Notes on a Scorecard - Sept. 4, 1995

Who needs the NFL?. . . .

The crowd of 60,091 for the UCLA-Miami game Saturday in the stifling heat of the Rose Bowl was bigger than for all but two of the 16 games played by the Raiders at the Coliseum and the Rams at Anaheim Stadium last season. . . .

Besides, the Bruins put on quite a show. . . .

When Coach Terry Donahue, never known for his hyperbole, calls the 31-8 victory “as perfect an opener as I’ve ever had,” it’s apparent that his team was in mid-season form more than a month early. . . .

Granted, these no-nonsense Hurricanes of Butch Davis bore little resemblance to the nonsense Hurricanes of Howard Schnellenberger, Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson. . . .

But the Bruins had something to do with it. . . .

The piano movers who opened crevices for tailback Karim Abdul-Jabbar controlled the flow of the game. . . .

From left to right, they were tackle Jonathan Ogden--with relief from Andy Meyers--guard James Christensen, center Mike Flanagan, guard Matt Soenksen, tackle Chad Overhauser and tight end Brian Richards. . . .

Fullback Jarvis Watson should be mentioned, too, because blocking is what Bruin fullbacks do. . . .

In the opener, the fullbacks didn’t carry the ball once. . . .

No wonder James Milliner demanded a switch to tailback. In relief of Abdul-Jabbar, Milliner carried 12 times for 63 yards. . . .

Unofficial defensive player of the game was Abdul Jabbar McCullough, the former Bruin strong safety who quickly made himself at home at linebacker. . . .

NBA flavor: UCLA’s Karim Abdul-Jabbar and Abdul Jabbar McCullough faced Miami’s K.C. Jones, Dennis Scott and Magic Benton. . . .

There is no truth to the rumor that rapper Luther Campbell is threatening to tell all about the Miami football program unless Ryan Collins is replaced as starting quarterback. . . .

Somebody please explain NBC’s team, Notre Dame, to me. . . .

Its recruiting classes continue to be ranked among the best in the nation. The only questions about quarterback Ron Powlus were about how many Heisman Trophies he would win. But every time the Irish lose, the rationale is that the talent level is way down. . . .

Good thing the Irish, who are 7-7-1 in their last 15 games, play Vanderbilt and all three service academies this season, although a victory over Air Force might be too much to expect after Saturday’s results. . . .

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This was the first time since 1989 that both the Raiders and Rams won on opening day. . . .

Say what you want about the Coliseum, but at least the Raiders played on a football field there all the time, not a baseball diamond, such as the one at the Oakland Coliseum. . . .

It was refreshing to see a Raider team that didn’t beat itself. No turnovers. No penalties in the first half. Thumbs up to the new coach, Mike White, and his staff. . . .

Instant-replay review advocates can point to an Oakland fumble that wasn’t called in the fourth quarter. . . .

Fast running back Napoleon Kaufman, the rookie from Washington, gives the Raiders a new dimension. . . .

The Rams are in the process of trying to learn how to win without a major contribution from Jerome Bettis, who gained four yards in seven carries against the Packers. . . .

There never will be enough games on TV. For instance, we didn’t get to see New England’s victory over Cleveland in an attractive AFC matchup. Channel 4 wasn’t showing any game at the time. . . .

Nothing replacement Marquez Pope did against the New Orleans Saints should stop the San Francisco 49ers from making the most attractive bid possible to bring back Deion Sanders. . . .

However, it was a Sanders kind of play that cornerback Eric Davis made on wide receiver Michael Haynes to save the 49ers’ victory. . . .

I’m still not sure if Steve Young is a better passer or runner. . . .

NHL officials should note that an NFL official called a key penalty in overtime of the Cincinnati Bengals’ upset victory over the Indianapolis Colts. . . .

Those new blue pants didn’t help the Colts. . . .

So far, new Coach Ray Rhodes’ West Coast offense is less effective than the Philadelphia Eagles’ old East Coast offense. . . .

Maybe the Arizona Cardinals needed a coaching change, not a quarterback change, to pump some life into the offense. . . .

Some of the tennis players in the U.S. Open are making fewer unforced errors than the Dodgers.