Bowl hopes lost in desert

Monday, November 18, 1996

FOOTBALL:

Arizona big plays prevent UCLA from getting sixth winBy Brent
Boyd

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

TUCSON, Ariz. — For many desert travellers, it’s not an unusual
occurrence. The goal seems attainable. They can see it, feel it and
taste it. However, upon reaching for that ultimate prize, they come
up empty-handed, realizing the vision was only a mirage. For UCLA,
that vision was a bowl berth.

The mirage disappeared in front of the Bruins’ eyes Saturday in
the form of a 35-17 defeat at the hands of the University of
Arizona. In front of 47,171 at a sun-filled Arizona Stadium, the
Wildcats took advantage of Bruin mistakes and made a few big plays
of their own en route to eliminating UCLA from any postseason
considerations.

"It was a comedy of errors today," UCLA head coach Bob Toledo
said. "They kicked our butts."

After defeating Washington St. last week, the Bruins knew that a
season-ending sweep against the Wildcats and USC would likely earn
UCLA a berth in either the Sun or Aloha Bowls. But, as a result of
their loss to Arizona, the Bruins (4-6, 3-4 Pacific 10) will be
unable to match the six victories that the NCAA requires to earn a
bowl bid.

In addition to the ruined holiday travel plans, UCLA’s visions
of a winning season in the first year of the Toledo Era also
vanished.

"It hurts," senior defensive end Travis Kirschke said. "This one
is just tough because it determines if we’ll go to the next level
or not ­ going to a bowl and for a winning season."

Big plays have cost the Bruins victories all season long, and on
Saturday there were plenty.

The biggest one occurred midway through the third quarter. UCLA
seemed to be on the verge of taking control of the game. The Bruins
possessed a 14-7 lead and had just stopped Arizona (5-5, 3-4) for
the fifth consecutive possession.

That’s when the momentum shifted. If it was an earthquake, it
would have measured a 10.0 on the richter scale.

On only the second play of UCLA’s possession, Wildcat cornerback
Kelly Malbeaux stepped in front of a Cade McNown pass intended for
Danny Farmer and returned it 31 yards up the sideline for an
Arizona touchdown and a tied ball game.

"I don’t think that one play made the game," Toledo said. "It
was a handful of plays. The big plays hurt a lot. When they make
big plays, it takes something out of you."

Like a bowl game and a winning season?

Two drives later, Arizona seized control of the game.

The Wildcats faced a fourth-and-two at the UCLA 36-yard line.
Quarterback Keith Smith (12-of-20, 137 yards, 1 touchdown) rolled
to his left and found a wide-open Mike Metzler up the middle for a
touchdown and a 21-14 Arizona lead.

"Our corner didn’t cover the tight end," Toledo said. "He was
supposed to be manned up on him, but didn’t cover him."

"The biggest mistake I made on that play was going underneath,
trying to make a play on the ball rather than staying with my man
and making a tackle after he caught the ball," cornerback Kursanti
Abdul-Salaam (formerly Andy Colbert) said. "Going after the ball
like that and missing. … Where it could have been a big play
going my way, it went the other way."

The big plays just kept on going the other way.

After UCLA settled for a Bjorn Merten field goal to make the
score 21-17, Chris McAlister returned the kickoff 100 yards
untouched for another Arizona score and an 11-point lead. Kickoff
coverage has been a problem for the Bruins all season long,
standing last in the Pac-10, allowing 25.7 yards per return.
Ironically, the Wildcats were last in the conference in return
yardage. It was the first Wildcat kickoff return for a touchdown
since 1990 and the longest in the history of the 95-year-old
program.

"I told them not to kick it to McAlister," Toledo said, "but I
guess (the Wildcats) were lined up stacked and switched at the
end.

"One play doesn’t make it, but a combination of those things
­ boom, boom, boom ­ and it really hurt us."

The final boom absolutely leveled the Bruins. On the ensuing
possession, UCLA threatened to battle back. With 11 minutes
remaining in the game, McNown found Jim McElroy deep down the
middle for a 46-yard gain to the Arizona 19-yard line.

However, on the very next play, freshman tailback Keith Brown
fumbled the ball, the game and the season away, allowing the
Wildcats to take possession and clinch the victory.

"(We) did a great job," Wildcat head coach Dick Tomey said. "We
had some guys who stepped up and answered the call when guys went
down."

Freshman running back Leon Callen was one of those guys. In
addition to his 116 yards rushing, his touchdown with just over two
minutes remaining put a cap on the afternoon scoring.

Bruin tailback Skip Hicks had quite a day of his own. Although
gaining only 48 yards on 21 carries, his 1-yard touchdown run gave
the Bruins a 14-7 second quarter lead and set the school record for
touchdowns in a season. His 18th of the year topped the previous
marks set by J.J. Stokes and Gaston Green.

That was just about the only bright spot for the Bruins. Lost
among all of the big plays going against UCLA were at least a
handful of dropped passes, five sacks in the second half (UCLA had
surrendered only 18 all season) and an offense that converted on
only four of 15 third-down conversions.

"We didn’t perform. We didn’t block people. We didn’t run. We
didn’t pass block. We just didn’t execute. Guys weren’t making
plays," Toledo said. "We thought it was going to be a heavyweight
fight down to the end, but obviously we didn’t fight to the
end."

Fighting? By the end of the game, the Bruins were barely
standing.

But, according to the Bruins, don’t call it a knockout. Call it
a loss by default.

"It’s just frustrating this year," said linebacker Brian
Willmer, the game’s leading tackler with 15. "The games we lost I
don’t think we were really getting beat."

As for this loss, maybe a sixth consecutive victory over
crosstown rival USC next week can make this one a little easier for
UCLA to take.

"That would help," Kirschke said, "but I don’t think we’ll ever
forget all of these stupid losses."

Maybe they can pretend it was just a mirage.

WYNN RUJIRAVIRIYAPINYO

Cade McNown (18) is sacked during Saturday’s 35-17 loss against
the University of Arizona.