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 A hot soccer match on a cold night at Drake Stadium sent UCLA to the College Cup — the NCAA’s Final Four — with its No. 1 ranking intact with a 3-2 double-overtime win Friday night over Portland. A few hours earlier, the No. 8-seeded Bruin volleyball team finished a rout of Alabama A&M in its opening match at the NCAA Tournament in Clemson, S.C.
>> For the UCLA women’s soccer team, victory came only after 104 minutes of play as senior midfielder Danesha Adams (pictured) scored her second goal of the night with an assist from Lauren Barnes. The Bruins trailed, 1-0, at halftime as Portland, ranked second in the region, was the aggressor with six shots to UCLA’s four. But the Bruin attack came alive in the second half, with eight shots and goals in the 51st minute from Adams for a tie and then in the 72nd minute when striker Kara Lang headed in a cross from midfielder Christina DiMartino.
UCLA’s 2-1 lead looked like it might hold up, but Portland’s Angie Woznuk scored in the 89th minute to force overtime. Neither team scored in the first overtime period, even though UCLA piled up six shots to Portland’s one. But 3:58 into the second overtime, Barnes sent a corner kick toward the Portland goal and Adams headed it into the net for the winner.
The Bruins are now 20-1-2 while Portland ends its season at 18-4-0. Incredibly, UCLA will travel all the way to College Station, Texas, for the national semifinals next Friday . . . to face cross-town rival USC (18-3-2) for the right to play for the national title. In their only meeting of the year at Drake Stadium, the Bruins defeated USC, 2-0, on Oct. 26. Notre Dame and Florida State will play in the other semifinal.
>> The Bruin women’s volleyball team simply overwhelmed Alabama A&M, 30-9, 30-13 and 30-14 to move into the NCAA second round Saturday against host Clemson.
The match was so one-sided that Coach Andy Banachowski rested most of his regulars in the third game and UCLA set a school record for the fewest points given up in a match with 36. That was seven points fewer than the old mark of 43, achieved only twice since the switch to rally scoring (point per serve) in 2001. Alabama A&M ended the season with a record of 15-10.
The Bruins hit an almost unheard of .420 for the match. Kaitlin Sather had a team-high 11 kills and junior All-American setter Nellie Spicer had 25 assists in two games.
Sather said afterward, "It's so fun when everyone gets to play. We all train the same amount of hours. It's not as if everybody gets time off whether you're playing or not. Everyone played hard." She didn’t seem too concerned about playing against host Clemson on the road, either, noting, "I've been to Nebraska a few times, so I think we're ready. I'm not necessarily worried about the crowd because of our past experience dealing with large crowds. It's a small gym, which is different from Pauley Pavilion. But the Pac-10 is the best preparation you can have. Going into the tournament, we are really prepared for strong teams."
Danesha Adams photo courtesy of UCLA
UCLA Sports Information provided an injury update after today’s practice:
>> Alfred Aboya and Darren Collison went through full practices today without pain and will definitely play. Who will be in the starting lineup will be a game-time decision.
>> Michael Roll practiced for an hour and 15 minutes today with contact and said he felt fine afterward. His status for the Texas game is still questionable.
Worth noting: there will be 39 scouts (37 from the NBA, one from the NBDL and one international scout) at the UCLA-Texas match-up Sunday. Scouts from 29 of 30 NBA teams will be present; only Denver has not requested credentials for a scout.
UCLA Coach Ben Howland addressed all the expected topics in a teleconference with reporters today:
>> Howland expects a whale of a game with Texas on Sunday:
"I want to know who has a better backcourt [than Texas]? They not only have [A.J.] Abrams and [D.J.] Augustin, but also [Justin] Mason. They are very hard to match up with because they shoot it so well from three. They make plays for one another. They are very, very good. Abrams was their second-leading scorer on last year’s team. Mason is a very good player. He shot 40% from three last year, and Augustin was 44 and Abrams — who shoots a ton of them — he took 284 threes last year and made 42% of them. He is a great shooter with a really quick release. It’s really going to be a matchup nightmare for us trying to deal with those three guards.
"They do press quite a bit. They do a lot of 2-2-1 pressing. They do play a 2-3 zone. So they’ll go back and forth and play both."
>> On the Big 12-Pac-10 series which starts this year, Howland said, "It’s good for our conference because there are a number of teams in our conference that have a hard time getting good games against BCS conference opponents. It really forces you to play in this situation. For the University of Texas or the University of Kansas or UCLA or Arizona or USC, it’s not as hard because of the media markets and their ability to attract good television share to be able to put games together for our respective programs. But there are a number of other programs that have a more difficult time in scheduling. Therefore, it helps both conferences. For Oregon to win at Kansas State and for USC to beat Oklahoma, that’s great for the Pac-10."
>> Howland noted that Darren Collison is doing well: "We didn’t practice yesterday, but he did do a little bit of conditioning on the bike and some rehab. He said that he felt fine. We’ll have a fairly rigorous practice today, so that will be a better judge. He felt fine afterward [the game on Wednesday], so that was great. Provided that we have no issues here in the next couple of days, yes [Collison will start].
"I was really amazed, No. 1, at how we played after being out of action for 24 days and having had two practices — one of which he was a little hesitant. Monday he was a little hesitant, thinking about it. Tuesday he was much better. Wednesday, in reviewing the film, he wasn’t even thinking about his leg. Normally, when you’re out for 10 days, two weeks or three weeks, it takes quite a bit of time to get back into a normal rhythm. He’s not where he would be if he had never missed this time. It just speaks to his great athletic ability and what a great player he is to step in and do what he did on Wednesday. We’re playing against arguably one of the top two or three point guards in Augustine. He’s really good, and I’m amazed watching this kid on film. We’ve got our hands full just trying to defend him. They’re both really good point guards."
>> The Bruin coach would like to see his team do a better job of getting the ball to center Kevin Love. "I think that we’ve got to do a better job of getting the ball to him in the post, especially against zones. When you’re a team that zones quite a bit, what you’re saying is that we’re going to give you outside shots. If you do a good job attacking the zone, you’re going to have some wide-open shots, but you’re going to take away the point. We have to do a better job moving him around and do a better job of sealing inside and getting it to him when he is inside. We need to take advantage of his skill level."
>> Howland also was hopeful about getting more help from injured guard Michael Roll: "Michael definitely helps us because he stretches defenses with his ability to shoot. [Michael] practiced for 45 minutes with the team, some contact, on Tuesday. And then he did an individual workout Wednesday and did a bunch of shooting yesterday and we expect him to practice today, hopefully for about an hour or so. He had some soreness in his foot after Tuesday’s practice, which is to be expected."
Thanks to all who sent good wishes and inquiries after I was flattened by Noel Wilmore, George Washington’s 6-4, 193-pound reserve guard Wednesday night as he leaped over the scorer’s table chasing after a loose ball in the second half.
We had quite a scene there as Wilmore flew over the signboards and right on top of me, displacing my computer, a nearly full cup of Diet Coke, all of my notes and those of my spotter Paul Roberts and some very fresh popcorn. The laptop seems to be OK (it continued to work without incident), but I lost my glasses in the melee and ended up holding on to Wilmore’s right thigh to keep him from (1) head-butting the fans in the first row and (2) slamming his knee into my face! Wilmore finally got back on the court, I recovered my glasses (still intact) and we cleaned up the mess as best we could.
It’s not the first time this has happened, and it wasn’t quite as violent as when Adam Keefe of Stanford clotheslined spotter Bruce Tenen in 1992. But I did check my insurance coverage again once I got home.
