COLLEGE FOOTBALL BOWL REPORT : HANCOCK : Illinois’ Bell Presents Double Threat

Illinois fullback Kameno Bell is the only Big Ten player to rank among the conference’s top 10 rushers and receivers. The 5-foot-11, 223-pound senior from Chicago has rushed for 642 yards, a 4.8-yard average, and has caught 60 passes for 484 yards.

Quarterback Jason Verduzco also throws to wide receivers Elbert Turner and John Wright, who are averaging 15.4 and 15.1 yards per catch, respectively.

Verduzco, who grew up in Antioch, Calif., was not recruited by any Pacific 10 school. “That might give him a psychological advantage,” UCLA Coach Terry Donahue said. “He might want to cram (the ball) down our throats”

Illinois has an outstanding linebacker in Mike Poloskey, who is 6-2 and 246. He had 15 sacks during the season, five more than the previous school record.

Illini offensive guard Tim Simpson, 6-2 and 282, was an All-American selection on the Kodak-Coaches team.

Free safety Marlon Primous, from Banning High, won’t play today because of broken foot. He has been an Illinois starter for four years.

The weather in El Paso has been ideal, with clear skies and daytime temperatures in the mid-50s.

Sun Bowl Stadium has a seating capacity of 52,000, and a crowd in excess of 40,000 is expected today.

UCLA, which is favored by seven points, will be playing on artificial turf for only the third time this season. The Bruins have a 1-1 record on such surfaces, having beaten Oregon State and lost to Tennessee.

Donahue said his team has accomplished its three primary goals this year: a winning season, a victory over USC and an invitation to a bowl game. “Now we want to take it to another level,” he said of today’s game.

It’s homecoming for 13 Bruins, who played high school football in Texas. The group includes five starters--quarterback Tommy Maddox, tailback Kevin Williams, tight end Rick Daly, inside linebacker James Malone and free safety Othello Henderson.