they'll be ready this time. HANGIN' 10th How Oregon's defense ranks in the Pac-10: Category Number Ranking Run defense 132.8 yards 10th Pass defense 142.2 efficiency 10th Total defense 423.8 yards 10th Scoring defense 30.2 points 10th CAPTION(S): Chart Chart: HANGIN' 10TH (see text) |
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