On to basketball:
>> Rancho Cucamonga Los Osos High School sophomore guard Kendall Williams announced today that he’s committed to attending UCLA. His statement read, in part:
"After careful consideration and taking unofficial visits to all the schools on my list, I’ve decided to play basketball for UCLA. This was not an easy decision for me since I had some outstanding choices, but I can assure you that my decision is solid. UCLA is the whole package — superb coaching staff, outstanding academic reputation, tradition of basketball excellence, and localed right here in so cal [sic]."
Williams is pretty savvy for a 10th-grader. His statement also included this: "I can hardly wait to be part of the first team that wins a national championship in the ‘new’ Pauley Pavilion."
>> Former Bruin center Jelani McCoy was picked up Thursday by the injury-plagued Denver Nuggets from the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League. McCoy is 29 years old and has played for five teams (including the Lakers) in his seven years in the NBA. He has career averages of 4.7 points and 3.6 assists per game.
>> A look at some Bruins who have finished playing at UCLA, but are still playing outside the NBA:
- T.J. Cummings, with the L.A. D-Fenders of the NBA D-League
- Tyus Edney, with Lottomattica Roma in Italy
- Dijon Thompson, with Alba Berlin of the Bundesliga in Germany
And, of course, former Bruin Coach Jim Harrick, head coach of the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League.
The Times’ Chris Foster has reported that UCLA junior Patrick Cowan, who quarterbacked the Bruins' 13-9 win over USC last year, will start Saturday. Bruin Coach Karl Dorrell said Cowan’s mobility "was the determining factor."
Ben Olson, who played in the second half of last Saturday’s win over Oregon, is still "not 100%" but could see some action during the game, Dorrell said.
Running back Craig Sheppard, who has a thigh injury, will be a game-time decision as the backup to Chris Markey.
And in what is a Bruin tradition, the seniors were carried off the practice field by the underclassmen.
 The Bruins and Trojans will get it on Saturday at the Coliseum to decide bragging rights, possibly the Rose Bowl representative, the Pac-10 Conference champion and maybe the future of both head coaches. And that’s just for starters:
Football:
>> Bruin senior center Chris Joseph repeated as a first-team ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Joseph has a 3.95 cumulative grade-point average with a major in geography.
>> The highlight of Blue and Gold Week is the annual rally and bonfire that will take place tonight at UCLA’s Wilson Plaza from 8 to 10. The parade will start from the UCLA residential zone about 7 p.m. and land at the end of Westwood Boulevard about an hour later.
>> The annual "Blood Bowl" between the UCLA Daily Bruin and the USC Daily Trojan will be held Friday afternoon at McAlister Field on the USC campus, beginning about 4:30 p.m. The Daily Trojan has dominated the football series against the Daily Bruin, winning eight in a row. On the other hand, the Daily Bruin has been recognized as the best college newspaper in the western states for the last four years and was national collegiate newspaper of the year in 2006. Take your pick.
>> The final meeting of the Westwood Bruin Touchdown Club will be held at 7 a.m. Friday at the Olympic Collection at Olympic and Sawtelle boulevards in West Los Angeles. Featured speakers will include defensive line coach Todd Howard, wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Eric Scott and six players: place-kicker Kai Forbath, defensive end Kenneth Lombard, cornerback Rodney Van, guard P.J. Irvin, receiver Terrence Austin and safety Brett Lockett. Naturally, "every man, woman and child" (Geoff Strand) will be the master of ceremonies, accompanied by the UCLA Spirit Squad. Tickets, which include breakfast, are $24 each; for more information, call Claudia Hart at (310) 348-UCLA or send an e-mail to Claudia4UCLA@yahoo.com.
Men’s basketball:
>> The Bruins (7-0) are ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in the nation, depending on which poll you prefer, and got star guard Darren Collison back Wednesday night in an 83-60 win over George Washington. UCLA will take on fifth-ranked Texas at 5 p.m. Sunday in a nationally televised game that is part of the Big 12-Pac-10 Hardwood Series.
Men’s soccer:
>> A disappointing season came to an end Wednesday night as the Bruins lost, 3-1, at Santa Clara in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. UCLA finished 9-9-3 after being ranked No. 1 in the nation in preseason polls.
Women’s basketball:
>> After a difficult loss Sunday at Pauley Pavilion to third-ranked Maryland, 79-75, UCLA suffered a bad loss to unranked Pepperdine on the road Wednesday night, 91-79. Junior guard Tierra Henderson and senior forward Lindsey Pluimer each had 15 points to lead UCLA (3-2) and freshman center Regina Rogers had 12 points and 16 rebounds.
>> UCLA now heads to Reno, where it will play in the Nugget Classic, first against Idaho State on Saturday and then against the winner of Nevada and Southern on Sunday.
Women’s soccer:
>> No. 1-ranked UCLA (19-1-2) will face the No. 2 seed in the West, Portland (18-3-0), for a spot in the College Cup (soccer’s Final Four) at 7 p.m. Friday at Drake Stadium. There’s no Southern California telecast of the game, but live audio of the match can be heard on uclabruins.com.
>> Three Bruins — sophomore forward Lauren Cheney, senior midfielder Danesha Adams and junior midfielder Christina DiMartino (pictured) — have been named as semifinalists for the Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Award, given annually to the top collegiate soccer player. They are on a list of 15 players that will be paired with four finalists Dec. 14. The winner will be announced Jan. 11.
Women’s volleyball:
>> UCLA (20-10) is the national No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament and begins play in Clemson, S.C., against Alabama A&M (15-9) on Friday. If the Bruins win, they will play the winner of the Alabama (15-14)-Clemson (28-3) match on Saturday. Live audio of each game will be available with Darren Preston on the microphone at uclabruins.com.
>> Junior setter Nellie Spicer was named Monday to the Pac-10 Conference first team for the third year in a row. Senior Rachell Johnson and juniors Ali Daley and Kaitlin Sather earned honorable mention and Dicey McGraw and Katie Mills received honorable mention on the All-Freshman squad. Johnson also was invited to the U.S. National Team tryouts in January at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Christina DiMartino photo courtesy of UCLA
Bruin guard Darren Collison was in good spirits after his 26-minute, 14-point performance tonight. He told KLAC-AM 570's Chris Roberts, "It's all fine. It's all about me playing with my confidence." He said he was surprised that he played so many minutes, but he was pleased with the results. He still wants to work on his shot, though (he was 4-9 from the field).
Collison added that being on the floor with Russell Westbrook is "actually easier for me, we get a lot of good things together."
Also of note:
>> Bruin soph guard Russell Westbrook had a career-high 19 points (previous was 15 against Yale in his last game).
>> Bruin junior guard Darren Collison opened his season with 26 minutes, 14 points and five assists and no turnovers.
>> Bruin freshman center Kevin Love had his fourth double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
>> UCLA had a season-low 11 turnovers and out-rebounded GWU, 34-30. UCLA has out-rebounded each of its opponents this season.
>> The Bruins shot 21-26 from the foul line (80.8%), its best foul-shooting night on the season (previous, 15-20 vs. Portland State, 75%).
>> The Bruins scored on 58% of their possessions tonight (39-67) with 20-33 in the first half (60%) and 19-34 (56%) in the second half. The Colonials scored on just 42% of their possessions (27-65) with 16-32 in the first half (50%) and 11-33 in the second half (33%).
>> Quotes from George Washington Coach Karl Hobbs:
"It was really simple. We have a lot of work to do to compete. We’re not disciplined. We did not get back on defense. UCLA is a physical team; anytime you play against a physical team like this, you’re going to have a lot of fouls.
"This team (UCLA) is very good. There is a reason why they are projected to be a Final Four team, plus they have six McDonald’ s All-Americans. We did not really focus on anybody; Westbrook had a great game for them. By playing a terrific team, that will help us out for the conference."
