Shaken-Up Offensive Line Provides a Stirring Effort

From gutted to gutty.

Essentially down to five players for five positions, and on the verge of really finding out the meaning of “emergency replacement,” the UCLA offensive line at least temporarily erased a season of struggles and produced an inspiring effort that played a key role in the 23-20 overtime victory over Washington at the Rose Bowl.

“There is no question I feel great about them as a group,” Mark Weber, the offensive line coach, said after UCLA gave up no sacks, a marked improvement from previous weeks. “They showed a great amount of character and pride. They have always been good and they just had to learn how to do it, in terms of tempo and execution.

“They were playing from a pride standpoint, playing for themselves. They were playing for the team and a team win, but there was a matter of restoring their reputation and restoring what UCLA is known for.”

The other thing UCLA is known for is injuries. Two starters, guard Mike Saffer and center Troy Danoff, had already been lost for the season during bye-week practices, prompting the Bruins to shuffle the lineup so dramatically that only left guard Oscar Cabrera was in his usual spot against Washington.

Matt Phelan, who had previously started at both guard spots, became the new center . . . and broke his collarbone in the first quarter, a season-ending injury. The job fell to fourth-stringer James Ghezzi, a guard-tackle who had not played center in a game since his freshman season at Loyola High. Now he starts next week against USC.

Blake Worley moved from left tackle to right tackle . . . and sprained a knee ligament in the Bruins’ second drive. Worley returned for three plays in the second quarter, but that only confirmed he couldn’t push off the left leg, so his day was over.

That left five players to go the rest of the way--with Cabrera, right tackle-turned-right guard Brian Polak and left tackle Bryce Bohlander, a first-time starter, playing the entire game. Ghezzi never exited after replacing Phelan, and Micah Webb played all but the brief time in place of Worley. Guard Ed Anderson was also available, but coaches were not eager to use him.

“I don’t know if we exorcised our ghosts or not,” Polak said, “but it sure feels good.”

*

Danny Farmer had six catches for 80 yards to pass J.J. Stokes for second place on the UCLA career reception list and also become only the fourth player in Pac-10 history to total 3,000 yards. . . . Billy Kilmer, the former Bruin single-wing tailback who later starred in the NFL at quarterback, was saluted at halftime in recognition of his induction into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame next month.