STORM IS BREWING; HURRICANE WIPES OUT UCLA-MIAMI GAME.

Byline: Brian Dohn Daily News Staff Writer

With most of South Florida shut down in preparation for Hurricane Georges, officials from UCLA and the University of Miami followed suit Thursday and postponed Saturday's football game in the Orange Bowl.

Officials from both schools could talk as soon as Monday about rescheduling the game for Dec. 5 in Miami.

``I know our president and UCLA chancellor Al Carnesale spoke (Thursday), and I don't know if they spoke about it then, but they'll probably talk Monday about it,'' Miami coach Butch Davis said. ``We have a common (open) date on Dec. 5, and that's something we would be interested in.''

Dec. 5 is the first Saturday both teams are free. Third-ranked UCLA (2-0) ends its season Nov. 21 against USC. Miami ends its regular season Nov. 28 at Syracuse.

``There is a possibility it will be made up at the end of the year,'' UCLA coach Bob Toledo said. ``It will be decided in the next few days. One of the things about coaching and playing is you do it to play games. We would like to play it if at all possible.''

UCLA officials said this was the first time a Bruins football game was postponed because of weather.

Georges has already killed at least 110 people in the Carribbean, with hundreds more missing, and is projected to devastate the Miami area. The Florida Marlins postponed Thursday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The decision not to play Saturday came about 15 minutes before the Bruins were to board buses to take them to their charter at Los Angeles International Airport.

``The decision we made is not a decision I made, but one I wholeheartedly believe in,'' said Toledo, who noticed trepidation in some of his players. ``They had one eye on The Weather Channel and . . . there was a look in their eyes of, `Why are we doing this?' I think there was a little sigh of relief. They're disappointed because they wanted to play against Miami, but they're relieved they don't have to go into a situation that was very difficult.''

If the game isn't rescheduled, it could hamper UCLA's run at a national title, even if the Bruins finished the regular season 10-0. With a bye this week, UCLA could drop in the polls.

``I think that's a real possibility and an unfortunate one,'' Toledo said. ``It's not our fault the game isn't being played.''

There is also the Cade McNown-Heisman Trophy issue.

The game was going to be broadcast nationally by CBS, with a noon start in the East. The contest provided many of the non-West Coast Heisman voters with an opportunity to see McNown, UCLA's senior quarterback, early in the day. It was also UCLA's only scheduled trip east this season.

Whether Miami wants to play as badly as UCLA does is in question. Miami's athletic department offices were vacated in anticipation of Hurricane Georges, but a release from the school said season-ticket holders would receive credit toward their 1999 renewals. Single-game ticket holders could exchange their ticket for another home game this season. Approximately 42,000 were expected to attend.

``A decision was reached to cancel the UCLA-Miami football game because the potential conditions posed by the threat of Hurricane Georges were too great to put the young men and staffs of both schools at risk,'' UCLA athletic director Peter Dalis said in a statement. ``This decision was a mutual one between the senior management at both schools.''

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Map: Hurricane Georges

Associated Press