>> Quotes from UCLA Coach Ben Howland:
"I was very pleased with this win. They are a good team that has been in the Tournament the past three years and is very well coached.
"I felt we got off to a really good start, but let up a bit toward the end of the half. We did a good job attacking the press to begin the second half. We also handled the ball well and kept the amount of turnovers down against their pressure.
"I was especially impressed with Russell Westbrook tonight; penetrating, jump stops and kick-outs. He did a great job offensively. I also felt we did a good job on the boards and Russell used his athletic ability to grab seven rebounds.
"It was really good to have Darren Collison out there. He made a lot of progress since the beginning of the week. It was amazing to see how great he did, having not played in a game in 26 days. We’re excited to have him back because he is such a great athlete."
In the first half, UCLA's Darren Collison played pretty well, with 12 minutes of playing time. He shot only one out of four from the field (a three-pointer), but hit five of six foul shots for eight points. He had two assists and no turnovers.
>> Bruin opponents cannot be happy with the play of Collison and Russell Westbrook, together in the backcourt. In the second half, the two are 4-5 in the second half and stealing and scoring almost at will.
>> With 7:28 to play, the Bruin lead is up to 70-45, and Collison and Westbrook are making complete pests of themselves. The Bruins have 18 assists on 24 baskets and only nine turnovers. Collison and Westbrook have 13 assists and two turnovers between them. The Bruins are shooting 57.1% for the game and the Colonials are at 35.7%.
>> A very successful night for Collison comes to an end with 3:54 to go and the Bruins up, 70-50. In 26 minutes, he had 14 points on 4-9 shooting and 5-7 foul shots. He had five assists and no turnovers.
>> Final numbers: UCLA shot 50.9% for the game, and held GWU to 38% for the game and just 32% in he second half. Westbrook led the Bruins with 19 points and eight assists. Kevin Love had a double-double with 11 points and a team-high 11 rebounds.
Final score: UCLA 83, George Washington 60
Spotted at courtside during warmups: Stan Love, ex-NBA veteran and proud father of Kevin Love, chatting with ex-NBA and UCLA great Walt Hazzard (sitting with his son) at courtside.
>> Forward Alfred Aboya is wearing a bright orange pair of goggles that look like refugees from a swim school auction. But protecting the eyes is the important thing.
>> Guard Darren Collison has entered the game with 15:56 to play in the first half and UCLA leading 10-2. It's his first action since the first exhibition game against Azusa Pacific on Nov. 2.
>> It's a fairly rough and tumble game; George Washington was called for its seventh team foul (bonus for UCLA) after just 4:38 of the game. Do referees get paid by the call? Just kidding . . .
>> For those watching on television, yes that was yours truly who was belly-flopped upon by Noel Wilmore with 4:29 to play in the first half. You know it's a rough game when the stat crew gets tackled.
>> Back to the game: Russell Westbrook had 13 points to lead the Bruins, plus five assists. UCLA shot 51.9% from the field and 82.4% on 14 of 17 foul shots. George Washington shot 44.0% from the floor and just 53.8% (7 of 13) from the foul line.
Halftime score: UCLA 44, George Washington 35
He's baaack . . . guard Darren Collison is suited up and will see at least some action tonight. Michael Roll is in street clothes and will not play.
>> Collison is wearing a long brace on his left leg from the thigh to the ankle to support his knee. It's ugly, but hopefully it will be effective.
>> George Washington is 2-1 and is led by 6-8 forward Rob Diggs, who averages 20 points per game and 8.3 rebounds. Forward Wynton Witherspoon (6-7) averages 15.0 points and 6-8 forward Damian Hollis leads the team at 8.7 rebounds a game.
>> Tonight's game is being televised by Fox Sports with Bill Macdonald and Don MacLean. Chris Roberts will be calling solo on KLAC-AM 570 tonight.
UCLA head coach Karl Dorrell said he was pleased with the progress of quarterback Ben Olson, who practiced today and should be available for duty on Saturday.
Patrick Cowan took the majority of the snaps today and will certainly be a big part of the game plan on Saturday.
UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero and Rose Bowl General Manager Darryl Dunn both sent out statements today about the possibility of USC playing its home football games at the Rose Bowl:
Dan Guerrero:
This statement is to clarify UCLA’s position regarding the possibility of USC becoming a temporary secondary tenant at the Rose Bowl.
First, there is no agreement in place. At the request of USC, UCLA permitted USC to have preliminary discussions with the Rose Bowl regarding the possibility of temporary usage while it continues to negotiate with the Coliseum Commission. This is where the matter presently stands.
Any possible agreement would be for one year and subject to approval by UCLA. No long-term arrangement between USC and the Rose Bowl would even be considered by UCLA. Our position as the primary tenant is protected by our long-term lease, which runs through 2023.
Any temporary usage by USC at the Rose Bowl would have to be non-impactful on UCLA, our football program and our fans. Any such arrangement would have to ensure that the integrity of the UCLA football experience for our team and fans would not be compromised in any way. The Rose Bowl is UCLA’s home venue and the occupancy of any additional tenant on a temporary basis, if approved by UCLA, must be clearly secondary to that concept.
I feel that it is in the best interest of college football in Southern California for each institution to have its own home stadium and I remain hopeful that USC and the Coliseum Commission can reach a satisfactory accord.
Darryl Dunn:
We have been approached by the University of Southern California related to playing its home games at the Rose Bowl on a short-term basis but we have made no commitments in any fashion.
Our primary tenant at the Rose Bowl is UCLA and we have an excellent relationship and working agreement with the university. UCLA has exclusive college football rights as part of its long-term agreement with the Rose Bowl and would have to approve USC playing its home games in the Rose Bowl.
The governing body of the Rose Bowl is the Rose Bowl Operating Company and our board of directors will be meeting next Thursday evening. We plan to hold a limited discussion of any potential lease negotiation in closed, executive session at the meeting.
In accord with California’s open meeting laws, there would be an announcement in open session of any reportable action taken. However, at this time it is highly unlikely that any final action will be taken or reported.
We have kept UCLA informed of any and all discussions we have had with USC related to its plans for home games in the near future. Our discussions with USC have been at a preliminary stage of negotiation.
We are open to assisting USC on a short-term basis if this meets with the desires of UCLA and our board of directors of the Rose Bowl Operating Company.
Everyone expected that freshman Brian Price from Crenshaw High would be an impact player. Even though his entry into college football was delayed until the fourth game of the year, it looks as if he's been noticed.
Price has been named second-team Freshman All-America by Rivals.com and Scout.com. He has also been named to The Sporting News' Pac-10 All-Freshman team.
UCLA Sports Information Director Marc Dellins sent this notice to media that cover the Bruins this evening:
"UCLA is aware that USC has contacted the Rose Bowl about the possibility of playing its home games in Pasadena next season while it continues to work on a lease with the Los Angeles Coliseum.
"UCLA’s long-term lease protects its position as the primary tenant. In the context of its ongoing partnership with the Rose Bowl, UCLA is willing to review any proposal regarding an additional tenant, after which UCLA would enter into the necessary discussions with both the city of Pasadena and the Rose Bowl regarding the feasibility of such an arrangement.
"‘While we are, of course, willing to explore this possibility,’ said Pete Blackman, UCLA Administrative Vice Chancellor, Emeritus and Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics, ‘protecting the ongoing integrity of the UCLA football program must be our highest priority.’"
Comment: USC’s interests are best served by staying at the Coliseum, but after a year of inconclusive negotiations with the Coliseum Commission, nerves at University Park are frayed. Having visited the Coliseum two weeks ago for a meeting, this grand old facility badly needs the infrastructure refurbishment that USC is committed to providing.
