Bruins’ unity supercedes superstars

By Hannah Gordon

Daily Bruin Reporter

Credit Queen Latifah.

The Bruins are all about U.N.I.T.Y. this year.

“Focus on the decal on your helmet instead of the name on
the back of your jersey,” senior cornerback Ricky Manning
said.

“The fact is we don’t have as many superstars as we
did last year,” he added.

Team unity is one of the two goals set by head coach Bob Toledo
for the 2002 season after the 2001 late season meltdown.

“I let them (seniors) pick the goals last year. I picked
the goals this year,” Toledo said. “Team unity is the
first. One of the problems last year was that when we started
losing we splintered. Not that we pointed fingers, but I think we
splintered a little.”

Coming into spring ball, nowhere was the need for unity more
glaring than on the offense, where Toledo refuses to name his
starting quarterback until September. Entering his senior campaign,
Cory Paus is looking for re-election. After two weeks of spring
practice, the job appears to be his to lose.

“I know where I am at and where I stand,” Paus
said.

While Paus is “competing” with redshirt freshman
John Sciarra, he is light years ahead of him in spring practice.
And come August when recruits Matt Moore and Drew Olsen come in,
Paus will still be the only quarterback who has thrown a pass in a
college game.

“This is the least competitive spring I’ve been
involved in,” Paus said.

So instead of rivaling Sciarra, Paus has been tutoring him,
showing the leadership skills that his coaches have been looking
for.

“He’s shown leadership in the way he works and
communicates with players and in meetings,” quarterbacks
coach John Pearce said. “He’s having as good a spring
as he’s ever had. He seems like a renewed person.”

That energy has been noted by teammates as well.

“Cory has had to overcome obstacles because of everything
that happened. Now he has a whole new attitude,” junior wide
receiver Tab Perry said.

Paus will not want for targets with a young but talented group
of receivers, and a solid tight end in senior Mike Seidman who has
caught the ball very well in practice. Freshman wide receiver
Junior Taylor has progressed rapidly, going from rusty to smooth in
just two weeks.

The U.N.I.T.Y. extends to an experienced offensive line (with
the exception of center) and an outstanding group of backs.

All five tailbacks looked excellent in last Thursday’s
scrimmage. Behind junior Akil Harris and sophomore Manuel White,
redshirt freshman Wendell Mathis stood out and redshirt freshman
Tyler Ebell did well on special teams.

“We’re all learning, we’ve got big shoes to
fill,” White said.

“We’re getting better as a unit,” Harris
chimed in.

“¢bull; “¢bull; “¢bull;

Notes: At center, sophomore John Ream re-injured his toe so
sophomore Paul Mociler and redshirt freshman Mike McCloskey are
currently getting reps. Fellow offensive linemen senior left tackle
Bryce Bohlander and junior right guard Shane Lehman are also out of
action … Doctors will decide in two weeks if junior defensive
tackle Rodney Leisle needs to have surgery on his wrist … Coaches
have been pleased with defensive lineman Ryan Boschetti and
linebacker Patrick Pierre-Louis, both junior college transfers …
Sophomore cornerback Matt Clark has shown improvement as he
competes with Joe Hunter and Marcus Cassel for the spot opposite
Manning. Toledo said that if the corners continue to progress, he
will be able to leave sophomore Matt Ware at free safety.