COLLEGE FOOTBALL / WEEK 2 : Bruins Relieved in Opener : College football: UCLA gets a lift from Paus and two key interceptions to roll over Boise State, 38-7.

UCLA used the Offense Defense, employing Freddie Mitchell and DeShaun Foster in the secondary and even getting an open-field tackle from Mitchell.

The defense was offensive, contributing a 53-yard interception return for a touchdown by Julius Williams and an interception by Joey Strycula that set up another score.

And the starting quarterback, who also took a turn at receiver, was on the verge of being made to feel defensive about his job future.

The only thing that seemed predictable Saturday night at the Rose Bowl was that the heavily favored Bruins rolled, building a 24-0 lead in the second quarter and going on to a 38-7 victory over Boise State before 46,752 at the Rose Bowl as five players scored touchdowns in the season opener.

Playing without 11 suspended players--not counting Marques Anderson, who was eventually dismissed from school for the entire season--and without Danny Farmer because of a sprained ankle, the Bruins still dominated. Almost as importantly, no one got carted off the field with another injury, apparently including one to Drew Bennett’s chance of remaining starting quarterback amid a nice showing by backup Cory Paus.

Bennett started poorly, admitting later he was tentative, but finished well, enough to complete eight of 16 passes for 120 yards and enough to keep his job with Coach Bob Toledo’s postgame comment that “We’re not going to change anything.” This comes in spite of Paus, the redshirt freshman, going 12 of 18 for 128 yards.

“We’re going to do exactly what we did this week,” Toledo said.

Bennett had purchased 14 tickets Tuesday, got four more in the players’ allotment and expected several other supporters to pay their own way in, making about 20 family and friends who planned to come from the Bay Area and San Diego for his big moment. It was, after all, his first start in nearly four years, since his senior season in high school, and his first real action at UCLA.

Fine at the time of his official promotion to No. 1 on Aug. 23, by this week he was conceding that nervousness had beat all those backers to town. He joked--maybe--that his brother attending Arizona had better come to Pasadena because this could be the only start. He cracked that he hoped his palms stayed dry enough to throw the ball.

Yeah, real funny.

His first pass, on the second play from scrimmage, was tipped by Dempsy Dees.

His third attempt, three plays later, was batted down at the line by defensive end Mike Maloy.

The second series ended with an interception. The third resulted in some points, a 37-yard field goal by Chris Griffith, but that was mainly because the Bruins took over on the Boise State 24 after a bad punt. The next time UCLA had the ball, Paus was in.

Said Bennett: “I was kind of embarrassed, actually.”

This was Toledo’s original timetable, not a revised schedule because of Bennett’s struggles. Either way, Paus provided an immediate spark in his first college action, completing six of his first seven throws. One of those came thanks to a big-time catch, when Bryan Fletcher, battling to replace Gabe Crecion as the starting tight end, stretched out for a driving grab and a 28-yard gain.

That put the ball at the four-yard line and set up Foster’s scoring run two plays later for a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter. It came as one of the few highlights to the ground game that produced only 55 yards for Foster and 45 for Jermaine Lewis behind the inexperienced line.

But the defense, looking to make an immediate statement in their drive for redemption off last season, stepped to the forefront. During a half in which Boise State would manage only 61 yards rushing and 62 through the air, the biggest play came when Williams took advantage of Dave Stachelski falling down and intercepted Bart Hendricks’ pass in the middle of the field. When Williams cut to the right and sprinted down the sideline for a 53-yard scoring return, UCLA had turned the game into a blowout.

The developments, apart from Bennett’s struggles, had been exactly as Toledo had expected, or at least hoped. Rather than look ahead to Ohio State next week and this week past an undermanned opponent--1998’s fourth-place finisher in the Big West Conference--the Bruins met the immediate test with the proper energy and excitement. That was regularly evident, including the interception by Strycula, the free safety who had waited through three years of duty on special teams to start for the first time as a senior and then accentuated what would have been a memorable night anyway with an interception.

That got the Bruins the ball on the Boise State 16. Five plays later, Paus hit Crecion with a five-yard touchdown pass, making it 24-0 after Griffith converted the extra point.

Bennett played the third quarter, connecting with Randy Hakes on a 65-yard scoring throw, and Paus returned for the start of the fourth. Scott McEwan, the third-stringer, got in for the final series of the night.

The successful showing by the defense, no matter the opponent, came with Strycula getting the interception and leading in tackles. The shutout lasted until Shaelan McDonough caught a 17-yard pass from Bryan Harson with 2:29 left.

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POKEY MAN

UCLA assistant remembers the good old days under former Boise coach Pokey Allen.

THE KEYS

Five key moments that helped decide the UCLA-Boise State outcome.

Coverage, Page 12