USC wants to stay at the Coliseum, but it makes sense for the university to at least explore a move to the Rose Bowl to add pressure to the delusional commissioners who refuse to give up the ghost of an NFL franchise there. If USC were to move -– and it’s a long shot -– it would eliminate the last remaining tenant of a facility that has hosted –- and already lost -– the Los Angeles Dons of the AAFC, the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Raiders of the NFL, and UCLA. That would add to the list of tenants lost by the Coliseum Commission at the Sports Arena: UCLA, USC, the NBA Lakers and Clippers and the Kings of the NHL.
From UCLA Sports Information:
"Junior point guard Darren Collison completed his first full practice with contact today since spraining his left knee (MCL) in the Bruins' exhibition game vs. Azusa Pacific on Nov. 2. He is a game-time decision for tomorrow's contest with George Washington.
"Junior forward/center Alfred Aboya completed his first full practice with contact today since fracturing his right orbital floor in the Bruins' win over Yale on Nov. 23. His protective eyewear (goggles) came in today and he will play tomorrow against George Washington.
"Junior guard Michael Roll practiced today with contact for about 50 minutes for the first time since rupturing his left plantar fascia in practice on Nov. 3. It is doubtful that he will play tomorrow against George Washington."
 It's Blue & Gold Week at UCLA and there are lots and lots of events scheduled. The following is only a selection:
>> Tuesday, November 27:
A float-building party will be held on campus at the North Concourse of Pauley Pavilion beginning at 9 p.m. this evening. The floats will be used for Thursday night’s parade.
>> Wednesday, November 28:
A "Get the Red Out" blood drive (!) will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on campus on the second floor of the Ackerman Student Union.
>> Thursday, November 29:
The Lexus Gauntlet Blood Drive will be on from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Los Angeles Tennis Center clubhouse on campus. If you would like to make an appointment in advance, visit www.givelife.org and enter the sponsor code: "uclarivalry".
The Rotary Club’s annual UCLA-USC Football Rally Luncheon will be held at the Omni Hotel in downtown Los Angeles (251 S. Olive Street) with a reception beginning at 11 a.m. and the luncheon at noon. The cost is $40 and the two head coaches will say some nice things about each other. For reservations, call (213) 624-8601 ext. 110 or send an e-mail to elrodeo@rotaryla5.org and mention the Football Rally luncheon.
A moderated on-line chat with UCLA’s 1967 Heisman Trophy winner Gary Beban will take place on CSTV.com at noon Pacific time. Questions for Beban can be submitted ahead of time at uclabruins.com.
A "Stamp Out the Red" pinata smash will be held on campus at the Wooden Center, beginning at 5 p.m.
The annual "Beat SC" parade, bonfire and rally will start with pre-parade activities on "The Hill" (the student housing zone north of Young Drive) at 7 p.m., followed by the parade itself at 8 p.m. and the bonfire and rally at Wilson Plaza (at the end of Westwood Boulevard) at 9 p.m. The 2007 UCLA women’s water polo team, which won the school’s 100th NCAA team title, will be the Grand Marshals and will be accompanied by the Bruin Marching Band and Spirit Squad.
>> Friday, November 30:
The final meeting of the season of the Westwood Bruin Touchdown Club will be held at The Olympic Collection at the corner of Sawtelle and Olympic Boulevards in West Los Angeles beginning at 7 a.m. UCLA wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Eric Scott and defensive line genius Todd Howard will speak, along with several players. Plus all the usual noise from the UCLA Yell Crew, performances from the national champion Dance Team and a plea from Alumni cheerleader Geoff Strand for "every man, woman and child" to support the Bruins. The price for a very nice breakfast and the program is $24. For more information or tickets, please contact Claudia Hart at (310) 348-UCLA or claudia4ucla@yahoo.com.
The Lexus Gauntlet Blood Drive will be on from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the second floor of the Ackerman Student Union. If you would like to make an appointment in advance, visit www.givelife.org and enter the sponsor code: "uclarivalry".
>> Saturday, December 1:
A "Bruin Bash" party will be held at the Los Angeles Swim Stadium (site of the 1932 Olympic Games!) adjacent to the Coliseum from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. There will be plenty of food and drink, performances by the UCLA Marching Band and Spirit Squad as well as the UCLA radio pre-game show on KLAC AM 570 with Wayne Cook and Matt Stevens. Tickets are $36 for adults and $20 for children; call the UCLA Fan Travel Office at (310) 206-2873 for more information and reservations.
If you have any energy left, the actual UCLA-USC game will start at 1:30 p.m. at the Coliseum. It will be televised locally on ABC with Terry Gannon and former Bruin quarterback David Norrie on the call. As always, the game will be radiocast on KLAC AM 570 with Chris Roberts, Matt Stevens and Wayne Cook calling the action.
Ben Olson photo courtesy UCLA.
 Say goodbye to the Flaming Hawk, for now.
Bruin guard Russell Westbrook came to the Morgan Center for an interview session today, resplendent in a conservative, close-cropped hairstyle, mock turtleneck and a pair of non-prescription, black-rimmed glasses that gave him a bookish appearance well beyond his 19 years.
Will he have another wild style to share before the end of the season? "Maybe, maybe not," he said. Claiming his new look wasn’t anything special, he just said he was "switching styles, all the time."
On the court, he said he’s feeling no ill effects of having played the most minutes on the team, averaging 33.3 per game. "I think I’m in good shape. Over the summer, I’ve been working hard –- running and on the bike and things like that."
He’s looking forward to the George Washington game; he’s well aware that they’re a pressing team and he’ll be in the thick of the action.
Injured guard Michael Roll is enthusiastic about being so close to being able to play again. "A lot of it is mental," he said. "If the doctors clear me to play, then I should be able to be all right."
He has some worry about reinjuring his foot, possibly on a quick move or a cut, but "I hope to avoid that." Roll said, "It’s just kind of day by day. [Tomorrow’s game against GWU] might be it, but it might not, so I don’t know. If I’m dressed for warmups, then I’m probably going to play." He’s changed the way his foot is taped and continues to have special insoles in his shoes.
Once he does get back on the court, his primary concern will be "getting my game legs back in shape. I’m feeling like I’m in pretty good shape, but there’s nothing to tell that for a game; it’s always different. So that’s just going to take time."
Roll was conspicuous on television during the Bruin games in the CBE Classic in Kansas City, wearing a shirt and tie on the bench for both games. Asked why, since he usually wears casual clothes for home games, he said, "The home games are more of a casual thing, a familiar environment. But on the road, it’s big games, national television; I just felt it was necessary to be prepared on the bench, give that significance to the games."
But he added quickly, "I want to get back in uniform, though."
Russell Westbrook photo courtesy UCLA.
 UCLA head basketball Coach Ben Howland said that guards Darren Collison and Michael Roll are recovering, but almost . . . not yet . . . might be ready to play soon.
Collison has not been suffering any pain in his left knee, and Roll and forward James Keefe (recovering from shoulder surgery) have been participating in non-contact drills.
Howland felt Collison is close to returning, but that the final decision is up to the player. "For him, the biggest thing is just gaining confidence in [the knee]," said Howland. "And also, that brace restricts you a little bit. It’s just not as mobile as you would like, but I think each day he gets more and more confidence. I don’t decide, nor do the doctors or trainers. It’s when that kid is able to come back based on if he has any pain, which he’s not; he’s been through all the different tests. It’s still a comfort thing. Hopefully, he’s getting closer."
