Football excited about fall lineup

Sunday, August 18, 1996

Bruins will have an untried squad with many new coachesBy Brent
Boyd

Summer Bruin Senior Staff

"Let’s get this party started," a sole voice from among the
huddled mass of Bruin football players shouted before the opening
of fall practice Saturday at Spaulding Field.

It may just as well have been shouted in unison by the entire
team.

After a busy off-season and months of waiting, football has
finally arrived in Westwood.

"The honeymoon is over, I guess you could say," new UCLA head
coach Bob Toledo said, "Or almost over. I am still undefeated,
untied and unscored upon."

That is something most pundits don’t expect to last much
longer.

After losing three of its final four games a year ago, along
with longtime head coach Terry Donahue and several key stars, most
outsiders give UCLA about as much chance of winning the Pac-10 as
they do the Clippers of winning next year’s NBA Finals.

However, the players and coaches refuse to be anything but
optimistic.

"We have a lot of high expectations for our team," senior
flanker Derek Ayers said. "We expect a lot from each other and I
think that is what it takes to win."

"Our whole team is real upbeat about our chances," senior safety
Abdul McCullough said. "I think we’ll definitely improve upon last
year, and I think we are going to surprise some people."

The key to surprising their opponents will be the recent changes
in the club.

In addition to the beginning of the Bob Toledo era, Al Borges
was hired from Oregon to become offensive coordinator, while Rocky
Long left Oregon State to lead the Bruin defense.

"We love the changes in the defensive system," McCullough said.
"We are playing what I term an offensive defense. We are making any
offense adjust to what we are doing. We’re attacking, we’re
stunting and we’re moving in different ways. It’s my third
defensive scheme since I’ve been here and it’s probably my
favorite."

On the offensive side of the ball, Borges will try to implement
a ball-controlled passing game while also maintaining a strong
running game.

"With the way Coach Borges calls plays, it will be tough to
scout us," sophomore quarterback Cade McNown said. "There’s a lot
more flexibility. It is very sophisticated. There are a lot of
add-ons, it’s going to be a lot more intricate this season. It’s
going to be very exciting."

In addition, new strength and conditioning coach Kevin Yoxall
has the players working like never before.

"Believe me, (the conditioning drills on the first day of
practice) were harder than anything we’ve done in the past, and
this was supposedly an easy day," McCullough said.

The changes in the coaching staff aren’t the only things that
will be different from a year ago.

In fact, "change" has been the buzz word in Westwood over the
past eight months.

The weight room was made more comfortable, the locker room was
redone and the uniforms were altered. The script on the sides of
the helmets will be larger, while the home jerseys will feature
gothic numbers, resembling the Bruin uniforms of the 1960s.

"I understand that these changes don’t win football games, but I
really believe that kids like to see some things that are new,"
Toledo said. "They like to see that you are trying to do some
things to make things better for them."

However, what he did that impressed the players most was give
them the opportunity to play the position they wanted to play.

Five players changed positions, most notably McCullough, who
will return to safety after spending last season at linebacker
while Tyrone Pierce will cross the line of scrimmage from
linebacker to tight end.

Although the Bruins are excited about the changes and are
genuinely enthusiastic about the upcoming season, they realize that
there are plenty of things to improve upon before they open the
season Sept. 7 at No. 2 Tennessee.

The Bruin squad is very young and inexperienced, returning the
fewest starters of any Pac-10 club. Ayers will be the only senior
starter on the offensive side of the ball.

"If there is a weakness on our football team, it would have to
be the inexperience of the offensive and defensive lines," Toledo
said.

The departure of Outland Trophy winner Jonathan Ogden and
two-time All-Pac-10 center Mike Flanagan leaves the offensive line
with many openings.

Junior Chad Overhauser will hold down right guard, while junior
Chad Sauter, redshirt freshman Kris Farris and sophomores Shawn
Stuart and Andy Meyers will make up the remainder of the line.

Senior Travis Kirschke will be the focus of the line in the 3-4
defense that will also feature nose guard Weldon Forde and Jason
Nevadomsky, who had one start between them all last season.

The Bruins are also relying on McNown to take a leadership role
on the club and improve upon his true-freshman season of a year
ago.

"It’s been my experience that quarterbacks take a big jump from
their freshman year to spring, and then another jump from spring to
fall practice," Toledo said. "I am really hoping Cade is ready to
take the next big step. I believe he is."

McNown is not backing down from the challenge.

"I know a lot of people all of a sudden are putting a lot of
weight on my shoulders," McNown said. "I think I have matured a lot
and I just need to go out and do my job."

McNown and crew can be seen practicing at Spaulding Field in
preparation for the season every morning except Tuesdays and
Fridays from 9:30 to 11:30 and every afternoon from 4:00 to
6:30.

* * *

The Bruins entered fall practice without four players originally
on its roster.

Sophomore wide receiver Brad Melsby will be redshirted due to a
torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Junior tight end Jason Bendinelli will sit out the season due to
a recently-diagnosed case of diabetes, while senior flanker Erik
Holcomb will sit out the 1996 season because of recurring
concussions.

Freshman nose guard Langston Woodberry quit football due to
personal reasons.

JUSTIN WARREN/Daily Bruin

UCLA sophomore quarterback Cade McNown takes a snap during the
first fall practice Saturday.