Quarterbacks Miss Chance

The cancellation of the UCLA-Miami game, temporarily or otherwise, brings with it missed opportunities for both quarterbacks.

Cade McNown would have gotten a national television spotlight, the prime stage for Heisman Trophy hopefuls, and a decent secondary push, the chance to play in person before Eastern voters. The Bruins were well aware of both factors.

“I complain we never get enough East Coast exposure,” Coach Bob Toledo said Wednesday. “This is a chance to take care of that.”

Rather, it would have been.

The game also would have meant an opportunity for Miami’s Scott Covington, a Dana Hills High product, to play against one of the teams he grew up watching. That meant extra excitement.

Not only that, but Covington would have gotten the chance at a time when he was playing particularly well. Before this season, no Hurricane quarterback had thrown for three touchdowns in a game since 1996, but Covington has now done it twice in a row, the first time that has happened at Miami since Gino Torretta did it in 1992.