Asked about how the players will react to a change in the number of minutes available once all three injured Bruins return, Howland saw a positive: "Once Darren does get back, we will be able to rest the guys who are playing more minutes than I would like them to play. I don’t think it’s ideal to play a guy 40 minutes or 36 minutes a game. So Russell [Westbrook]’s minutes will hopefully be less than that and that will actually help him perform better. Same thing with Luc [Richard Mbah A Moute] and same thing with Josh [Shipp]. I would ideally like it so that no one plays more than 30 minutes a game, because I think you get a diminishing return when you get past a certain amount of minutes and not enough rest when you’re playing as hard as [Westbrook] plays.
"What makes it really difficult is where we improve is in practice and we haven’t been able to have the type of practices yet I would like to have because we’ve been injured. We’ve had 10 scholarship players healthy for practice since the first day of practice, twice. That’s hard."
Forward Alfred Aboya has been fitted with protective goggles after suffering a fracture of the floor of his right-eye socket, but is expected to be available for tomorrow night’s game against George Washington in Pauley Pavilion. "Alfred is extremely tough," Howland said. "His biggest question to me on Sunday night when I called him to see how he was doing was,'Can I practice tomorrow?’ Alfred is a real warrior."
About 2-1 George Washington, Howland said, "They’ve got some talent. We’re going to have to play well tomorrow. Two years ago, they were 27-3 and last year they were 23-9. It’s a very good program."
Unlike some of UCLA’s non-conference opponents, there’s no special relationship with GWU or its coach or a West Coast tour that suggested the matchup. The Colonials are coming 2,700 miles to play UCLA, Howland said, "because they were interested in coming out and playing us and they’re a good program and a good team to play against."
Ben Howland photo courtesy of UCLA.
 "I think other teams know what it feels like when you lose your quarterback and what you have to do to try to make things continue to be productive, and it’s been that kind of year in the Pac-10."
That’s as close as UCLA coach Karl Dorrell is going to get to explaining the actual impact of the Bruins’ carousel at quarterback that has come full circle with seasonal starter Ben Olson at the controls in last Saturday’s 16-0 win over Oregon.
"I know it wasn’t the prettiest of wins, particularly for our offense," he told a larger-than-usual audience in the Morgan Center Press Room on Monday, "but we did what was necessary for us to win the football game. We played with great defense, we played with really good special teams, we didn’t put the game in jeopardy.
"This is another opportunity for us this week. It is an unusual opportunity to be where we’ve had some unfortunate losses during the season and still have an opportunity to be a championship team this year. I know that it takes more than us just winning the game this weekend to do it, but nonetheless, we are in position to possibly achieve those possibilities."
Dorrell noted that to beat USC again, "We’re going to have to play two-thirds of how we played this last game. That means really good special teams, really good defense and improved offense. We’re going to have to play better offensively to put some points on the board. [USC] is a very good defense.
"Defensively, we’ve got to keep playing like we’re playing, but better, because this is a better personnel team. And special teams has been solid all season. So we need those two areas to continue doing what they’ve been doing and offensively, we’ve go to pick it up."
He indicated that the quarterback position is still unsettled, however: "Ben Olson is a little bit sore. He played the second half and played 39 plays and like most knee injuries, when you’re not completely healthy, then you’re going to have some soreness. So he was sore and we’ll see how the week unfolds for him.
"We got clearance to have Pat Cowan back this week, which is a good sign, too. So we may have the opportunity to have our top two quarterbacks that we started the beginning of this year with available for this game, which is a very good sign.
"We have no plan that’s definitely in place right now. We’re going to assess that position; I mentioned about Ben and his soreness, we’ll see how he feels tomorrow. We’ll see how Pat works during the course of the week as well and then Osaar [Rashaan], we’re going to come to bring him along as well. There’s a possibility that we’re going to use more than one quarterback; we’re going to explore anything and everything for us to have some productivity this week." Look for the decision about who plays quarterback as late in the week as possible . . . and then have it change on gameday.
One area which hasn’t been a problem is kicking, especially from redshirt freshman Kai Forbath. "He hit one from 60 in pre-game," Dorrell said. "It looks like he could have hit from 65 the way he hit [his 54-yard make]. I gauge all the wind factors and everything when you’re putting a guy out there. He’s very confident; he’s going to be a tremendous kicker. He’s getting better and better and he’s building his confidence week in and week out."
On injuries, Dorrell said that "Korey Bosworth had a little bit of a hyper-extended elbow in the game, but was able to return. He’s sore, but he should be available this week. Chris Horton had a mild concession and he did not play in the second half. He’s already cleared with most of his symptoms, so he should be practicing tomorrow and we anticipate him being fine for the game. Jess Ward . . . had a little bit of a twinge in his knee in the course of the game and did not finish playing the game. He feels better this week, but he’s not completely healthy, but we’re hoping he’s going to be available to add depth for us on our defensive line."
Asked how his team has persevered this season, Dorrell pointed to their focus and desire to get better, even with so much talk of a coaching change. He said that applied to himself and his coaching staff, too. "I can’t let a lot of distractions affect what I’ve got to do as a coach. And that’s to coach this team to be as good as they can be, regardless of the circumstances, regardless of who is in the game and who is out of the game. We’ve got to play the game. Sometimes it’s not pretty, but you’ve still got to get better in some way, shape or form."
Dorrell also noted what he called the "fun" aspect of the UCLA-USC rivalry, especially since it pits two schools in the same city. But he knows what the real fun in this series is about: winning. "We made it a fun game last year, with playing a very good football game and we need to play a very similar game again. We’ll have to play our best game to have an opportunity to win it and we need all three areas to play very well. And that’s what we’re counting on."
Karl Dorrell photo courtesy of UCLA.
From UCLA Sports Information:
"UCLA junior center/forward Alfred Aboya, who fractured his right orbital floor in the Bruins' win at home over Yale (Nov. 23), met with a specialist today and has been cleared to play on Wednesday when the Bruins host George Washington (Nov. 28). He will have a non-contact practice today and will return to full practice tomorrow with protective goggles.
"Freshman center Kevin Love practiced yesterday and is fine. He was also named the Pac-10 Conference Player of the Week today."
 "Me, personally, I am trying to do whatever it takes to win this last game," said senior running back Chris Markey on Monday. "If everything goes right for us, we’re going to be in the Rose Bowl. Who would ever guess that 7-5 UCLA would be playing in the Rose Bowl. So, we’re just excited; we’re ready to go; we’re just really excited about playing this weekend."
Markey was happy to get so much action in against Oregon, but knows the Bruin offense has to be a lot better than it was last Saturday:
"I was very sore, I still am sore. It’s the first action I’ve gotten in a while. But I was excited to be out there, helping the guys out. It was a great feeling, being that it was Senior Day, too. It was a great win.
"We definitely have to play better than we did against Oregon. We know SC is a great team. They’ve been playing very well lately. We have to focus on execution. We made a lot of mental errors on offense [vs. Oregon]. Against USC, we have to focus on the little details, getting back to executing little things."
Asked about how he felt about the Bruins’ up-and-down season, he said "I feel we’ve just been an injury-prone team this season. A lot of key guys have been down and that hurt us a lot and that’s why we’re 6-5 now. But we keep fighting and that shows the character of this team. For us to still have a shot at the Rose Bowl, for me as a senior, it’s a great feeling. I know all the guys in the locker room are still optimistic about this season. We just got to go out and handle business this weekend against USC.
"We have to go out and play ball. We can’t focus on or worry about what happened last year."
Markey was also enthused, if also a little confused, about the improving health of the quarterback position. "Ben [Olson] did pretty well in the second half for us. All our quarterbacks are great leaders, I feel. I think Pat [Cowan] is going to be back this week, so it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out."
Chris Markey photo courtesy UCLA.
 Senior safety Dennis Keyes understands that the 6-5 Bruins are in an unusual position, playing for a possible Rose Bowl berth.
