Archive
| End of Year not so Rosey - The
Wisconsin Badgers defeated the Bruins 38-31 on New Year's Day in the 85th
Rose Bowl. UCLA compiled a 20-game win streak and contended for the
National Championship Game for much of the season before losing to Miami
in the last game of the regular season. The Rose Bowl loss ends the
Bruin season with a 10-2 record.
(1/3/99)
Cade is Top Quarterback in 1998 - Last week the coaches spoke and named Cade to their All-America team. Today he was named to the Associated Press' All-America team. Tim Couch was named to the second team and Michael Bishop to the third team. With this honor, Cade has wrapped up the title of Best College Quarterback in 1998. Click here for details on the rest of the team. (12/15/98) Heisman Awarded to Williams - Cade finished third in this year's Heisman Trophy balloting, receiving 28 first place votes. Ricky Williams of Texas took home the award. Michael Bishop of Kansas State followed far behind in second. Tim Couch of Kentucky finished fourth. Cade's third place finish recognizes his amazing performance over the last two seasons. Click here for pictures from the presentation. (12/12/98) All-American - Cade has been named to the American Football Coaches Association All-American team. It's obvious that many coaches in this country would have loved to have McNown as their quarterback for the last four years. Congrats Cade. (12/10/98) Protecting Cade - UCLA offensive lineman Kris Farris has won the Outland Trophy. This is one of the big annual college football awards. This honor is awarded to the outstanding interior lineman in the nation. The award was won by UCLA's Jonathan Ogden in 1995. The Cade McNown Page congratulates Kris on this awesome honor and salutes him for his great athletic effort, giving Cade the opportunity to put up the numbers he has. Congrats Kris. (12/10/98) Top 10? Top 20? - Vote, Vote, Vote! Vote for the most memorable moments of Cade's career. A voting page and ballot has been set up. McNown's Name Cemented in UCLA History - Cade McNown didn't even have to touch a football again to cement his name in UCLA history. Today though, he walked on the field with some Super Glue. McNown passed for a career high and UCLA record 513 yards!!! He had 5 TDs and no interceptions. (12/5/98) UCLA Loses...Settles for Roses - One game away from the Fiesta Bowl, the Bruins lose in Miami 45-49. See the Games page for more details on how the Bruin defense and officials pulled it off. (12/5/98) The Heisman - In a huge honor, Cade McNown was invited to New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation on December 12th. He is one of only four finalists for the prestigious award for the most outstanding player in college football. He will be joined by Michael Bishop, Tim Couch, and Ricky Williams. When asked if he could vote, Cade said Ricky would get his nod. "I think he's trying to put it on the rest of the team, but they asked him to carry the load and he responded," McNown said. "When teams focused on him, he managed to break off long runs. There are not too many guys who are more valuable to their team than Ricky. I'd put Ricky up there." Cade, you're already a winner. You've accomplished more than any trophy can represent. (12/2/98) Wholly Toledo! - Bob Toledo was named the 1998 Pac-10 Coach of the Year. Congrats to Coach Toledo! (12/2/98) Top of the Class - Cade McNown has been named one of only three finalists for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award. He is joined by finalists Michael Bishop of Kansas State and Tim Couch of Kentucky. The winner will be announced Dec. 10 during a nationally televised awards show. All three quarterbacks will be honored Feb. 14 at the 22nd annual O'Brien awards dinner. The finalists were selected by a nationwide panel of sportswriters and commentators. Last year's winner was Peyton Manning of Tennessee. (12/1/98) He Does it All - McNown has been named to CBS SportsLine's All-America Team. Instead of just picking the 22 best players at each position, they picked the 11 best athletes who would be willing and able to try playing on both sides of the line. McNown wins the positions of Quarterback/Safety and is joined by fellow Bruin Kris Farris at Offensive Line/Nose tackle. They say about McNown, "Sorry Couch and Culpepper, this is the guy you'd most like to go into a two-minute drill with. Click here for the rest of the All-America Team. (12/1/98) McHonor - The honors keep rolling in for Cade McNown. Cade was named the Pac-10 Co-Offensive Player of the Year by the Pac-10 coaches today. He shares the honor with Oregon's quarterback Akili Smith. Click here for more on this story as well as the rest of the All-Pac-10 Team which is well-represented by Bruins. (11/30/98) Respect Earned on Field - UCLA maintained it's #2 position in the BCS poll despite still being ranked #3 in both the AP and Coaches' Poll. UCLA gained ground on #1 Tennessee and trails them by only .04 points. Meanwhile, Kansas State is trailing UCLA by 1.28 points. The one thing that the "voters" can't do is take away UCLA's performance on the field....what REAL FOOTBALL is about. Here's some proof..... A) UCLA is undefeated B) Of the three undefeated teams UCLA has the strongest schedule BY FAR. UCLA has the 7th strongest schedule. Tennessee has the 29th and Kansas St. has a pitiful schedule ranked 62nd. Of the top 15 teams in the BCS, only Florida St. has a stronger schedule than UCLA. C) Take a close look at the computer rankings. These rankings take multiple factors into consideration and are more likely to judge the strength of a team then a bunch of voters who don't even watch the games. UCLA has a stronger computer average of 1.75 compared to a 2.33 by both Tennessee and Kansas St. Take a closer look people....UCLA is the only team proving they're Fiesta material ON THE FIELD. (11/30/98)
