Past victories destine UCLA to beat Miami, head for Bowl

Thursday, December 3, 1998

Past victories destine UCLA to beat Miami, head for Bowl

COLUMN: Barreling down route of 20-straight wins, team’s fate
lies in Tempe

My, how clear things become when traveling on Rout 66.

The UCLA Bruins will win the 1999 National Championship.

Or lose the 1999 National Championship.

But they will not be voted out of contention.

They will be able to settle the situation on the field against
the Southeastern Conference’s regular season best (Tennessee) or
the Big-12 Conference’s regular season best (Kansas State).

It will be so because it’s the Bruins’ destiny.

Following UCLA’s second consecutive defeat to open the 1997
season, head coach Bob Toledo seemed almost prophetic in his
post-game comments.

"I’m tired of just having a great effort and playing hard," he
said.

"Eventually, we have to get a great effort and win. We have got
to get the win and gain respect."

Twenty consecutive victories later, the Bruins, ranked second in
the Bowl Championship Series poll, have earned plenty of both.

But there is still unfinished business. Having already exacted
revenge for the Predicament at Pullman, a game in which the Bruins
fell a yard shy of a victory and an undefeated Pac-10 season on
Aug. 30, 1997, UCLA defeated the Washington State Cougars this time
around, 49-17.

Tailback Jermaine Lewis summed up the Bruins’ feelings after the
rematch.

"All the redemption is there, the emotion factor," Lewis said.
"We were hitting everything hard and full-speed. This is a very
satisfying win. It was a real team builder. We were on all
cylinders when the game started, and emotions were very high. We
wanted payback."

There is still the matter of paying the Volunteers back for the
30-24 setback of last season. The Bruins will be there. They hope
that Tennessee will cooperate and join them in Tempe at the Fiesta
Bowl on Jan. 4.

Why would the Bruins welcome the No. 1 team in the nation to a
prime-time showdown on the last possible day of college football
and in front of the whole world?

It all started 14-and-a-half months ago on Sept. 13, 1997,
UCLA’s first trip down Rout 66. Toledo marched his troops into
Austin and destroyed the 10th-ranked Texas Longhorns 66-3.

No, that’s not a misprint. The Bruins, which recorded seven
sacks on the day, forced the Longhorns into eight turnovers. And
ever-improving Bruin quarterback Cade McNown, in his best
impression of a Star Search audition, passed for a UCLA record five
touchdowns in the first half.

Two weeks later, the Bruins returned to that same Rout 66
against another Texas team, the University of Houston. This time,
the defense picked off four passes and McNown threw four more
scores in the 66-10 victory.

Following the demolition, Bruin offensive coordinator Al Borges
said, "The thing that is different is that we don’t make mistakes.
There are still some little things that if we want to be really
good we have to iron out. But you’re not seeing the
catastrophes."

It could be argued that we have seen a few near-catastrophes
this season for the Bruins.

But strange things have happened this season: a forced fumble by
Marques Anderson, a fumble recovery by Larry Atkins, an 83-yard
final minute Brad Melsby touchdown catch, a few Brendon Ayanbadejo
sacks, Lewis touchdown runs and passes, four DeShaun Foster
touchdowns, Ryan Roques interceptions and of course, a McNown
touchdown pass or catch here and there.

In other words, the Bruins are right where they want to be. UCLA
has won all 20 of its contests and has two games left on the
mission.

Next up is the University of Miami, which was introduced to Rout
66 last weekend. They marched into Syracuse with the Big East title
on the line and folded, falling victim to the Orangemen 66-13.

Now they have to face a Bruin offensive attack that has not
scored less than 28 points in any game this season?

Not a good combination.

The Hurricanes, with all their history as a football power,
haven’t been the same in the post-Jimmy Johnson/Dennis Erickson
era.

The 7-3 Canes have struggled since NCAA sanctions has weakened
their recruiting but can find solace in that despite losing their
last two games (including the upcoming loss to the Bruins), they
will go to a bowl game for the first time in a long while.

But the Bruins have too much going for them this season and
Miami does not have enough. Therefore, the Bruins will win
Saturday’s contest and receive an invitation to the Fiesta Bowl.
There, Toledo’s team will go for 22 in a row and the National
Championship.

It’s destined to happen.

And there is no defense that can stop destiny’s attack. Point
blank.

Carter is destined to respond to questions and comments sent to
[email protected]. CinQue Carter

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