It’s a Season That Could Be Headed on Road to Nowhere

Not that things are going much better at the Rose Bowl, but UCLA is winless on the road this season, has a four-game losing streak outside Pasadena dating to last season and could go 0 for 1999 with another defeat Saturday at Oregon State.

At least that outcome might take care of the potential for additional problems. Having to travel again for a bowl game.

It’s not simply the streak either. It’s that none of the four games passed gently, each memorable for various reasons, and none good.

Now the Bruins are confronted with a more distant past. Lose in Corvallis, where it took a 61-yard touchdown reception by Brad Melsby with 21 seconds left to win a year ago, and maybe become the first UCLA team in 31 years to go an entire season without a road victory. No one so much as needed the asterisk road win, at USC, to break the streak.

The problem must be that this is a young team. That’s it.

“No,” Coach Bob Toledo said. “I just think we’ve played bad. I’d like to say that [it’s because of youth], but no.”

Said Melsby, a senior who has 18 receptions for 184 yards and two touchdowns this season: “I think the main difference between playing at home and on the road is when something during the game might go against us, their crowd gets into it. The momentum, you sort of feel it swing the other way. It’s hard to maintain your composure and realize that you’re playing against just the other 11 guys and not the whole stadium full of people. I don’t know if it’s because we have a lot of young guys and haven’t traveled a lot. But we’re going to have to go up to Corvallis and maintain our composure and play with a lot of poise and somehow find a way to win on the road.

“It’s difficult. You’re in such a hostile environment. Maybe it might take a couple tough losses on the road, and we’ve certainly had those, to realize that in order to win you’ve got to keep your head and execute the things you’re supposed to do.”

Yes, they certainly have had those.

* Dec. 5, 1998, at Miami. Yes, everything bad that is Bruin has to be traced back to that afternoon in the Orange Bowl. When a win would have meant playing for the national championship, UCLA lost a 17-point lead with 16 minutes left, a 10-point lead with 6 1/2 minutes left and the game when the Hurricanes went 70 and 74 yards for late scores.

* Sept. 11 at Ohio State. The 22-point loss was the biggest margin of defeat in nearly three years. But it is also the one the Bruins have the least reason to feel bad about. Minus 11 key players serving the final part of the two-game suspension for the handicapped-parking investigation, it was more their lack of experience and depth than bad play. They trailed by only four points until the final minute of the third quarter.

* Sept. 25 at Stanford. The day the Cardinal band was over-hyped and the Cardinal passing game was not. The UCLA secondary was burned all the way into the record books, the 465 yards allowed having set an all-time mark for an opponent.

The Bruins could only say they were within 35-32 with 3 1/2 minutes remaining. But they also found they need to learn how to win without a home crowd.

“I think they do,” Toledo said. “I think they need to learn how to finish. How to finish games on the road.”

Speaking of Arizona State.

* Oct. 2 at Arizona State. Maybe being in Pasadena instead of Tempe would have made a difference, because at least the Bruins would have had emotional support in turning back the charging Sun Devils--unless it would have been like Oct. 23 at home against California and the faithful started booing. All the Bruins know for sure is that Arizona State looked charged at the end of a 3 1/2-hour game, capping its victory when Delvon Flowers turned a screen pass that should have been a short gain into a 49-yard romp with 23 seconds left.

That’s the last time UCLA played out of town, to be followed by the victory over Oregon and the loss to California. This week at Oregon State is the last time--scheduled--for the season. The USC game is at the Coliseum on Nov. 20.

Win or face the questions that will surely come the week of Sept. 23, 2000, the first trip next season, at Eugene.

“I played as a true freshman,” senior fullback Durell Price said. “I played in Tennessee. My first carry as a back in college was six yards deep in the Tennessee end zone, with 75,000 fans yelling at me. So I’ve been in those places, and I’ve been in harsher places than some our freshmen have been in this year.

“The nerves part comes with being young and being on the job. With young will comes mistakes, but it doesn’t mean can’t-do. Young doesn’t mean dumb and can’t-do. It just means you have less experience at what you’re doing and you need to move that much faster.

“This year, right now, it’s been real frustrating being an older guy. Some of the younger guys are playing and they’re making mistakes that young guys make. When they get to my age, they’re going to be saying the same thing about freshmen and sophomores coming in. So it’s sort of a patience thing. Me and the other seniors, we’re not going to let it become a mental thing. We’re going to do our all to go up there to Corvallis and win this weekend because it’s crucial.”

Crucial to win away from home, but also crucial just to win.

To keep Bruin hopes alive that they can have another road game in December.

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On the Road

The UCLA football team is currently on a four-game road losing streak and has given up 40.3 points a game during the skid:

ROAD SKID

*--*

Date Opponent Result Dec. 5, 1998 Miami 49-45 Sept. 11, 1999 Ohio State 42-20 Sept. 25, 1999 Stanford 42-32 Oct. 2, 1999 Arizona State 28-27

*--*

BOB TOLEDO’S UCLA TEAMS ON ROAD

1996: 2-4

1997: 4-1

1998: 5-1

1999: 0-3

Total: 11-9