Scott Etheridge, who lives the lonely life...

Scott Etheridge, who lives the lonely life of a football kicker, stepped out of that realm and into what could be described as a surreal world Saturday when he kicked a field goal that lifted Auburn to a 38-35 upset over then fourth-ranked Florida.

It was dark and drizzling when Etheridge, a 5-foot-11, 150-pound senior from Hart High trotted onto the field. Florida immediately called a timeout, hoping to rattle him. Gator players were yelling obscenities from the sidelines.

In the stands at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium, most of the 85,214 fans held their collective breath and prayed for a victory that would push the Tigers to 7-0, 5-0 in the Southeastern Conference.

Etheridge, who missed a 35-yard attempt at the outset of the third quarter, was facing a 41-yard kick with 1 minute 21 seconds remaining.

“I knew we were playing the fourth-ranked team in the country and this was a huge moment, but I had to forget about it,” Etheridge said.

But as much as he tried, Etheridge admitted, he couldn’t forget the idea that with one swing of his right leg, he could kick this once-proud program back to national prominence.

Records of 5-6 and 5-5-1 the past two seasons, the departure of Coach Pat Dye, the NCAA sanctions that denied Auburn a bowl berth and televised game coverage in 1993--it all seemed to settle on Etheridge’s shoulder pads.

“It was an ugly day--foggy,” he said. “The field was wet. There was a mist in my face. Florida’s bench was yelling at me. I looked over at my teammates and said to myself, ‘There’s no way we deserve to lose.’

“I hit it straight. I mean, it split the uprights perfectly, and I had a lot left on it. It might have gone 55. I don’t know what got into me.”

What has gotten into Etheridge, who is three for three in game-winning-kick situations yet has hardly been used?

Etheridge was a soccer player at Hart until his senior year, when he hit 26 of 26 extra-point attempts and his longest field goal went 42 yards. In 1989, the Marietta, Ga., native decided to walk on at Auburn. Then he sat for three seasons.

His skills did not deteriorate. When Etheridge finally got his chance as a junior in 1992, he kicked a school-record 22 field goals. He was the nation’s 14th leading scorer with 86 points, also an Auburn record. He was named All-SEC after ranking third in the conference in scoring.

Hitting 22 of 28 field-goal attempts, Etheridge earned a reputation for his accuracy. He has been true on seven of nine kicks in ’93.

“When it came down to the game-winner, the press, our coaches and players--even the Florida people--were saying he never misses twice,” Etheridge said. “Well, I think I made the first kick. It went just inside the right upright, but I kicked it too high over the posts.

“But I think that was good for our team, actually. We were down, 27-14, and (the missed field goal) made our defense play extremely hard in the second half.”

Etheridge’s only regret is that the game was not nationally televised.

“They called this game one of the best in Auburn history,” he said. “It was unbelievable--a slugfest between two heavyweights that went 15 rounds.

“Everybody is excited. I don’t think the fans have stopped partying yet.”

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Checking the fax: UCLA’s Wayne Cook (Newbury Park) matched his career high with four touchdown passes during the Bruins’ 39-25 victory over Washington on Saturday, and he set personal marks with 22 completions and 294 yards. In his past three games, the junior has completed 45 of 74 passes (.608) for 687 yards and 11 touchdowns. . . .

UCLA sophomore nose guard George Kase (Hart), a third-stringer who was forced into a starting role, is the Bruins’ second-leading tackler with 31 stops. His 4 1/2 sacks and seven tackles for losses are second highest to linebacker Jamir Miller (9 1/2 and 13). . . .

In five games since he took over for injured David Lowery, San Diego State quarterback Tim Gutierrez (Santa Clara) has passed for 1,505 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has only three interceptions, two against UCLA in the only loss the Aztecs have suffered under Gutierrez. . . .

San Diego State redshirt freshman Peter Holt (Antelope Valley) has connected on 11 of 17 field-goal attempts. He made three field goals and three extra points during the Aztecs’ 30-3 victory over Colorado State last week while kicking with a sprained left ankle.