"It definitely seems crazy," he said at Monday’s news conference. "Everybody counted us out after we went through our little mid-season slide. To be playing this game with a possible chance to go to the Rose Bowl is definitely crazy and is something that we didn’t envision happening this way. But one of our goals was to do this anyway. We just have to come out and just play our game and not even think about that. All we can think about right now is SC and winning that game and the rest will take care of itself."
Keyes and the rest of the defense had a study session on Sunday and wasn’t surprised after his first detailed look at USC. "They looked relatively the same; they have new personnel at the wide-out position," he noted. "They’ve got guys they just plug in to do the same exact thing. We just have to come out this week and make sure we’re on top of everything."
Two years ago, USC hammered the Bruins at the Coliseum, winning 66-19, with the Rose Bowl on the line for both teams. "It wasn’t pretty, that’s for sure. We didn’t execute that game, two years ago, so we’ve got to make sure that we’re completely focused on this game and not being distracted by anything else [but the game itself]. If we can do that, we’ll be fine."
Keyes' memories of last year’s game were better, as the Bruins won, 13-9. Asked what he remembered most, he said "I think it was the effort we played with. I think we played our hearts out last year for a full 60 minutes. That’s what I remember most; just guys playing relentless football, just flying around and attacking all day."
Noting that "We’ve played some tremendous games this year and we’ve played some horrible games this year," Keyes thought the return of Chris Markey at running back and Ben Olson at quarterback will really help this week. "It definitely feels like we’re getting a second start, especially being in contention for the Rose Bowl."
And Keyes underscored one of the themes stressed all year by defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker, that the defense has to help the offense out by staying on the field. "We’ve got to help each other out, offensively and defensively," Keyes said. "The offense has to do a good job of keeping the ball in our possession and we have to do a great of getting the ball back for our offense."
Dennis Keyes photo by David LaPeer.
 UCLA grabbed the top spot in the new ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll, a scant four points ahead of North Carolina.
The Bruins received 12 first-place votes to 13 for the Tar Heels, but had 749 total points to 745 for Carolina. Memphis, Kansas and Georgetown were 3-4-5 again this week. Also:
>> The new poll showed Washington State up to sixth in the nation and Texas rocketed into the top ten with the 97-78 win over previously-seventh-ranked Tennessee, and is now ranked eighth. The Longhorns will play the Bruins on Sunday, December 2 at Pauley Pavilion in the Big 12-Pac-10 Challenge.
>> UCLA remained second in the Associated Press (writers) poll, nine points behind North Carolina.
>> Multiple sources are reporting that Kendall Williams, a 6-2 point guard who is currently a sophomore at Los Osos High School in Rancho Cucamonga, California, will make a verbal commitment to UCLA this week. He’s considered a top prospect and has been considering UCLA, Arizona, Florida and Duke.
 The 6-5 UCLA football team is somehow still in the race for the Rose Bowl going into this week’s game with USC after shutting out Oregon, 16-0. But there were plenty of other highlights during a busy week in UCLA sports:
Men’s Basketball:
>> Last week: The 6-0 Bruins won two amazing games against Maryland and Michigan State to win the O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic in Kansas City last Monday and Tuesday and then eased past Yale, 81-47, on Friday at Pauley Pavilion. More worrisome were an eye injury to forward Alfred Aboya (status unknown) and an ankle injury to center Kevin Love, who appeared to be fine by the end of the game.
>> This week: The Bruins will host two quality teams, George Washington (2-1) and no. 15 Texas (5-0), which just demolished seventh-ranked Tennessee, 97-78, on Saturday. UCLA hosts GWU on Wednesday, November 28 and Texas next Sunday, December 2 as part of the Big 12-Pac-10 Challenge.
Men’s Soccer:
>> Last week: UCLA defeated New Mexico, 1-0, on Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, played at Drake Stadium. Sophomore midfielder Kyle Nakazawa (pictured) scored on a free kick with 1:39 to play in regulation time to give UCLA (9-8-3) the win.
>> This week: The Bruins will take on seventh-seed Santa Clara (15-1-4) on the road in the second round of the tournament. The Broncos and Bruins met this season back on September 22, with Santa Clara winning, 2-1, in overtime. Both Bronco goals came with UCLA a man down.
Men’s Water Polo:
>> Last week: UCLA needed to win the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament to get into the NCAA Tournament, but finished fifth instead. The Bruins, ranked no. 4 in the nation going into the MPSF, lost their first-round match with fifth-ranked UC Irvine, 10-9, in overtime. They rebounded to beat Long Beach State, 13-9 and UC Santa Barbara, 15-8 and finish the season at 21-7. Sophomore Scott Davidson finished the season with 49 goals to lead the team.
Women’s Soccer:
>> Last week: The no. 1-ranked Bruins (19-1-2) just edged past Virginia, 2-1, in overtime at Drake Stadium Friday night to advance to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. After Virginia took a 1-0 lead in the 76th minute, Kristina Larsen scored in the 83rd minute to tie it and Lauren Cheney won it in the 98th minute with her ninth game-winning goal of the season.
>> This week: The Bruins will host Portland (18-3-0) at Drake Stadium on Friday, November 30 at 6 p.m. in a rematch of last year’s national quarterfinal for the right to go to the College Cup on December 7. Earlier this season, UCLA defeated Portland, 2-1, in overtime at home on September 28.
Women’s Volleyball:
>> Last week: No. 10-ranked UCLA finished its regular-season schedule with a split in Arizona, defeating Arizona State in four sets on Friday night, but falling to Arizona on Saturday in four sets. The Bruins finished the season with a 20-10 mark, but just 9-9 in Pac-10 play, good for sixth.
>> This week: The Bruins received the national no. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will play their first-round game against Alabama A&M (15-9) on Friday, November 30 in Clemson, South Carolina. If UCLA should win, the Bruins will play the winner between Alabama (15-14) and host Clemson (28-3).
Kyle Nazakawa photo courtesy UCLA.
Kathy Olivier’s UCLA’s women’s basketball team built a 16-point second-half lead on third-ranked Maryland but lost, 79-75, on Sunday afternoon at Pauley Pavilion.
In front of a nice crowd of 1,527 at home and a national television audience on Fox Sports Net, the Bruins trailed at halftime, 35-28, but mounted a 41-18 second-half charge with pressure defense and good shooting to take a 69-53 lead with just 6:29 left in the game.
But the Terps ripped off a 19-2 run to take a 72-71 lead in just 3:51. Maryland ended the game on a 26-6 rush with reserve guard Kristi Toliver scoring 10 of her game-high 22 points during the run with forward Laura Harper contributing eight. Forward Marissa Coleman had 20 points for Maryland and had a game-high 10 rebounds.
The Bruins shot just 3-14 from the floor over the last 6:29, falling to 3-1 on the season while Maryland won its eighth game in 16 days to set its mark at 8-0.
Senior Lindsey Pluimer had 17 points to lead UCLA on 6-15 shooting from the field. Freshman guard Doreena Campbell added 13 and freshman center Regina Rogers had 10. The Bruins were out-rebounded, 47-36. Both teams were sloppy: UCLA had 17 turnovers and the Terps had 25.
Next up for UCLA is a drive to Pepperdine (fires permitting) for a match-up with the Waves on Wednesday evening, November 28 and then a trip to the Nevada Tournament in Reno next weekend starting with Idaho State next Saturday night.
In a game that demonstrated the consequences of injuries and created circumstances almost impossible to comprehend, UCLA defeated Oregon, 16-0. Consider:
>> Both teams showcased startling ineffectiveness on offense. Oregon came into the game averaging 40.9 points per game and 555.8 yards per game; they were shut out for the first time in 268 games since a 63-0 loss to Nebraska in September 1985, and had a pathetic 148 yards of total offense.