BCS Rundown - The next two weeks of football will decide who makes it to Tempe for the National Championship. Check out the Rankings page for a look at the BCS picture for the Bruins. 8 Is Great! - The UCLA Bruins crushed U$C for the 8th year in a row. The trojans were trying to end UCLA's streak, but came up far short as the Bruins claimed a 34-17 victory. The Bruins are now a perfect 8-0 in the Pac-10 and have won 20 straight games. Up next is Miami on Dec. 5th. (11/22/98) Amazing Cade - ...how sweet the sound. The Pac-10, the conference of quarterbacks, has a new career total offense leader. Yup, it's Cade McNown with 10,231 yards. (11/15/98) Smelling the Roses - The UCLA Bruins have won the Pac-10 Championship for the second year in a row! With a 36-24 victory over Washington, the Bruins clinched a trip to the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day. (11/14/98) McNown Pacs it In - Cade was chosen by the Pac-10 to be the Offensive Player of the Week once again. Head coach Bob Toledo also made McNown UCLA's Player of the Game for his efforts against the Beavers. "McNown finds the way to win football games," Toledo said. "We haven't won 18 straight for no reason." (11/10/98) Fiesta Bound? - The Bruins are currently ranked #2 in the all important BCS poll. The AP and Coaches' give UCLA a #3 spot in each of their polls. The BCS is bound to cause controversy this year. One troubling aspect of the BCS poll is the fact that the Pac-10 has no conference championship game like many other conferences do. This gives teams in those conferences the ability to increase their strength of schedule mark in the BCS poll because they will very likely be playing a ranked team. (11/9/98) 18! - UCLA just keeps winning and winning. The Bruins extended their winning streak to a school-record 18 games, the longest in the country, with a 41-34 win over Oregon St. See the Games page for more details. (11/7/98) Player of the Year - Cade McNown and free safety Larry Atkins have been named semifinalists for Football News' Player of the Year Award. McNown is one of 15 semifinalists for the publication's Offensive Player of the Year Award while Atkins is one of 15 semifinalists for the Defensive Player of the Year Award. (11/7/98) Dropped - The Bruins have dropped in the rankings as a result of Saturday's ugly game against the Stanford Cardinal. The Bruins beat Stanford 28-24 despite 125 yards in penalties, a secondary defense that didn't show up, and a lack luster offensive performance. Yet, it still was a win. As a result, the Bruins have dropped from #2 to #3 in the AP poll and #4 in the ESPN/Coaches' Poll. This would NOT have happened if this was a team like Tennessee, Ohio State, or Nebraska. Forget the fact that the Bruins hold the longest current winning streak in the league, 17 straight. Yet, Bruin fans are well aware of the lack of respect that the program continues to receive. Most experts would agree that the coaches are clueless to put the Bruins under a Kansas State team that has one of the weakest schedules. See the Games page and the Rankings page for more details. Click here for more on this story. Here come the Awards - Cade McNown has been named as one of five finalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. The other five finalists include Joe Germaine of top-ranked Ohio State, Michael Bishop of No. 4 Kansas State, Donovan McNabb of 17th-ranked Syracuse and Daunte Culpepper of Central Florida. The award is presented each year to the nation's top senior collegiate quarterback by the Frank Camp Chapter of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation. The winner will be announced November 24, and NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas will make the official award presentation December 11 in Louisville. Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning won the award last year. Good luck Cade! (10/29/98) Poster Boy - A feature article in ESPN's The Magazine is dedicated to Cade McNown. Pick up the November 2nd issue. (10/27/98) #1 in BCS! - The Bruins are currently ranked #1 in the Bowl Championship Series formula rankings. The top two teams in the BCS rankings at the end of the season, will meet at the Fiesta Bowl for the championship game. Check out the Rankings page for more details. (10/26/98) Sweet 16 - The record win streak was extended to 16 wins as UCLA beat Cal 28-16 on Saturday. The Bruins also maintained their #2 spot in both polls. See the Games page for more details. (10/25/98) Leave it on the Field - Sports Illustrated photographed McNown vomiting in the Oregon game and has published it in a full-color, two-page spread in their "Leading Off" section (October 26, 1998 issue). The Bruins are also featured in the issue as the College Football Feature "Without Limits." (10/23/98) Cade Honored - The Pac-10 named Cade McNown the offensive player of the week after his 395 yards passing and three touchdown passes. (10/21/98) Leader of the Pac - UCLA finally took their rightful position on top of the Pac-10. They are the only undefeated team in conference play. (10/21/98) Bring on the Defense! - The Bruins have faced off against the No.1 defense in the Pac-10 the past two weeks and will face another this weekend. After each of the previous games, Arizona and Oregon both lost the No.1 ranking. The Wildcats were torched for 52 points while the Ducks allowed 547 yards of total offense. (10/21/98) Who's at the game? - UCLA leads the Pac-10 with an attendance average of 71,882 fans a game. Washington is second with 71,048 and Arizona State is third with 66,602. (10/21/98) McRecord - Cade broke the UCLA career touchdown mark held by Tom Ramsey (50) on Saturday. McNown's three touchdown passes brought his career mark to 53 passes. In his effort, Cade had his best passing game of the season with 395 yards. See the Games page for more details. (10/19/98) 15 - The record win streak was extended to 15 wins as UCLA beat Oregon 41-38 on Saturday. See the Games page for more details. (10/19/98) He's Back - Tailback Jermaine Lewis, suspended for one game by coach Bob Toledo for his involvement in an off-campus fight, was reinstated Monday. Toledo said Lewis, a starter before his suspension last week, will play Saturday against Oregon at the Rose Bowl, but will not start. Lewis missed the second-ranked Bruins' 52-28 victory at No. 16 Arizona last Saturday. "He realized he made a big mistake. He's suffered for it," Toledo said. "He told me it's the last time he'll get in trouble." Lewis filed his own police report with campus authorities two days after the Oct. 4 fight. He claimed to be the victim of battery, but didn't know the identity of the other person involved, campus police spokeswoman Nancy Greenstein said earlier. (10/13/98) Not Blown Away - UCLA and Miami will meet Dec. 5 at the Orange Bowl, making up a game postponed because of Hurricane Georges. The teams were scheduled to play Sept. 26 in a game to be televised by CBS, but the threat from Georges prompted the postponement. Georges spared metropolitan Miami, hitting the lower Florida Keys instead. "We worked very well between the University of Miami and UCLA, and we were able to overcome various obstacles," Miami athletic director Paul Dee said Monday. "We are going to play the game," UCLA athletic director Peter Dalis said. "From the very beginning, I was inclined to play the game." Originally scheduled for a noon EST kickoff, the