Bruins Look Good on the Face of Things

The lofty perch--No. 7 in the Associated Press preseason rankings, the choice by many to win the Pacific 10 Conference title, a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback--sits on a ledge. It has a grand view in every direction.

The UCLA football team, which opens practice Saturday and plays its first game three weeks later, is aware of the landscape, showing a willingness to be as realistic of its shortcomings as it is proud of what has been built and what might yet come.

So the talented offensive line, anchored by tackle Kris Farris, will begin to stand across from a defense that has four returning starters, including only one lineman and one linebacker.

Cade McNown, coming off a junior season in which he led the nation in passing efficiency, returns to find a lot of youth hoping to replace flanker Jim McElroy.

The team that averaged 39.8 points a game in 1997 has seven starters back on offense, but not Skip Hicks or McElroy, who between them accounted for 37 touchdowns.

And the recruiting class that earned such praise might be needed to produce immediately.

So it goes for the Bruins, filled with potential but also required to develop in key areas.

“I’ll tell them [the players] where people are picking us and that our program has aimed at more national recognition,” Coach Bob Toledo said, “but that it’s a new year and a new team and a lot of new faces. These people have got to play to the level so that we can reach those goals.”

These people at these positions, for example:

* Tailback. The inability to develop a ground game will mean trouble, for the Bruins and for the Heisman campaign around McNown. Of the four scholarship players, only two--junior Keith Brown and Jermaine Lewis--have experience, and Lewis is only a sophomore. That, along with potential, means freshmen DeShaun Foster and Ken Pritchett have the opportunity to win the starting job.

“I would say we’ll look very hard” at those two, Toledo said.

* Flanker. The Bruins won’t have a senior at wide receiver, although tight end Mike Grieb is one and junior split end Danny Farmer had 41 catches last season. Replacing McElroy, which would have been tough enough for an experienced player, falls to Brad Melsby, a junior who has been out most of the last two seasons because of injury and illness; sophomore Brian Poli-Dixon; redshirt freshmen Cody Joyce and Freddie Mitchell and true freshmen Jon Dubravac and Paul Nelson.

The leader in receptions among that group is Melsby--with 12.

* Secondary. Larry Atkins is an All-American candidate at strong safety. But he can’t play all four positions at once.

The two cornerback spots and free safety position are less secure. But Marques Anderson and Jason Bell, who split time at cornerback in 1997, return, and Eric Whitfield has experience at safety.

“And I think that’s a big concern of mine,” Toledo said. “We need to play there and improve. And we’ve got some young guys there.”

New defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti, who oversaw the Gang Green defense that helped Oregon reach the 1995 Rose Bowl game, replaces Rocky Long, who left to become head coach at New Mexico. Aliotti gets a group that has only two senior starters.

The combination of new faces there and a greater confidence in the offense probably will prompt Toledo, whose background is largely on offense, to spend more time with the defense for the next three weeks.

“I will watch over it closely and make sure it’s getting done,” he said.

The test will come quickly. The first game is Sept. 12 at the Rose Bowl against Texas and its Heisman candidate, running back Ricky Williams. That’s long enough for the buildup, and about all the maturation process some freshmen will get.