COLLEGE FOOTBALL : A LONG HALF : Long Beach Wins Toss but Not Much Else as UCLA Rolls Up a 42-0 Lead

Reality would sink in quickly for Cal State Long Beach, but the 49ers were willing and enthusiastic as they began their impossible task against UCLA at the Rose Bowl Saturday night.

“We’re gonna be first, baby,” a 49er shouted when he learned that Long Beach would receive the opening kickoff.

Coach Larry Reisbig chewed gum, paced and clapped as quarterback Jeff Graham looked sharp early. Graham hit Mark Seay for 19 yards on the game’s second play. It was a quick and surprising first down, and the 49er bench cheered as if it had been expected.

Inevitably, Graham was sacked two plays later, and UCLA’s scoring parade began, en route to a 56-3 victory.

The size disparity in the teams was striking as UCLA marched down the field. Even bent over in their positions, the Bruin lineman seemed towering next to their counterparts from the lower echelon of Division I football.

After UCLA scored its first touchdown, the 49ers had another moment when Seay returned the ensuing kickoff 43 yards. They couldn’t capitalize, but the defense forced UCLA into a fourth-and-1 situation on its own 41-yard-line.

“Go, go, go,” shouted the Bruin fans. Troy Aikman made the first down, then Eric Ball broke the 49ers’ hearts by running 56 yards for the second touchdown.

The stunned Long Beach players gathered around defensive coordinator Ken Visser, who told them, “If you do your job, you can stop ‘em.” Visser then fired down a paper cup and went back to the sideline.

It was 14-0 at the end of the first quarter, which didn’t seem too bad. The statistics sounded worse--237 total yards to 62.

“Come on, men, come on, men,” implored Steve Senerchia, a reserve 49er lineman. But as expected, all the men seemed to be on the other side of the field.

UCLA went on a 52-yard drive to increase the lead to 21-0 with 11:03 left in the first half.

The 49ers were not being completely stopped. Andre Southerland, who would have 49 first-half yards, ripped off a few good gains but too often would get crunched in a double-team by the Bruin giants.

Graham hit Kelly Ryan on a 19-yard pass near midfield that caused lineman Richard Hensley to leap with joy in front of the bench. But three incompletions and a punt were all that followed.

Reisbig kept clapping.

UCLA kept scoring--Aikman threw a bomb to David Keating that covered 69 yards.

This time, Hensley just shook his head.

About a minute later, Marcus Turner intercepted a Graham pass and ran 50 yards to make it 35-0.

“Let’s get a first down, gang,” Reisbig suggested.

The enthusiasm was waning. Running back Brian Browning, nursing a leg injury, was bundled in towels against the cool air. He didn’t look as UCLA scored again and it was 42-0.

The reality of being out of their league sank in as the 49ers, grass-stained and disappointed, sat on their bench.

“Let’s keep our heads up,” Reisbig said.

There was a half to go.