game's new start time is still being negotiated, the athletic directors said. (10/13/98) McNown turns 50! - Cade threw his 50th career touchdown against the Wildcats on Saturday, tying Heisman trophy winner Gary Beban's school record. (10/11/98) #2 !!!!!!!!!!!!!! - The smell of a National Championship is all over Westwood after the Bruins advanced to #2 in both the AP and Coaches' Polls. Check out the Rankings page. (10/11/98) UCLA Defeats Arizona 52-28 - The Bruins extended the consecutive victory record to 14 straight with a convincing win over the previously #10 ranked Wildcats....the longest active winning streak in the country!! See the Games page for more coverage. (10/11/98) UCLA #1 to Fans - College football fans have spoken and have ranked the Bruins #1 in CBS Sportsline's Top 25 Fan Poll. (10/9/98) Suspended - Jermaine Lewis, starting tailback, was suspended by head coach Bob Toledo Tuesday as the Bruins prepare for their biggest game of the season. Lewis' suspension was for violating team rules, stemming from an altercation that occurred on Saturday night. The third-year sophomore will miss this weekend's game at 11th-ranked Arizona and his status for the rest of the season depends on a further review of the incident. My take: As painful as it is, Toledo did the right thing. UCLA has always had a no-tolerance policy regardless of the game being played. (10/7/98) 3! - The Bruins are ranked #3 in the nation by both the AP and the Coaches' poll. See the Rankings page for more details. (10/4/98) UCLA Defeats WSU 49-17 - The Bruins extended the consecutive victory record to 13 straight with a convincing win over the Cougars. The game also marked Cade's 18th straight game passing over 200 yards. See the Games page for more coverage. (10/4/98) Hurricane Wreaks Havoc on Bruin Season - The cancellation of the UCLA-Miami game this Saturday could have serious implications for the Bruin football season. Although UCLA and Miami announced that their game had been canceled, Toledo said it might still be played on Dec. 5, the next open date for both teams--that's two weeks after UCLA's season-ending game against USC at the Rose Bowl. In addition, a UCLA source said Thursday night that the Big East Conference was considering asking Syracuse officials to move the Orangemen's game with UM on Nov. 28 to Dec. 5 to let UM and UCLA play Nov. 28. The Los Angeles Times notes that the cancellation might be costly to UCLA's bid for the national championship or a Rose Bowl berth--and could stall Cade McNown's Heisman Trophy bid. "That's why the decision [about rescheduling] hasn't been made yet," Toledo said. "If we are in a position to be a national championship contender, this game could have implications. . . ."We have legitimate concerns about the bowl championship series and for the Rose Bowl tiebreaker. We could be in a tie [for the Pacific 10 Conference title] and not go to the Rose Bowl because of [not playing] this game." Even if the game is rescheduled for Dec. 5, it might be too late for McNown to make one last push for the Heisman Trophy. Last year, 56% of the ballots had been received by the Downtown Athletic Club before Dec. 1, well before the deadline. The deadline this year is Dec. 11, with the winner to be announced Dec. 12. My take: Whatever measures need to be made, should be taken to get this game rescheduled and played in order not to penalize UCLA's aspirations this season. The NCAA and both conferences need to step in and make sure that this game is rescheduled...especially when a #3 team is involved. About the Heisman worries...Cade doesn't need this game to prove anything that he hasn't and won't prove this season. The guy obviously deserves the Heisman Trophy, and if East Coast voters need a player to come on their coast or be on T.V. to notice him, they shouldn't be voting in the first place. Our best wishes are still with the people in the path of the hurricane. There safety is far more important than any football game. (9/25/98) CANCELLED - Hurricane Georges has forced the cancellation of Saturday's showdown between Miami and UCLA. The nationally televised UCLA-Miami game was canceled this afternoon by agreement between the schools. Official reports state that the game will not be rescheduled; the only available date would have been after the season. Although, a Los Angeles radio station reported that the game may be rescheduled for Dec. 5th. The game was to be shown on CBS. A crowd of about 42,000 had been expected for the game at the Orange Bowl. Click here for the statement from UCLA Athletic Director Pete Dalis. Stay tuned to this page for developments, including what impact this will have on the Bruin season. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of South Florida. (9/24/98) "Houston...you have a problem" - Football fans know well the profound influence a coach has on his players. Houston's dirty play on Saturday started to all make sense on Tuesday. Houston "Coach" Kim Helton fired back at UCLA's comments on Tuesday. He referred to McNown only as "what's his name." It's no wonder that his players committed late hits. As if the state of Texas isn't embarrassed enough by UCLA's ownership of them, Helton's display on Tuesday was salt in the wounds...he was acting like a juvenile. McNown was hardly the only Bruin who complained about the Cougars and the on-campus stadium, merely the most visible. Defensive end Kenyon Coleman, who could be out for a month with a sprained knee, said the injury happened when one Houston player hit him high and another low. And UCLA players noted everything from ankle twisting in piles to sprinkler heads sticking up from the field. My take: Houston has lots of talent and a good team. They need to clean it up and start playing real football....and then fire Helton at the end of the year. His attitude belongs in high school football, not college. (9/23/98) Toledo till 2003 - UCLA coach Bob Toledo, the mastermind of the Bruins' spectacular offense which has led to a school-record 12 straight games, has signed a two-year contract extension. Toledo, 52, in his third year as coach of the Bruins, is under contract through the 2003 season at a salary of $453,000 per year. "I'm not going anywhere," said Toledo. "I love UCLA. Hopefully, I can stay here until I'm 62 and then retire." Toledo said he signed the extension in June, but it wasn't announced until his weekly meeting with reporters on Monday. More details. (9/21/98) Clean it Up! - College Football fans are still reacting to the disturbing display in Houston on Saturday. That was not college football being played there. The stadium, the field, the officiating, and