Final Bruin football transcripts

Tuesday, January 12, 1999

Final Bruin football transcripts

The 1998-99 UCLA Bruins

10-2, 8-0 Pac-10 Conference

No. 8 AP and ESPN/USA Today

Quarterback: A+

Cade McNown broke almost every single passing record left at
UCLA and barely failed in guiding the Bruins to a national title.
During the first loss of the season, McNown did everything he could
to keep the team undefeated. He threw five touchdown passes and ran
for one more, while amassing a school record 513 yards through the
air.

Running Backs: A-

The convoy of DeShaun Foster, Jermaine Lewis and Keith Brown
provided the opposition with a variety of looks. Foster plowed over
the Pac-10 while Lewis took advantage of his elusiveness. The
production of these three took a lot of pressure off McNown and the
passing game.

Wide Receivers: B

Danny Farmer was often called, "The best wide receiver you’ve
never heard of" by several publications. Farmer set a new UCLA mark
with 1276 receiving yards this season. The mental lapses of Brian
Poli-Dixon, the horrific injury to Freddie Mitchell and the
inconsistency of the rest of the cast prevented this group from
getting an A.

Tight Ends: B

Although never spectacular, Mike Grieb and Ryan Neufeld were as
consistent as they come. They caught for almost 400 yards while
providing solid blocking. Defenses always had to account for them
or pay for their mistake by allowing a first down.

Offensive Line: A

Huge holes for the running game and great protection for McNown
were very common this season. Shawn Stuart and Andy Meyers were the
senior leaders of this group while junior Kris Farris, a likely
first-round pick in the upcoming NFL draft, was almost unbeatable
for defensive ends.

Defensive Line: D+

Undersized and wounded for most of the season, the Bruin front
line was never capable of putting pressure on the opposition.
Effort wasn’t lacking, but with Ken Kocher and Pete Holland
hobbling, there is little that the overmatched Bruins could do to
disrupt the offensive flow of the other teams.

Linebackers: B

Brendon Ayanbadejo, one of only two starting seniors on defense,
found a way to come up huge. Against Oregon he sacked Akili Smith
on the first two plays of overtime. This group surpassed
expectations largely due to the contributions of Tony White and
Ryan Nece. White took a leadership role this season while Nece
surprised many as a freshman.

Secondary: C-

Constant shuffling was the theme of the secondary. While
pre-season All-American Larry Atkins did all he could at free
safety, many misalignments allowed for the big play. Atkins was
forced to adjust for the mistakes of others and the quiet leader of
the team never quite adjusted to his new role.

Special Teams: B-

Chris Sailer’s strained groin put a damper on his place kicking,
but his punting was exquisite for the majority of the season.
Return teams faced inconsistency all season long after Mitchell’s
leg injury. Cornerback Ryan Roques provided excitement on the punt
return. The Bruins also blocked four punts this season.

Coaching: B+

The offense was the most advanced in the nation while head coach
Bob Toledo’s trick plays provided both excitement and
explosiveness. Defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti was open to
constant criticism this season, but his game plans were solid and
Toledo believes in him enough to bring him back in 1999 – when both
of them believe the more experienced personnel on defense will
provide better execution.

Grade Point Average: 2.98

Evaluation by Vytas Mazeika, Daily Bruin staff

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