Lewis Is Grounded in UCLA History

HOUSTON — One week after going into the opening lineup, Jermaine Lewis went into the record books.

UCLA’s sophomore tailback, who had 113 yards last week while starting for the first time, this week tied a school record by rushing for four touchdowns, the offensive highlight as the Bruins beat Houston, 42-24.

Four on the floor has been done nine times by five players, most recently Lewis’ predecessor, Skip Hicks, Sept. 27, 1997, against Arizona. Lewis, who had 63 yards in 16 carries in all, did it from one, eight, one and three yards out.

“I thought he was outstanding,” Coach Bob Toledo said. “I thought Jermaine played very well. Very well.”

Said Lewis: “There’s still room for improvement. I’ll come back next week and hopefully have a better performance. You’ve got to stay consistent.”

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The UCLA football team wouldn’t say it, but they didn’t have to.

Anybody who watched the Bruins’ 42-24 victory over Houston on Saturday saw the cheap-shot circus that accompanied it.

The Cougars, serving as an important reminder to the Bruins that highly ranked teams will be highly hassled ones, spent much of the game delivering late hits and low blows.

Several Bruins were punched after plays, but nothing was called. Cade McNown was chased and shoved after nearly every pass, but nothing was called.

In one particularly heinous example, the Bruins were called for offside and the play was whistled dead . . . and a Cougar defensive lineman came through the line and crushed McNown anyway . . . and nothing was called.

Then there were the several occasions when, after the whistle, tackle Kris Farris stood with his hands down while Houston defenders pounded at him.

“I was concerned about it,” Toledo said of the hits. “I didn’t want to get on the officials, but they have to take control of the game, and I wasn’t totally pleased with how they took control.”

Al Borges, offensive coordinator, looked on the bright side. He said he thought it was a good test of the Bruins’ maturity--and that they passed it.

“We kept our poise,” he said. “That is so important in this situation.”

Which no doubt will be similar to the situation next week in Miami against the Hurricanes.

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Under Toledo, the Bruins are known not just as a team of good athletes, but smart ones.

This trait served them well in the second quarter, when the struggling offense and unsettled defense were assisted by the brains and left hand of safety Tod McBride.

Lining up against the Houston punt team on the Cougar 13, McBride remembered something he had seen in films this week.

“My man was susceptible to the block,” he said.

He saw the weakness, charged on it, stuck up his hand, and blocked Joey Saavedra’s kick into the hands of Robert Thomas, who returned it 15 yards to set up Lewis’ one-yard touchdown run and a 14-6 lead.

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There were some chuckles before the game when the Robertson Stadium scoreboard listed “Texas A&M;” as the home team.

Turns out, Houston purchased the scoreboard two years ago from--you guessed it--Texas A&M.;

It was all part of the quaintness of the Cougars’ full-time return this season to its 56-year-old campus facility for the first time in 49 years.

Another charming touch was the fans who chased down the field goals and extra points behind the net-less goal posts.

The fan who caught Houston’s second field goal kick, which gave them a 6-0 lead? Who else? A guy wearing an Eddie Jones Laker jersey.