the cheap shots were reminiscent of high school. I usually have respect for most opponents, but Houston's display on Saturday was nothing short of disgusting. Cade McNown has finally spoken out about the dirty play. (9/21/98) Third Spot - The UCLA Football team has moved to No. 3 on the latest Associated Press college football poll. The last time the Bruins were ranked as high was in 1988, when they were ranked No. 1 for two weeks prior to losing to Washington State at the Rose Bowl. UCLA is ranked fifth on the USA Today/ESPN poll for the second consecutive week. (9/20/98) UCLA Defeats Houston 42-24 - The domination of Texas continued today as UCLA extended its school-record winning streak to 12 games. See the Games page for more coverage. (9/19/98) McHeisman - All Cade McNown had to do was touch the football to top the Heisman watch. Critics and fans alike are picking Cade as their favorite to take home the award. He currently tops CBS Sportsline's list of rising favorites. Cade also tops CNN/SI's Heisman watch! Cade also made ESPN's alphabetical list of favorites. FANSonly Network ranks Cade as the #1 contender! It doesn't stop there....Cade also tops CNN/SI's poll asking "Who is your early favorite for the Heisman Trophy?" Cade currently has garnered 58% of all votes 8,303 out of a total 14,273. Click here to see the results. (9/15/98) Movin' On Up - The Bruins caught the attention of the media this weekend as they soundly defeated Texas. With the Florida St. loss, the Bruins were assured a move up to #5 in the nation, as the Coaches poll shows. Yet, the Associated Press, ranks the Bruins #4 in the nation, ahead of Kansas St. Check out the Rankings page. (9/13/98) UCLA Defeats Texas 49-31 - UCLA charged to a 35-3 lead and was never threatened in getting Cade McNown's Heisman campaign off to a rousing start. The game marked a school record 11th straight victory for the Bruins! See the Games page for more coverage. (9/13/98)
Holiday for the Pac-10 - Starting this year, the Pac-10 will send its second-place team to the Culligan Holiday Bowl. Previously, the #2 team in the Pac-10 was sent to the Cotton Bowl in Dallas as the Bruins were last year. Click here for more details. (9/13/98) Defense Knows the Score - The added implications have not been lost on some members of the UCLA defense, a group that this week becomes collectively involved in the Heisman Trophy race. Contain Texas' Ricky Williams on Saturday afternoon at the Rose Bowl, and it can only help the cause of Cade McNown, not to mention the cause of all Bruins. "If we shut down Ricky Williams and we continue to win," outside linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo said, "Cade has a very good shot to win the Heisman. . . . It is motivation for us. "It's a good challenge for our defense. He's one of the greatest running backs in the country. He's one of the greatest players in the country." He presents an especially tough challenge for the Bruins, who are playing their first game of the season, with a slightly altered defense at that. Williams rushed for 215 yards and six touchdowns last Saturday against New Mexico State. - Scott Howard Cooper, LA Times (9/9/98) Call him Captain - McNown has been named co-captain of the team this season along with Larry Atkins. They will be joined each game by two players on a rotating basis, this time Chris Sailer and Shawn Stuart (9/8/98) Take Out the Texas Trash - Either especially motivated or knocked senseless by the events of a year ago, one Texas player has geared up for the rematch with UCLA by calling out the most famous Bruin of all, quarterback Cade McNown, proving that the Longhorns' plan is to at least get close enough to McNown this time to paint a target on his back. "Cade is a dead man," Longhorn defensive end Aaron Humphrey told a Texas publication. (It's believed to be the first piece of trash talk in NCAA history from a team that lost by 63 points the previous year). Exactly which publication is not known, since only the brief excerpt made the UCLA locker room Monday, giving no indication of its origin. But, to the surprise of no one, it was more than enough to become bulletin-board material as the Bruins returned from a two-day break to prepare for Saturday's season opener against Texas at the Rose Bowl. "What are we, in high school?" said McNown, who had a school-record five touchdown passes in the Sept. 13, 1997, meeting in Austin, Texas. "That's my only comment." Sort of. When asked whether the Bruins would have extra fuel to face a team again if they had lost the previous season by 63 points at home, McNown replied: "We'd definitely be upset. But at the same time, we probably wouldn't be mouthing off the way some people have. There's no room for that." (9/8/98) Walendy Out - Making official what had already become apparent, starting fullback Craig Walendy has been ruled out of the Texas game because of the infection that has sidelined him for all of practice. That moves Durell Price into the opening lineup for the first time, to be paired in the backfield with another first-time starter, tailback Jermaine Lewis. Meanwhile, Ken Kocher, a key reserve on the defensive line, returned to practice Monday, his first action since suffering a sprained and bruised right ankle Aug. 26. He is being listed as questionable, but that could change. (9/8/98) Bruins #6 - The Bruins haven't opened their season yet, and they already find themselves climbing the polls. The Bruins moved up one spot on both the AP and Coaches' poll as a result of #5 Michigan's loss to Washington and subsequent drop in the polls. (9/7/98) Student Tickets Released - Students who have purchased season tickets are currenly receiving them by mail (I got mine yesterday). (8/29/98) "66-3" Part II - UCLA officials say Texas already has sold its allotment of 6,500 tickets for the Sept. 12 contest at the Rose Bowl, meaning this will be the largest traveling contingent ever for the Longhorns in a non-bowl game. In all, more than 70,000 tickets already have been sold. (8/29/98). Renovated Rose Bowl - With the renovation of the Rose Bowl, comes major changes in seating to season ticket holders. The switches come as the stadium capacity drops about 8,000--down to about 90,000. The exact number is still to be determined because handicap seating that once was in the end zone now stretches around the bowl and because most of the bleachers have been replaced by regular seats. The bleachers will remain in the end zone. It was left to a committee to decide the new locations for season-ticket holders, with a priority given to major boosters and donors. In some cases, fans who have