The Bruins weren’t much better, but had 220 yards of offense, three-for-three field-goal kicking from Kai Forbath and a late touchdown from walk-on tailback Craig Sheppard for 16 points.
>> Oregon hoped for the best with backup quarterback Brady Leaf, but he got hurt on a sack by Reggie Carter with a minute to go in the first quarter. The Ducks generated only 78 yards of offense with redshirt freshmen Cody Kempf (first snap!) and Justin Roper (second appearance) at quarterback the rest of the way. Running back Jonathan Stewart ran for 33 yards in 13 carries and was clearly not himself, having suffered injuries of his own last week in Arizona.
>> The Bruins were just as bad, with two yards of total offense in the first quarter and 38 in the second quarter with Osaar Rashaan at quarterback. After an 0-7 passing performance with four sacks, Rashaan was replaced in the second half by Ben Olson, who finished with a 4-10 mark for 64 yards. Under Olson, however, UCLA did compile 180 yards in the second half.
Out of 36 series started by the two teams, 22 ended in punts, six ended in turnovers and four ended in scores by UCLA. Not having your health is a problem.
But at 6-5 overall and 5-3 in the Pac-10, the Bruins are going bowling. Once again, the special teams were special and only an errant forward pass — that was supposed to be a cross-field lateral — by Chris Markey to Matthew Slater on the second-half kickoff kept UCLA from executing a spectacular kickoff return for a touchdown on the opening play of the second half. As it was, Slater’s 88-yard touchdown run was called back and UCLA was penalized half the distance to the goal and started the second half on its own 4-yard line.
By winning, UCLA has set up a stunning situation for next week. If USC beats UCLA, as it will be heavily favored to do, the Trojans will go to the Rose Bowl. But if the Bruins pull off another surprise, and Arizona beats Arizona State in Tempe, the Bruins would land in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.
Bruins fans would deserve such a reward this season for setting a school record for average home attendance. Today’s crowd of 72,434 gave UCLA only its second-ever per-game average of 70,000 or more and set a new record of 76,379, well ahead of the 73,709 that saw the Cade McNown-led 1998 team that was 10-2.
What about the fate of UCLA Coach Karl Dorrell? Forget about it for now; let the drama play out. This is just too unbelievable . . .
From UCLA Sports Information:
"UCLA junior forward/center Alfred Aboya took an elbow to the right eye in Friday night's 81-47 victory over Yale in Pauley Pavilion. Aboya was experiencing blurred vision and immediately walked off the court and into an evaluation room. UCLA team doctors decided to send him to the UCLA Medical Center for further evaluation.
"It has now been confirmed that Aboya has a fracture of the orbital floor of his right eye. He will undergo further evaluation early next week."
Aboya apparently was elbowed by Yale guard Nick Holmes in a scrap for a loose ball at mid-court. UCLA will play Wednesday against George Washington at Pauley Pavilion.
 With the football season nearly over, you would expect that the identities of the two teams playing today at the Rose Bowl would be set. For Oregon and UCLA, nothing could be further from the truth.
Both teams have so many uncertainties that a pregame concert by the one-hit wonders of the 1960s, Question Mark and the Mysterians ("96 Tears"), would be the most appropriate salute:
>> Oregon is 8-2 and was on the way to the BCS championship game until star quarterback Dennis Dixon's knee gave out against Arizona last week. Now the Ducks have to win against the Bruins in Pasadena and beat Oregon State in Eugene, Ore., next week to assure a berth in the Rose Bowl game. Can quarterback Brady Leaf and running back Jonathan Stewart score enough points?
>> UCLA is 5-5 and has Osaar Rasshan starting at quarterback for the second straight game with season-starter Ben Olson available for backup duty. Will he play? Will running back Chris Markey be strong enough to give the Bruins a lift, splitting time with walk-on starter Craig Sheppard and Chane Moline?
Although Dixon is what made Oregon dangerous, Stewart has rushed for an average of 127.3 yards per game and Oregon averages 268.1 yards a game on the ground. That’s fifth in the nation. The Bruins give up 163.3 yards a game on the ground. Leaf has played in all 10 games, but has completed only 47.7% of his passes (versus 67.7% for Dixon). But the Bruin pass defense has been porous at 200 yards per game.
On offense, the Bruins average 24.9 points a game and Oregon gives up 28.2. The Bruins average 361.2 yards a game, 46th in the nation, but Oregon gives up 396.3 yards a game, 71st in the country. UCLA will start Rasshan, who started the season as a wide receiver, at quarterback and Sheppard (fifth string) at running back.
Neither team appears dynamic, but Oregon should be able to run the ball well and it’s not clear what the Bruins can count on. UCLA’s best chance is to stuff the run and force Leaf to pass to win. In a close game, perhaps UCLA’s excellent special teams can be the difference.
It’s Senior Day for UCLA and the two honorary captains, Bruce Davis and Theotis Brown, are the proud parents of star Bruins on this year’s defensive squad. Davis’ son Bruce has 31 tackles and a team-high 9 1/2 sacks while cornerback Trey Brown (pictured) is fifth on the team with 52 tackles and has three interceptions. Both of the honorary captains played on the 1976-77-78 teams for Terry Donahue that were 24-9-2 over three years and both had lengthy NFL careers.
Trey Brown photo by Times staff photographer Richard Hartog
The Bruins' landslide 81-47 win over Yale was marred by injuries to Alfred Aboya (right eye) and Kevin Love (left ankle).
>> Aboya got poked in the eye and was taken to a hospital for observation. It was reported that he had some blurred vision. Bruin Coach Ben Howland had more on him, below. Love returned to the bench and actually wanted to go back into the game.
>> Bruin stat highlights: Junior forward Luc Richard Mbah A Moute had his first double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard Russell Westbrook had a career high of 15 points (previous, 14 versus Cal State San Bernardino). Freshman center Love led the Bruins in scoring (along with Westbrook) with 15 points and has led or co-led UCLA in scoring in every game this season.
>> UCLA converted 61% of its possessions tonight (40-66) with 18-30 in the first half (60%) and 22-36 (61%) in the second half. Yale converted just 21-63 (33.3%) tonight: 8-28 in the first half (28%) and 13-35 (37%) in the second half.
>> Tonight’s crowd of 10,420 was the biggest of the season at Pauley Pavilion.
>> Quotes from Yale Coach James Jones:
"It was not our best performance. Matt Kyle picked up two quick fouls in the first half, which I thought was a problem. For the first eight minutes, we had some excellent shots and I thought we played pretty well.
"In the second half, things kind of got out of hand. We didn’t have as many good shots.
"It’s a good experience because we know what the best looks like. We played Stanford already and we already have scheduled Kansas, so we would know what it would take beat the best.
"Matt Kyle was a great standout for us. He scored 10 points. I think it hurt him when he got in fracture. Ross Morin was also key on the boards for us. Alex Zampier also did a great job coming off the bench.
"Our players thought this was a great experience. Playing where John Wooden coached is going to be something these kids will remember for the rest of their lives. They won’t remember the score, but they will remember this experience."
>> Quotes from UCLA Coach Ben Howland:
"It was a nice win for us. It was obviously tempered by the fact that Alfred [Aboya] got hurt. He’s being X-rayed for a fracture on the bone near his right eye. I’m worried for him; it’s very frustrating.
"Yale took some good shots early on, but we were really able to wear them down defensively, especially in the second half. Luc Richard Mbah A Moute had an outstanding game with a double-double. Lorenzo Mata-Real also did a good job for us on the boards. Kevin Love made some really good passes tonight. He also had a sprained foot, but it wasn’t too bad."
