After Taking His Lumps, Hicks Comes Through

UCLA running back Skip Hicks scored the 46th touchdown of his four-year college career on a routine one-yard run Saturday in the second quarter at the Rose Bowl against California.

That tied him for the day with DuVal Hicks, the junior safety who returned a blocked punt in the first quarter for his first UCLA touchdown.

Otherwise, Skip Hicks did little to affect the game until he fumbled on his second carry of the third quarter, allowing Cal to score its first touchdown, cut UCLA’s lead to 21-10 and briefly think of an upset.

Thinking right along with them was Hicks, the one-time Heisman Trophy candidate who was benched for the rest of the quarter.

He used the time well.

“I wasn’t happy with my performance,” he said. “I told myself, ‘If I get another chance, I’m not going to care whether there’s a hole or not. I’m just going to go out there and explode into the line, make my own holes.’ ”

That’s the attitude Coach Bob Toledo sought from Hicks in the fourth quarter, when he carried eight times for 53 yards and enabled the Bruins to run down the clock in a 35-17 victory.

That’s also the attitude UCLA needs from Hicks in its final three games, against Stanford, Washington and USC.

“Championships are won in November,” Toledo told his team Saturday.

The Bruins appear ready to contend for one in the Pacific 10 if the running game plays at the level of the defense and passing game. That means Hicks.

He had an excuse in recent weeks because of a bruised knee.

Bruin coaches, though, were convinced last week that Hicks was ready to play. Toledo told him he had to practice in order to play against Cal. Hicks practiced, although it was apparent as late as the third quarter Saturday he wasn’t convinced.

He just needed more time to think.

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There’s nothing wrong with baseball that a seventh game of the World Series can’t cure. . . .

At least for one night. . . .

The quality of play improved considerably after the series returned to a climate better suited to baseball than the Green Bay Packers. . . .

Coincidence? I don’t think so. . . .

Jaret Wright didn’t look a day over, oh, 39. . . .

The poised rookie from Katella High deserved to win, but maybe there’s something to that curse of Rocky Colavito. . . .

Or maybe Jim Leyland deserved it more. . . .

I’m still mad about NBC’s coverage. . . .

With one out in the bottom of the eighth, the network wedged a “Mad About You” promo between batters. . . .

Even Bob Costas seemed a bit bewildered. . . .

“Back to the World Series,” he said sardonically when action resumed. . . .

Baseball isn’t the only sport robbed of its continuity by interminable television commercials. . . .

Pac-10 games Saturday between UCLA and Cal and Washington State and Arizona kicked off at the same time. . . .

As the UCLA-Cal game, which wasn’t televised, was ending, the Washington State-Arizona game, which was televised, was in a commercial break between the third and fourth quarters. . . .

You know UCLA is having a good season when it beats Cal, 35-17, and neither improves its scoring average nor beats the spread. . . .

In case the Bruins are becoming smug about their six consecutive victories, they should be reminded that none came against a team that now has a winning record. . . . Unless El Nino makes an earlier visit in 1998, MLS can count on its first championship game without rain. . . .

Now it’s Danny Villanueva’s job to get the Galaxy in the final at the Rose Bowl. . . .

Otherwise, the attendance record of 57,431 set Sunday in Washington’s RFK Stadium is not likely to be threatened. . . .

Another soccer attendance record fell Sunday, when 2,000 watched No. 15 UCLA’s 3-1 victory over No. 18 USC at the Bruins’ Spaulding Field. . . .

Coach Joy Fawcett’s Bruins won because of their speed, especially noticeable when freshman forward Venus James was near the ball.

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While wondering if Rodney Peete will ever have a better week than his last one, I was thinking: Warren Moon doesn’t look a day over 39, no one has ever tried harder than the Broncos to get to Buffalo, Dennis Green is a crybaby.