A Struggling McNown Has Toledo Thinking

When UCLA quarterback Cade McNown was struggling in the second half Saturday, some wondered if he should have been on the sideline, watching reserve Steve Buck try to move the Bruins.

Bruin Coach Bob Toledo thought about it, but only briefly.

“We didn’t talk about it,” he said. “It went through my mind, but it passed quickly.”

McNown completed only 14 of 34 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown, with several passes dropped. He threw three more interceptions, giving him six touchdowns and 12 interceptions in the last six games.

“Obviously, Cade struggled,” Toledo said. “He didn’t play well at all. Our receivers dropped some passes that they probably could have caught. But he’s got a lot to learn, like all the rest of us.”

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UCLA’s Paul Guidry fielded four punts, giving him 83 for his career, a school record. The previous record was 79, held by Ron Carver (1969-71). Guidry already holds the lifetime return-yards mark with 848.

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Skip Hicks scored on a five-yard touchdown run, giving him 14 touchdowns this season. That’s fourth in school history, behind J.J. Stokes, who scored 17 in 1993, and Gaston Green (1986).

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Derek Ayers led UCLA in receiving with three catches for 31 yards, making him the only Bruin to catch a pass in all eight games.