had four tickets side by side may now have two in a row and the other two directly behind. And, in what may be the most difficult move to accept, some fans will be switched from the west side of the stadium to the east side. That might allow them to retain nearly the same yard-line location, but also put them on the side that is hit strongly by the sun. The Bruins could have as many as five day games at the Rose Bowl, depending on television. "The only thing I can tell them is everyone moved," Athletic Director Pete Dalis said. "I don't have a good answer. I really don't. I don't have an answer that will satisfy them." There are eight new restrooms around the stadium and a new sound system, to go with the new video scoreboard installed for last season. School officials will listen to feedback in the days after the Sept. 12 opener against Texas--a 12:30 start--and say they will attempt to do their best to make adjustments where possible. Additionally, the first 10,000 fans entering through selected tunnels on the east side will receive a bag that includes a complimentary bottle of water, a visor and sun screen. Copyright 1998 Los Angeles Times. All Rights Reserved (8/28/98). Sports Illustrated - SI's 1998 College Football Preview magazine is out. SI picks the Bruins #6 in the nation and #1 in the Pac-10. A feature article in the issue entitled "A Moving Experience" is devoted to McNown. (8/27/98) Daily Report: Full Steam Ahead - After four days of what was supposed to be light-contact work but sometimes went beyond, UCLA finally got into full pads Wednesday, preparing for the first scrimmage on Saturday and the first game two weeks after that by continuing with the same level of energy. "The only difference is, we don't get in as much trouble," defensive end Kenyon Coleman said, a reference to Coach Bob Toledo having to previously crack down, or even discipline, players for previously getting too physical. Said Toledo on Wednesday, after the second session of the double-day workout: "This morning was real intense and very physical. There was a lot of enthusiasm. "They're like a bunch of colts right now. Pretty jumpy and jittery." Much of that, Toledo figures, is because of the excitement surrounding the start of the season. But part also comes from the competition for jobs, namely on the defense that has only two senior starters, Brendon Ayanbadejo at outside linebacker and Larry Atkins at strong safety. Two Bruins suffered serious injuries Wednesday: Tony Ippolito, the third-string center, is expected to be out six to eight weeks because of a fractured right ankle and Joe Hunter, the defensive back who was probably going to redshirt anyway, will miss four to six weeks because of a sprained ligament in his left knee. Additionally, freshman Ken Kocher, impressive in the early going at nose guard, had to be carted off after what a preliminary exam showed to be a bruised right ankle. More should be known about his condition today. Another highly regarded freshman, DeShaun Foster, returned Wednesday after being hobbled by a strained groin. Robert Thomas has a fractured right hand, but should be able to practice with the hand wrapped. Copyright 1998 Los Angeles Times. All Rights Reserved (8/27/98) Heisman Advice for McNown - Gary Beban, UCLA's first Heisman Trophy winner, and Cade McNown, a candidate to become the second, met Tuesday when Beban spoke briefly to the team after practice, with a more-personal conversation about the hype and the season ahead likely to come. "There'll be a comment or two," said Beban, who lives in Chicago and was in town on business. "But I don't think anything he doesn't already know." Namely, focus on the team, not the trophy. "What he said is exactly right and exactly what I believe in," McNown said. "But it was awesome to have him out." (8/26/98) Daily Report - No decision will be made until after the season, but there's a good chance that junior tight end Gabe Crecion will redshirt. Such a move would give him two years of eligibility after current seniors Mike Grieb and Ryan Neufeld have left. "He's the one that pretty much brought [the thought] to me," Coach Bob Toledo said. "He's got a bad back and can see guys in front of him." . . . There were no dramatic shifts Tuesday as the second depth chart was released. Two freshman have moved to second string, Ken Kocher at nose guard and Blake Worley at left tackle. Among the most-publicized newcomers, DeShaun Foster is No. 3 at tailback and Robert Foster is No. 3 at inside linebacker. . . . The Bruins go into full pads today for the first time, which may only be a formality for a team already showing greater intensity than diagramed for supposed light-contact drills. Toledo, having already stopped previous workouts to tell his players to tone it down, on Tuesday sent defensive backs Damian Allen and Marques Anderson to the sideline after they sandwiched flanker Freddie Mitchell with a hit following a catch. Copyright 1998 Los Angeles Times. All Rights Reserved (8/26/98) Daily Report - Farmer Takes Over No.1 Spot - He comes from out of the shadows, and from the volleyball team, to take over the featured role among UCLA receivers, a change of position and of prominence. "I'm looking forward to getting those opportunities," Danny Farmer said. He won't have to look hard. The move from split end to flanker for his senior season is not just semantics, but a promotion. Farmer gets the spot occupied in 1997 by Jim McElroy, the speedster who had 47 receptions and 10 touchdowns, and the role as the No. 1 target for Cade McNown. "We've got [Brian] Poli-Dixon and we've got [Brad] Melsby at split end and they're more suited for that position," Coach Bob Toledo said. "Danny Farmer is a guy who's going to play really two positions, flanker and our slot position. We just felt he's a real good receiver and we could put him in positions to probably catch more balls. "He's probably got more experience than those other guys and he runs routes real well and he's got excellent hands. Plus he's got real good size." The move comes with the benefit of a summer with McNown during passing league games, but without the additional, and preferable, help of time there also in spring drills. Farmer had been told about becoming McElroy's replacement as the big-play receiver, but was playing on the volleyball team that won the national championship. "It's a little different, but this will be my fourth year in the program." he said. "I'm still a little uncomfortable, but I'm excited for the change." Copyright 1998 Los Angeles Times. All Rights Reserved (8/25/98) Daily Report - The concerns over finding a new right