UCLA FOOTBALL: VERNER SAW IT COMING RUNS PICK BACK FOR A TD LATE IN GAME.

Byline: JILL PAINTER

Staff Writer

PASADENA -- Alterraun Verner didn't need any of Bill Belichick's spies to help him figure out Cal's play.

Verner had seen it enough times on film. He even watched it in a film session at the team hotel Friday night. It was the play in which receiver DeSean Jackson motions down and then breaks outside.

The UCLA cornerback was so sure the Bears were running that play late in the game -- with Cal driving for a possible go-ahead score, that he made a break on the ball when Cal quarterback Nate Longshore had just released it.

Verner wasn't watching his receiver, which is a no-no when you're a cornerback. Unless, of course, you're Verner and you know the play before it happens, step in front of Jackson, catch the ball near the sideline and return it 76 yards for a touchdown to ensure UCLA's 31-20 victory.

Coaches can forgive gambles that pay off. Yet it wasn't really a risk, was it?

"When he motions down, they've only done that a couple of times, I thought something had to be going on," Verner said. "Right when he came off the ball, I had a feel for what he was going to do, and right when he broke, I thought: 'I've got it.' I broke, the ball came and I stepped in front of him. I caught it and knew I could get to the end zone. I didn't see anybody in front of me."

He saw the play as though he drew it up on Madden's video game.

Cal didn't.

"We would like to have that last one back," Cal coach Jeff Tedford said. "(Verner) made a great play. Nate thought he had an opening so he threw it. It's an unfortunate play."

Of course, UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker didn't see it that way. He, along with UCLA's other defensive backs, didn't hide the fact Verner seemed to know what was coming.

"Oh yeah, we've seen that a couple of times," Walker said. "As a matter of fact, we'd just watched it (on Friday)."

Said safety Chris Horton: "That's something we had a good beat on."

Verner made two big plays, intercepting another Longshore pass -- intended for Cal's other playmaker, Lavelle Hawkins -- in the third quarter. Verner's two interceptions were his first and second of the season.

He tied a school record with his third career interception return for a touchdown, and he's just a sophomore.

Last year, Verner had three interceptions through two games, so he endured all kinds of grief for his so-called drought from teammates.

"I told him he was going to have an interception (on Friday)," cornerback Rodney Van said. "I didn't tell him he was going to have two."

Walker said Verner had been playing well all season, which is why Verner earned the start over Van on Saturday. Verner had sixtackles and three pass deflections against the Bears, too.

Verner would start for most teams, but UCLA has plenty of talented cornerbacks. Walker pulled him aside this season, and even once last year, to jokingly tell Verner he was getting the short end of the stick because he wasn't starting.

But UCLA runs so many nickel packages that Verner is on the field much of the time anyway. And that makes everyone happy.

Verner's vision made sure UCLA stayed undefeated and on top of the Pacific-10 Conference. Now he has visions of a Pac-10 championship.

"It's ours to lose right now," Verner said.

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Photo:

UCLA's Alterraun Verner, right, intercepts a pass intended for Cal's DeSean Jackson in the third quarter Saturday.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer