Steussie, Holly Help Cal Knock Off UCLA : College football: Starting tackle, fullback provide bruising blocks for Bears’ offense in 27-25 victory.

If your offense had gained 4,300 yards, averaged about 26 points a game and ripped off more than five yards per play a year ago, you would love to do the same in 1993.

If you are Todd Steussie, if you are Marty Holly or if you play on the offensive unit at California, you also know you want changes.

Sure, the numbers were great, especially when you won and you averaged 477 yards and 45.3 points in those games. Trouble is, there were only four victories. The Golden Bears, blessed with power and explosiveness but plagued by inconsistency, finished 4-7 last year.

And in Cal’s season-opening 27-25 victory over UCLA in front of 53,634 at the Rose Bowl on Saturday, one could sense deja vu .

“It’s a concern and I know we’ll address it next week in practice,” said Steussie, a 6-foot-6, 306-pound senior All-American candidate tackle from Agoura High. “But right now I’m just enjoying the moment. It’s a great win.”

For their part, Steussie and Holly, a senior fullback from San Fernando High who blocks on almost every play, were spectacular. As was the entire Bear line.

At times Cal so dominated the line of scrimmage both offensively and defensively, it looked as if real bears playfully throwing around their young.

Quarterback Dave Barr and tailback Lindsey Chapman were the beneficiaries. Chapman finished with 160 yards in 25 carries. Barr finished 20 for 30 passing for 213 yards and three touchdowns. But Barr also threw two interceptions deep in UCLA territory and Cal committed three turnovers.

The part Steussie and Holly played was not lost on Bruin defenders.

Leading, 7-3, in the first quarter, Cal ran a sweep to the left. As they would do all night with precision, Holly cleaned out the Bruin cornerback while Steussie tied up the defensive end. Chapman gained nine yards on the play.

Two plays later, Barr drifted behind Steussie, planted and threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Mike Caldwell. The Bears led, 14-3.

After a UCLA touchdown, Cal blockers steamrolled again in an eight-play, 77-yard drive that resulted in Barr’s scoring pass to Brian Remington on a naked bootleg that made it 24-13 with 12 seconds left in the half.

But then the Bears went into semi-hibernation and the Bruins threatened to tie the score with 3:05 left before Wayne Cook’s two-point conversion pass to J.J. Stokes was broken up. Then Cal was on the verge of losing with 15 seconds left and the Bruins in field-goal range. But Eric Zomalt intercepted Cook’s errant pass to Kevin Jordan to save the Bears.

“I know we made some mistakes and we’ll grow from it,” Steussie said. “Our defense played the greatest game.”