tackle, merely the successor to All-American Chad Overhauser and responsible for helping to protect quarterback Cade McNown's blind side, have been replaced by the excitement over the presence of a new Brian Polak. About eight months after coming close to giving up football because he wasn't sure he had the desire anymore--"Like real close," Coach Bob Toledo said--Polak has emerged as the most pleasant surprise for UCLA since the end of last season. He improved his conditioning and attitude during spring practice in April and opened as No. 1 on the depth chart, erasing the image of a disappointing freshman season. "I'm in three times better shape," Polak said Saturday after the Bruins opened practice. "My game is a lot better. My speed. My stamina. Basically, everything went through the roof." Including his stock. The biggest area of improvement? "His work ethic," Toledo said. "He was a big, heavy kid as a freshman, didn't know how to work, struggled. All of a sudden, he's in shape and ready to make a contribution." Said offensive line coach Mark Weber: "He has done everything he could do to put himself in position to have a great season." Even a solid season from Polak would be another boost to the line already considered among the best in the Pacific 10 Conference, thanks to the presence of left tackle Kris Farris, center Shawn Stuart and right guard Andy Meyers. Copyright 1998 Los Angeles Times. All Rights Reserved Heismania - The Heisman watch has begun. Sports Illustrated picks Cade as their #2 candidate. Check it out here. (8/21/98) Sports Illustrated Preview - CNN/Sports Illustrated pick the Bruins to finish #1 in the Pac-10 and pick Cade as their Offensive Player of the Year in the Pac-10. Check it out here. (8/21/98) Practice Almost Here - Fall practice begins this Saturday, August 22nd. Stay tuned to this page for updates and reports from practice. (8/20/98) AP Poll Released - The UCLA Bruins are ranked #7 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll. The Bruins, with 1,331 points, fell behind 6th place Kansas St. by only 4 points. (8/16/98) Wall Street Worthy - The Cade McNown Page received Wall Street Journal attention on August 7th. This page was one of only four college football sites featured in the "Sports Journal" section of the Wall Street Journal. It was the only site which featured a player and the only fan-created site as well. It's a great honor since one of the featured sites was the well-known and reputable "The Sporting News" page. This is what the journal had to say about this page: "Every year brings more Heisman Trophy hype, and Cade McNown--who has been the starting quarterback at UCLA since '95--probably will be in the running this year. This fan-created site has a huge archive of recent articles on him and UCLA football. And the "images" link features an astounding 55 photos of Mr. McNown (See him run! See him meet Troy Aikman! See him on the cover of magazines!) available for downloading." (8/9/98) Top of the Pac-10 - UCLA has been picked to win the 1998 Pacific-10 Conference football title in a pre-season poll of West Coast media members that regularly cover the league. The Bruins nipped ARIZONA STATE in the closest pre-season poll in the last 20 years. UCLA garnered 16 of the 30 first-place votes cast with Arizona State being tabbed to win the Conference crown on the other 14 ballots. The media poll has correctly selected the Conference Champion in 16 of 37 previous polls. The poll has picked the winner five of the last nine years, but just once in the last five. Click here for more details. (8/9/98) Coaches Speak - The Bruins are ranked #7 on the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 Coaches' Poll. UCLA received 3 first place votes in the balloting. Check out the Rankings page for the rest of the Top 25. Here is USA Today's outlook on the upcoming Bruin season: QB Cade McNown is one of the leading Heisman Trophy candidates, but the Bruins must replace RB Skip Hicks, perhaps with Jermaine Lewis and/or Keith Brown. S Larry Atkins, LB Brendon Ayanbedajo and NT Pete Holland lead an inexperienced defense. (8/9/98)
Cade is First Class - The Dick Butkus network selects Cade on their First Team All-America Team. Click here to check out the rest of the 1998 All-America Team. UCLA is also given a pre-season ranking of #4. (8/2/98) Football Tickets on Sale July 27 - UCLA football season and single-game tickets for the Bruins' five 1998 home games at the Rose Bowl will go on sale on Mon., July 27 at the UCLA Central Ticket Office. The schedule opens on Sept. 12 against Texas, featuring Ricky Williams, the nation's leading rusher a year ago, and concludes with the crosstown showdown against USC on Nov. 21. Click here for more details. (7/26/98)
Cade is "Big" - Cade McNown appeared on "The Big Show" today on Fox Sports West II, which could also be heard on XTRA Sports 1150AM. In response to the Heisman hype, Cade responded: "I've never really been big on individual awards. If I was, I would have played golf or tennis. Football is a team sport. You win as a team and you lose as a team." Regarding the records of Tom Ramsey that he continues to shatter: "He (Ramsey) would say records are meant for breaking." (7/15/98) Bruins #10 - CBS SportsLine has released their pre-season Top 25 Poll for the 1998 Season and the Bruins are ranked #10. Click here for their other pre-season picks. (6/25/98) Rose Bowl Gets a Sponsor - The Rose Bowl, the last holdout in college football's sponsorship game, changed its name on Thursday to the "Rose Bowl presented by AT&T." Officials maintain that the Rose Bowl signage around the stadium will not be tampered with in any way, and AT&T logos will not be sewn on player uniforms. (6/25/98) Pac-10 Note - Pac-10 rival Stanford has lost their starting quarterback. Chad Hutchinson has chosen baseball over football and signed a contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. Hutchinson passed for 4,235 yards and 20 touchdowns at Stanford. Click here for the article. (6/25/98) Bowl Championship Series - The Fiesta Bowl will serve as the championship game of the Bowl Championship Series for the 1998 season. Using a specific formula, the two highest ranked teams in the Bowl Championship Series Standings will meet in the Fiesta Bowl to determine the 1998 national champion. For the 1998 season, the Rose Bowl will feature the Pacific-10 Conference Champion versus the Big Ten Conference Champion unless either or both teams are ranked one or two in the BCS Standings. If either the Pac-10 or Big Ten Champion is so ranked, it will play in the Fiesta Bowl and another team as selected by the Tournament of Roses from the pool of existing teams in the BCS Standings will play in the Rose Bowl. (6/25/98) Top Ten Once Again - The Sporting News ranks the Bruins a pre-season #10 in their Top Ten List. Check out the other pre-season picks in their countdown. (6/15/98) Bruins Make Pre-Season Top Ten - Lindy's Football Annual ranks the Bruins a pre-season #9 in their Top Ten List. (6/10/98)
