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ROSE BOWL NOTEBOOK: BADGERS HAVE SPECIAL EDGE.


Byline: Jon Wilner Daily News Staff Writer

The participants have called it a matchup of UCLA's potent offense against Wisconsin's stingy stin·gy  
adj. stin·gi·er, stin·gi·est
1. Giving or spending reluctantly.

2. Scanty or meager: a stingy meal; stingy with details about the past.
 defense, and Wisconsin's powerful running game against UCLA's young, wobbly defense.

But chances are, special teams will have a voice in the Rose Bowl, and that appears to favor the Badgers.

Because bowl teams are permitted only 15 postseason practices - they spend much of that time regaining lost rhythm and cramming for opposing attacks - special teams are often lost in the frenzy. When kickoff arrives, anything can happen, and has.

``When I talk to our team, I'm going to remind them of West Virginia-Missouri (in the Insight.com Bowl),'' 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. ``There was a field goal blocked, a long kickoff return and a blocked punt. The kicking game showed up huge in that game. And Colorado had a kickoff return for a touchdown against Oregon.

``The kicking game is so vital, and the participants in bowl games only have so many hours a day.''

Wisconsin may have the best special teams 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
 has faced this season. Kicker Matt Davenport made 18 of 20 field goals, while Kevin Stemke Kevin "rocket shoe" Stemke (born November 23, 1978 in Green Bay, Wisconsin) is a former professional American football player who played punter for two seasons for the Oakland Raiders and St. Louis Rams.  averaged 44 yards per punt. Both players were named first-team All-Big Ten.

The Badgers have blocked four kicks and returned three punts for touchdowns. Nick Davis Nick Davis may refer to:
  • Nick Davis (footballer), the Australian rules footballer with the Sydney Swans and Collingwood;
  • Nick Davis (producer)
  • Nick Davis (freelance writer)
  • Nick Davis (All My Children)
 averaged 15.7 yards per return, also tops in the conference.

With punter/kicker Chris Sailer Sail´er

n. 1. A sailor.
2. A ship or other vessel; - with qualifying words descriptive of speed or manner of sailing; as, a heavy sailer; a fast sailer s>.
 and punt returner Punt returner (PR) is a position on special teams in American football. Description
The role of a punt returner is to catch the ball after it is punted and to give his team good field position (or a touchdown if possible) by returning it.
 Ryan Roques Roques is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:
  • Roques, in the Haute-Garonne department
  • Roques, in the Gers department
, UCLA's special teams are as solid as they've been in years. But can they match Wisconsin?

``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.
 if we can win that area, but we can't lose it,'' Toledo said.

Big anniversary: Jan. 1, 1994 is a significant date in UCLA history, and it has nothing to do with the Bruins' 21-16 loss to Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl.

That day, over a thousand miles away, Texas A&M lost to Notre Dame 24-21 in the Cotton Bowl. In the aftermath, Aggies coach R.C. Slocum fired his offensive coordinator, Bob Toledo.

``I never knew it was going to happen,'' said Toledo, who eventually took the same post at UCLA and, on Jan. 4, 1996, became the Bruins' coach.

Pass the beef: The undisputed champion of Sunday's visit to Lawry's Beef Bowl was offensive tackle Kris Farris, who said he ate six slabs of 14- 16-ounce prime rib.

Farris doubled the intake of offensive guard Andy Meyers, long considered the Bruins' best eater.

``I feel OK, but I fell asleep at 7:30,'' Farris said.

QB comparison: Wisconsin senior quarterback Mike Samuel had a modest passing efficiency rating of 115.2 and averaged just 93 yards passing per game. But he has impressed Toledo.

``He's like (Cade) McNown. He's a fierce competitor and he's a winner,'' Toledo said.

When told of Toledo's comment, Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez grinned.

``They both play the same position, they both take the snap from center and they both won 10 games,'' Alvarez said. ``I don't see much else similar. (Toledo) was being nice.''

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

PHOTO (1) FARRIS

(2) SAILER
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No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 1998, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Title Annotation:SPORTS
Publication:Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)
Date:Dec 29, 1998
Words:509
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