If Aboya continues to be hurt, UCLA will be down to seven scholarship players.
Alfred Aboya did not come out for second-half warmups and Lorenzo Mata-Real will start in his place in the second half.
>> Remember how spiffy Michael Roll looked at the CBE Classic in a shirt and tie each night? He's back to casual clothes here at home, but Darren Collison looks elegant in a black suit and open-neck dress shirt.
>> The crowd at tonight's game is pretty good, possibly more than 10,000. The student seats sold to the public in view of always reduced attendance at holiday-period games are full.
>> Aboya's right eye was injured; he's done for tonight and is being evaluated.
>> The Bruins raced out to a 47-22 lead, but Yale has cut it to 47-29 with a 7-0 run. The crowd has lost interest, but the band is playing on . . .
>> With 7:58 to play, the Bruins are up 58-33, but Kevin Love just fell near the baseline and grabbed his ankle. Oy. He left for the locker room after taking off his left shoe and sock.
>> Love returned to the bench to a thunderous ovation with 3:45 to play. He walked off the court at the end of the game holding his left shoe in his hands.
Final score: UCLA 81, Yale 47
The Bruins started their normal five, with Josh Shipp adorned in a headband this time. The game started slowly, but UCLA has an 11-6 lead with 15:09 to play in the first half, and is on a 7-0 run.
>> The Bruins were cruising with a 17-11 lead, but two Yale three-pointers have the game tied, 17-17, with 8:39 to play in the half. Shipp has dumped the headband.
>> UCLA has run off 10 points in a row to lead, 27-17, but Alfred Aboya appeared to get hit in the eye with 7:37 to play and went to the locker room.
>> With 3:29 to play, the Bruins are still up, 27-17, but have a rebound edge of 20-4.
>> The Bruins ended the half on a 16-1 run for a 33-18 lead. UCLA shot 54.5% from the field and 7-13 from the foul line while holding Yale to 25.9% from the field (7-27). UCLA ended the half on a 24-8 run.
Halftime score: UCLA 33, Yale 18
 The 5-0 Bruins are favored by 24 in this game, only the second meeting between the schools. The over-under line is 110, so UCLA is favored to win with a final score of 67-43.
Bruin Coach Ben Howland, of course, could care less about that. "Now we’ve got to bounce back and play a good Yale team," he said Thursday. "I watched the Yale tape this morning and they have three guys that average 15 points. They played UMass very tough and ended up losing by nine — and it was the same thing with Stanford — it was a three-point game with 14 minutes left. They have good players, and we are going to have to play well tomorrow to have success."
The Bulldogs are 1-2, having lost their last two games at Massachusetts, 89-80, and at Stanford, 72-61. Their team statistics look a lot like UCLA’s, except they allow 77.3 points per game, compared to 52.6 for the Bruins. Yale is being out-rebounded by four per game, while the Bruins are +11.8.
Yale’s top players are captain Eric Flato, a 6-1 guard from Piedmont, Calif., averaging 15.3 points a game, followed by 6-11 senior center Matt Kyle (14.7) and 6-6 senior forward Caleb Holmes (also 14.7). No other Eli averages more than eight points a game. Yale was projected to finish second in the Ivy League this season in the preseason media poll.
UCLA and Yale have met only once before, way back on Dec. 26, 1963, when Gail Goodrich scored 25 points to lead the fourth-ranked Bruins to a 95-65 win in the L.A. Classic at the L.A. Sports Arena. That Bruin team won the first of UCLA’s 11 national championships. Thanks to reader JRS for correcting the site of that game.
One personal note for UCLA freshman center Kevin Love: One of his coaches from his high school days at Lake Oswego, Ore., former NBA center Chris Dudley, plans to attend the game. Dudley graduated from Yale in 1987 and played for five NBA teams from 1988-2002. It's a game that Love has been looking forward to for that reason since he came to UCLA.
 UCLA’s last home game of the 2007 season is Saturday against Oregon. The pregame schedule starts early as the kickoff is scheduled for 12:37 p.m.
>> Saturday, early: Getting to the Rose Bowl
As always, the Pasadena Police Department suggests that you arrive early and carpool if possible. General parking lots [i.e., Brookside Golf Course] will open at 8:30 a.m.
There also is a free shuttle service to and from the Rose Bowl, available at Parsons Engineering, 100 W. Walnut St., Pasadena. You can park in the Parsons lot or nearby, or if you use the Metro Gold Line get off at the Memorial Park Station.
Game-day updates are available on your mobile phone by texting 41-411 and entering "rbtraffic" for traffic updates or "rbparking" for parking updates. Naturally, text messaging rates from your wireless carrier will apply.
>> Saturday, 8:30 a.m.: Bruin Fan Zone
UCLA will mount its traditional Fan Zone in Area H, with parking available there starting 10 hours before game time (2:30 a.m., really!) and the Food Zone firing up at 8:30 a.m. (American Pretzel, Baja Grill, Carl’s Jr., Funnel Cakes Etc., Now You’re Poppin, PSI Drinks, Robin’s Wood Fire BBQ & Grill, Ralph’s Grocery Co.’s South Street and Teri & Yaki.)
The Bruins will walk through the Fan Zone on their way to the locker room about 10:10 a.m. The UCLA Marching Band will help to welcome the team.
As usual, the KLAC-AM 570 Bruin radio pregame show will originate live from the AM 570 stage with Matt Stevens and Wayne Cook, accompanied by the UCLA Alumni Band under the fearless leadership of Joel Fierberg.
And the UCLA Student Store will be on hand with a giant selection of Bearwear so that you’ll be appropriately attired.
>> Saturday, 11 a.m.: Gates open
The first 10,000 fans to enter the Rose Bowl will receive a special sheet of 24 trading cards picturing the Bruin senior class. Please, no posting on EBay until the game begins!
Rose Bowl photo courtesy of UCLA
 While the football season is winding down and basketball is just starting, it's tournament time for most of the Bruin fall sports teams, including both soccer squads in NCAA Tournament action:
Football:
>> UCLA is 5-5 and needs one more victory in its last two games to be bowl-eligible. The Bruins finish their home schedule Saturday against Oregon (8-2) at the Rose Bowl and probably will set a record for single-season attendance. The Bruins have averaged 77,167 at home this season and are poised to surpass the existing mark of 73,709 set in the 1998 season. This season is only the second in history in which UCLA will average more than 70,000 fans per home game.
Track and field:
>> One of the key figures in the development of the UCLA athletic department received a signal honor this week when Elvin C. "Ducky" Drake was voted into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame.
Drake was an assistant coach from 1929-44 and the head coach from 1947-64, giving way to Jim Bush. During his tenure, UCLA won the 1956 NCAA Track & Field Championship, and he coached two of the greatest decathletes of all time, Rafer Johnson and C.K. Yang. Johnson was a silver medalist in the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia, and won the gold medal in Rome in 1960 in a close competition with Yang, his friend and fellow Bruin. The UCLA track and field stadium was named for him in 1973.
Drake graduated from UCLA in 1927 (before the Westwood campus opened!) and also was the Bruins’ head athletic trainer after his retirement as track coach, continuing through 1986.
Men’s basketball:
>> The Bruins (5-0) are ranked No. 1 in one poll and No. 2 in another, and will take on Yale at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Pauley Pavilion. The game will be shown on online at uclabruins.com, with radio coverage on KTLK-AM 1150 and the Bruin Radio Network with Chris Roberts on play-by-play and Don MacLean as analyst.
The Bruins have a 1-0 record all-time against the Bulldogs.
Men’s soccer:
>> The Bruins finished the regular se | |