Bruins Ranked #2 - The UCLA Bruins are ranked a preseason No. 2 by the "College Sports News Daily." Click here to check out the preseason Top 35. (5/15/98) McNown Makes First Team - McNown tops "College Sports News Daily's" 1998 preseason All-America team. Click here for the article and complete list. (5/15/98) Coming Soon...Bruin Football Fan Commentary - Want to express your views and opinions of Bruin Football on this page? The Cade McNown Page will soon be featuring commentary from you, the fans. Click here for more info. Fall Drills - Fall drills begin on August 22. Stay tuned for more details. (5/15/98) Spring Practice Begins - Spring practice began on April 7th. From what I've seen, Cade looks really good...poised and relaxed, yet eager to compete. His hustle and enthusiasm are like that of a freshman, which is really great...the Heisman hype doesn't seem to have gotten to him. Drew Bennet is much improved and will be waiting as a back-up for Cade. Brian Poli-Dixon (FL) is also looking really good and reminds a lot of us of J.J. Stokes. Click here for more detailed news on spring practice. (4/27/98) Spring Practice Coming Soon - Spring practice begins on April 7th. Come out to Spaulding Field and support the Bruins. Practices are scheduled for April 7,8,9,13,14,15,16,20,21,23,25,27,28,29 and 30. They will begin at 4:00 p.m. and will end at approximately 6:15 p.m., with the exception of Saturday, April 25 (1-3 p.m.) (3/30/98)
Coach Toledo's
Open Letter to the UCLA Student Body
-
Running Backs Coach Hired - Kelly Skipper, who has spent the last nine years on the staff coaching at Fresno State, has been hired to coach running backs at UCLA, head coach Bob Toledo announced today. "Kelly is one of the top running back coaches in the nation" said Toledo. "We are excited he chose to come to UCLA because he had some other opportunities. In addition to being a fine coach, he is an outstanding recruiter. He will be a great addition to our staff." Skipper has spent the last seven years (1991-97) coaching the running backs and return specialists at Fresno State. Prior to that, he spent two seasons (1989-90) as a graduate assistant coach at Fresno State. This past season, FSU tailback Michael Pittman rushed for 1,057 yards and ranked second in the Western Athletic Conference and 26th nationally with his average of 96.1 yards per game. Three times during Skipper's seven years, FSU ranked among the nation's Top 20 in rushing yards per game, including No. 3 in 1991 and No. 16 in 1992. (2/11/98)
UCLA Recruits Top Class in Nation
- CNN/Sports Illustrated announces: "UCLA, This Year's
Big Winner" in rating UCLA's recruiting class #1 this year. The signing
of running back DeShaun Foster, a 6-2, 200-pounder from Santa Ana, Calif.,
was the highlight of the day. Foster ran for 3,395 yards and 54 touchdowns
in leading Tustin High School to a 13-1 record. Among the parade of
All-Americans who chose UCLA were defensive linemen Sean Phillips of Sugar
Land, Texas; Mike Saffer of Tucson, Ariz., linebacker Robert Thomas of Imperial,
Calif., and defensive back Lovell Houston of Denver. Thomas, 6-3, 230,
was rated as the top linebacker by recruiting experts. Bobby Burton
of Austin, Texas-based The National Recruiting Advisor, is one of those experts.
"UCLA probably had the most well-rounded class," Burton said. "They
basically beat the pants off USC, which was one of the big
disappointments." Hats off to Coach Toledo and the whole 1997
Football Team for their awesome work in bringing UCLA to the forefront of
college football this year.
This Rose Doesn't Smell the Same...it Stinks. The last of the great bowl games has finally joined the others and "sold out." The Rose Bowl will be adding a sponsor's tagline for 1999. The game will also cost more to attend, have fewer seats available and might not match teams from the Pac-10 and Big Ten. If neither conference has a team ranked first or second, the Pac-10 and Big Ten will have teams in the game, as they have for 50 years. Otherwise, there will be some new faces in town. The McRose Bowl? "We will not be changing the logo, and there will not be a sign inside the stadium for the presenting sponsor," said Jack French, executive director of the Rose Bowl. (1/8/98)
Looking Ahead - The 1998 Football
Season Schedule is set.
Cade is the 3,000-yard man - Cade
McNown became UCLA's first 3,000-yard passer, moving past Tom Ramsey, who
set the previous record of 2,986 in 1982. McNown finished the season with
3,116 yards, and his 41-yard touchdown pass to Skip Hicks gave him 24 scoring
passes this season, tying him with Troy Aikman (1988).
Cade is Most Valuable in Cotton Bowl!
- Cade McNown was named MVP of the game after he led the Bruins
to a comeback victory after being down 16-0 with moments left in the first
half. The victory marked the 10th straight win for the Bruins this
year as well as the 2nd largest comeback in Cotton Bowl history.
UCLA Owns Texas! - The Los Angeles Times Sports headline reads, "UCLA: The Best Little Powerhouse in Texas." UCLA came back to win the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day, completing a sweep of all three Texas teams they faced this season. Skip Hicks, a Texas native, put on a t-shirt after the game reading, "UCLA Texas State Champs." "Texas" spelled out in the university's burnt orange, "State" in Houston's red and "Champs" in the Aggies' maroon, signifying victories over those schools in the 10-game streak.
New Defensive Coordinator Named -
Nick Aliotti, who constructed the "Gang Green" defense at the University
of Oregon during its 1994 Rose Bowl season, has been named defensive coordinator
at UCLA, head coach Bob Toledo announced today. Aliotti replaces Rocky
Long the new head coach at the University of New Mexico. "Nick is an
outstanding coach who believes in the same type of attacking defensive philosophy
I want our team to play," said Toledo. "I worked with him at the University
of Oregon and he is a great teacher and a great person. I feel he is an excellent
fit with the rest of the coaches on our staff." Aliotti, 43, has spent the
last three seasons (1995-97) coaching various positions, including linebackers,
safeties and special teams, for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football
League.
