After Taking His Licks, Sailer Makes His Kicks

All the talk of blocked and missed field goals gave way Saturday to the return of the old Chris Sailer, once again reliable from close range and dangerous at a distance.

Demonstrating the improved leg strength he has talked about, after being hampered for much of the season because of a groin injury, he made all five attempts in UCLA’s 36-24 victory at Washington, including a season-long 47-yarder. For the first time in 1998, a campaign in which he was supposed to contend for All-American consideration, Sailer emerged as a major offensive weapon.

“It was fun to be able to contribute again and put some points on the board,” he said.

He put 18 up, to be precise, the field goals from 27, 25, 25, 47 and 29 yards and extra points on the three Bruin touchdowns. Putting himself at close to 100%, after having recently gone weeks without kicking during practice to conserve the leg, he also averaged 43 yards on three punts, better than the 40.8 in the first eight games.

Sailer even got to make a touchdown-saving tackle, or what will have to pass for one, when he knocked Washington’s Toure Butler out of bounds at the UCLA 47 after a 53-yard kickoff return. But the most gratifying moment was clearing the longest field goal of the season.

“Very much so,” Sailer said. “I haven’t been getting them up lately, to even see if they would even miss right or left.”

Saturday, they just didn’t miss at all.

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A week of wanting to simplify and ease the strain on the UCLA defense gave way to a game in which Washington rushed for more yards than it had all season and piled up 451 yards in total offense, about 49 more than its season average, but Bruin Coach Bob Toledo was pleased with the overall performance.

The greatest change was in UCLA’s reliance on more zone coverages. That made for a virtual downsizing of the defensive playbook “and let guys line up and play some football and not be confused,” Toledo said. “I think we did a good job.”

Said linebacker Tony White: “We simplified everything. All the intricacies of past games, those caused people to think too much. So we made it much simpler.”