I caught a glimpse of something at a sports bar the other day
that I thought I might never see again. There were UCLA fans. And,
get this, they were clapping.
That’s right, as of last weekend rooting for the Bruins is
fun again.
Sure, they’re not title contenders. Not with that swiss
cheese run defense anyway.
But baby steps, folks. At least they’re scoring points
again.
UCLA, which ranked in the bottom five nationally in total
offense last season, suddenly has rediscovered that rectangular
strip of painted turf that I like to call the end zone. After three
games, the Bruins have scored 92 total points and eclipsed the
30-point mark twice. They did that once last season, and it took
five Washington turnovers, two garbage-time scores and a pair of
defensive touchdowns for them do it.
Last Saturday against the Huskies, it was the UCLA offense,
well, sophomore Maurice Drew that carried the load. Conjuring up
images of DeShaun Foster against Washington in 2001, Drew ran for a
school-record 322 yards and five touchdowns. Five. Kind of makes
you forget about that whiny little guy whose daddy used to beg
Dorrell for playing time before he transferred to El Paso. Tyler
… never mind.
It also makes you forget just how close the Bruins came to
losing this game. To jog your memories, that would be about four
feet. That was all that separated Washington wide receiver Charles
Frederick from the end zone as time expired, preserving a 37-31
UCLA victory.
“You couldn’t get a more exciting game than
that,” Dorrell said.
Normally I wouldn’t trust Dorrell’s judgment on
what’s exciting and what isn’t, but in this case I
agree.
What makes this year’s Bruins fun to watch is what keeps
Pac-10 football fans tuning in each week. No lead is safe. UCLA led
Oklahoma State 14-7 in the second quarter of the season opener,
only to trail by two touchdowns 10 minutes later. Last week, the
Bruins spotted Washington a 24-7 first-quarter advantage, but
roared back to take a three-point lead into halftime.
If pharmacies could bottle last year’s UCLA games,
we’d have a three-hour cure for insomnia. Once either team
opened up a double-digit lead, it was the cue for fans to doze off
in their recliners, catch up on some reading, or stumble out to the
parking lot to try to beat the traffic.
The 2004 Bruins are the perfect blend of offensive fire power
and defensive mediocrity. If you’re a UCLA fan, you have to
love knowing that this year’s team won’t quit after
being down 17 points midway through the first quarter.
The real key for the UCLA offense thus far is that there’s
been a different hero each week. Against Oklahoma State, it was
Manuel White. Against Illinois, it was Craig Bragg. Last week, it
was Drew. Opponents can’t focus on one guy because they all
can hurt you.
So what’s the difference this season? Well, last
season’s run-run-pass-punt version of the West Coast offense
is gone. Now the play calling is creative. Drew Olson is spreading
the ball around. The offensive line is opening up holes for the
running game, and even the wide receivers are downfield getting
blocks.
UCLA may not razzle-dazzle like they did under Bob Toledo, but
the results are the same. The offense is scoring points, making
plays, and taking pressure off a defense that is still finding its
sea legs.
“It feels like someone has our back now,” linebacker
Wesley Walker said. “But we know the way the offense moves
the ball, they’re going to keep us in every game.”
And keep fans coming back.
Eisenberg’s columns will appear every Monday during
football season. E-mail him at [email protected].