UCLA Defense Change - Rocky Long, UCLA defensive coordinartor, announced he will be leaving UCLA next year to take on the coach's job at New Mexico. Rocky's unconventional defensive schemes were an integral part of the Bruins' nine-game winning streak. This year's Bruin attack defense forced an amazing 39 turnovers this season. Rocky's defensive units do not huddle before each play...each player looks over to the sidelines for the call. Toledo on Rocky: "When I hired Rocky Long, he had been with a 1-10 team and people asked me, "Why are you running that crazy defense?" I believed in Rocky, and I didn't make Rocky change a thing in the defense." Cotton Bowl Tickets - Cotton Bowl officials announced that the game will not be a sell-out once again. McNown to Return Next Year! - "Sure I'm coming back next year," McNown said while twirling a football around his fingers. "I'm only 20. I still have room for growth. I want to graduate. I'd like to take a run at some of those postseason awards and I'd like to have a season where I hit 68 percent of my passes." McNown completed 61 percent of his passes this season as the Bruins lost close games to Washington State and Tennessee, then won nine in a row o earn a Cotton Bowl berth against the Aggies (9-3). He had a quarterback efficiency rating of 168.6, the 12th-highest in NCAA history. Not even Aikman had a year like that at UCLA, posting a best of 157.6. McNown noticed in Heisman voting - Cade McNown finished eighth overall in the Heisman Trophy balloting. McNown a Davey O'Brien Award Finalist - McNown was honored as one of only three finalists for the Davey O'Brien Award. The award is given to the number one quarterback in the US. Peyton Manning later took home the award. Last year's finalists were Wuerffel, Manning, and Frazier. Wuerffel went on to win it for the second year in a row. McNown Takes on the Alliance - Cade McNown didn't avoid saying what every other Bruin seemed scared to say: "I'm so sick of the politics. I want to meet all of the people who vote on these things (Alliance) because it's absurd. It's a joke." McNown An All-American - Cade McNown garnered All-American honors and was named to the third team along with Bruin safety Larry Atkins. Offensive lineman Chad Overhauser was the only first-teamer, while tailback Skip Hicks, safety Shaun Williams, and placekicker Chris Sailer made second team. UCLA Wins Pac-10 Championship! - After losing their first two games of the season, the Bruins came back in force to win all 9 of their remaining regular-season games, culminating in the defeat of USC and a share of the Pac-10 Championship. The Pac-10 championship was UCLA's sixth in the last 16 years. No other school has won more Pac-10 titles in that span. Who's the football school in Southern California? Trojans in Awe (I didn't know trojans could even think) - After the UCLA win... One observer who took notice of all that McNown can do is u$c middle linebacker Chris Claiborne. There was little equivocation when Claiborne was asked what makes UCLA's offense so good, the offense that entered the day ranked third in the nation in scoring. "It's their quarterback, man," Claiborne said. "If you want to know the truth. Skip (who rushed for 126 yards) had a pretty good game today, too. You can't take that away from him. But it's their quarterback. He's a real good player." Too bad your "coach" didn't know about him. Washington in Awe - UW coach Jim Lambright on the reasons McNown was considered for the UW QB job. "He moves real well in the pocket." "But the one thing we liked about him the most when we were recruiting him was his competitiveness. He's one of those who you know is going to die trying to win." Brock Who? Ryan Who? - McNown is a better quarterback than the often highly touted Washington school quarterbacks. "I compare him quite favorably to those two," said California coach Tom Holmoe, whose team played all three quarterbacks on three consecutive weekends earlier this year. "Right now he is really the guiding light behind that offense. Brock has a lot of weapons but isn't asked to do quite as much and Leaf has so much going for him offensively. I don't know that (McNown) has the same receivers (to work with) that Washington and Washington State does."
|
Arm
of Gold!!! - Cade McNown has won the 1998 Johnny
Unitas Golden Arm Award!! The award is given annually to the nation's
top senior college quarterback by the Frank Camp Chapter of the Johnny Unitas
Golden Arm Educational Foundation. Unitas, an 18-year veteran of the NFL,
will present the award December 11 in Louisville. Cade received a call from
Johnny U. himself this morning with the good news. We're proud of you
Cade and always knew your arm was made out of gold....it's nice to see others
have noticed too! The other finalists for the award were Joe Germaine
of Ohio State, Michael Bishop of Kansas State, Daunte Culpepper of Central
Florida, and Donovan McNabb of Syracuse. Last year's winner was Peyton
Manning.
Looking Good - Cade McNown
is selected as the #1 Heisman Trophy hopeful by Bob Griese. Griese
says, "If he wins his Sept. 12 showdown with Ricky Williams and leads this
team to the Rose Bowl, the award is all but his." McNown also makes Griese's
First Team Offense 1998 All-America Team. The Bruins are ranked #11 in Griese's
Pre-Season Top 40. Cade McNown makes the cover of the pre-season magazine
and has a feature article as well.
(8/2/98)
More Pre-Season
Hype - Street & Smith's College Football ranks the
Bruins #4 in their Top 25 List. Cade McNown dominates the cover of
the Pac-10 edition of the magazine. UCLA is also picked to win the
Pac-10 conference. Cade McNown is named to their All-Pac-10 Team and
makes the Second Team All-America. Check out the
McNown
Makes Athlon First Team - Athlon Sports has released
their 1998 Preseason All-America Team picks. Here is their introduction
to this year's picks..."The most striking feature of Athlon's 1998
preseason All-America team is the preponderance of leather-helmet types--players
who would appear as much at home in football's Stone Age as today. We
offer our readers a quarterback who led the nation in pass efficiency in
1997 yet beat his cross-town rival as much with his feet as with his arm,
and booted a 76-yard punt in the Cotton Bowl...." McNown shares the
cover of the National Edition of Athlon's 1998 College Football Preview
with Notre Dame's Autry Denson. Make sure you pick up the Pac-10 Edition
of Athlon's 1998 College Football Preview though, for more extensive
Bruin coverage. McNown shares the cover of this edition as well and
has a feature article devoted to him called "No Passing Fancy - UCLA quarterback
Cade McNown is the Heisman Trophy frontrunner, but his attitude is still
all about team." Athlon gives the Bruins an overall preseason
ranking of #10 in the nation and predicts a 2nd place finish in the Pac-10
after Arizona State (what are they thinking?)
(6/7/98)
