Hicks relishes return to Texas

Monday, January 12, 1998

Hicks relishes return to Texas

HOMETOWN: Strong Cotton Bowl performance on New Year’s Day
especially sweet for star runner

By Brent Boyd

Daily Bruin Staff

DALLAS, Texas — Skip Hicks did something after the Bruins’
victory in the Cotton Bowl that he was never able to do growing up
in the Lone Star State.

He put on a t-shirt that read "Texas State Champs."

Though this was, in fact, a joke, spurring from the three wins
the Bruins notched over Texas schools this year, it was perhaps
taken seriously by Hicks.

After all, while attending Burkburnett High School near Wichita
Falls – about an hour and a half drive from Dallas – Hicks never
won a state championship.

"It felt really great to come back home and to win here," the
senior tailback said. "Especially to win in this bowl game that I
used to watch growing up."

He returned to his old stomping grounds by running right through
the Texas A&M defense and into the Cotton Bowl record
books.

He rushed for 140 yards and gained another 53 on receptions –
including a 41-yard touchdown. His 193 total yards were third-most
in Cotton Bowl history and the 34 times he touched the ball (31
rushes, 3 catches) set a new record.

And he did this in front of a large contingent of
supporters.

"It was a nice big section up there on the 50-yard line," Hicks
said. "They came down and supported me – a lot of my family, a lot
of my high school teammates and coaches, and a lot of guys that
just always watched me on TV and never got a chance to see me in
person. I was just happy that they were able to come down
here."

"It was a nice way to end my career."

It was a career that had as many ups and downs as a
teeter-totter in full throttle.

On one hand, his 55 touchdowns set both UCLA’s and the Pac-10’s
record, and he finishes fifth on the all-time school charts with
3,140 yards rushing. And this season he set league and school
records with 25 touchdowns and has rushed for over 100 yards in
each of the last five games.

But, it was also a career plagued by key mistakes. Most notable
was this season’s opening weekend against Washington State when he
was too tired to play with the game on the line and the Bruins
facing a fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line. When freshman
running back Jermaine Lewis (who replaced Hicks) was stopped short,
the game was lost – a result that ultimately kept UCLA out of the
Rose Bowl.

That game was still fresh in his mind New Year’s Day.

"Guys started saying ‘remember Washington State’ and I said "No,
that’s not going to happen again," Hicks said. "No matter how tired
I get, I need to put it in the end zone."

And though he didn’t score in the final quarter, he certainly
put the game away. This time, Hicks only got better as the game
wore on, though he finished with a season-high 31 carries.

Entering the final 15 minutes, Hicks only had 72 yards on 20
carries. But, in the fourth quarter alone he rushed 11 times for 78
yards.

On the Bruins’ game-winning drive midway through the fourth
quarter, Hicks rushed four times for 50 yards. His back-to-back
runs of 16 and 24 yards set up Ryan Neufeld’s touchdown run to give
UCLA the 29-23 lead.

And when the Bruins got the ball back, Hicks rushed for 31 yards
on six carries to take valuable time off the clock.

"He made some great runs on that last drive," UCLA head coach
Bob Toledo said.

UCLA Sports Info

Tailback Skip Hicks