Bruins Relieved in Opener : No reason to pause--it’s time to put only one quarterback behind center, and that should be Paus.

That’s Paus, as in claws.

That’s Paus, as in something everyone thought the UCLA offense would do this season while waiting for somebody fast and feisty enough to jump into Cade McNown’s cleats.

That’s Paus, as in something everyone did Saturday when they realized they might be wrong.

As the light flickered across the Rose Bowl on Saturday evening during UCLA’s 38-7 rout of Boise State, one shadow emerged clearer than the rest.

It was that of McNown, in the body of redshirt freshman quarterback Cory Paus.

The kid made it plain that eventually, the only quarterback controversy around here should be whether he is wearing one sweatband or two.

Paus wears two, McNown wore one, but let’s not get picky.

That screen pass around a couple of lumpy bodies he threw at the end of the first quarter, turned into a 23-yard gain by DeShaun Foster? Looked familiar.

The 11-yard perfect pass he threw to Freddie Mitchell while being pounded by a Boise State big guy a couple of plays later? Sounded familiar.

The 28-yard lob pass that he laid out for a diving Bryan Fletcher three plays after that. Felt familiar.

All of that on the Bruins’ first touchdown drive of the season.

Not coincidentally, Paus also directed their second touchdown drive, finishing it with a five-yard touchdown pass between two defenders just before being smothered by two hopeful tacklers.

While receiver Gabe Crecion was celebrating in the end zone, Paus stuck his hands in the air while lying on his back.

Now I know you’ve seen that before.

So now the patchwork Bruins head to Ohio State, where they will be led next weekend by the same two men who led them Saturday, Drew Bennett and Paus.

“We’re not changing anything,” Coach Bob Toledo said.

This is probably how it must be for the moment, but not forever.

Two quarterbacks give a team two directions. Too many distractions.

There is a reason that the biggest problem with the new quarterback in a rotating quarterback system is the simplest of plays, the center snap.

The new guy is a cold body stepping behind a warm one.

As long as there are two quarterbacks, there will always be a cold body.

Toledo was enough of a quarterback to know that eventually, the Bruins will need only one.

Judging from Saturday’s performance, that should be Paus.

Bennett, the loyal redshirt junior who started Saturday’s game, had decent numbers, completing eight of 16 passes for 120 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

But most of the good stats were accumulated in the third quarter, which began with UCLA leading, 24-0.

Just a guess, but at no point in Columbus will UCLA be leading, 24-0.

The time for a new quarterback to end any doubt is when the game is in doubt.

And so it was that, numbers or not, those reading between the lines Saturday could see only Paus.

He completed 12 of 18 passes for 128 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

But more important, when he was leading the team, the Bruins scored 21 points and took control.

Just as important, afterward, instead of celebrating his success, he was quietly fuming about his late interception near the goal line.

“I felt great, until that . . . last . . . interception,” he said harshly, haltingly. “I was trying not to make mistakes, doing good out there, until that.”

You will like Cory Paus, who came from the Chicago suburbs a year before McNown moved there, maybe a decent trade, you never know.

You will like him not only because his light hair and dark stare are two more things that remind you of McNown.

Ask what he thinks he does well, and he has difficulty answering.

“I guess I just do everything OK,” he said.

Ask where he struggles, and it flies off his tongue.

“I’m not afraid to take chances, which is good, but tonight that just bit me in the rear end,” he said.

It’s also easy to like Bennett, a loyal soldier who used to catch passes when McNown’s presence kept him from throwing them.

He certainly deserved the first chance Saturday. It would have made this an easier story if he had grabbed that chance and shook it in Boise State’s wide-eyed faces.

But as UCLA fans know, these days there are no easy stories.

It was Boise State that seemed to shake Bennett.

His first pass was tipped.

His third pass was tipped.

His fourth pass was thrown over Mitchell’s right shoulder--when Mitchell was looking left--and intercepted.

His fifth pass was thrown high and behind Mitchell.

With 7:04 remaining in the first quarter, Bennett was booed, which is saying something considering the Bruins had just kicked a field goal for their first points of 1999.

“I started off a little tentative,” Bennett said. “I think this was definitely a building experience.”

The only time the fans booed again was upon the announcement that the evening’s fireworks show had been canceled because of technical difficulties.

But that’s OK. Paus provided enough.

Entering with 5:18 remaining in the first quarter, he relieved Bennett like a cozy blanket relieves a chill.

The score was 3-0.

When Paus left at halftime, it was 24-0.

Not to get ahead of ourselves, but we all knew somebody else who used to do such things.

All that, and the kid even knows where to park.

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Bill Plaschke can be reached at his e-mail address: bill.plaschke@latimes.com.

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Comparing QBs

Comparing quarterbacks Cory Paus and Drew Bennett in UCLA’s opener:

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Paus Bennett Attempts 18 16 Completions 12 8 Interceptions 2 1 Yards 128 120 Touchdowns 2 1

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