Stopping Tuiasosopo Is All Relative

In 1978, in his first season as a UCLA coach, a young defensive assistant named Bob Field worked with a nose guard named Manu Tuiasosopo. Today, Field is the Bruins’ defensive coordinator, trying to figure out how to stop Manu’s son, Washington quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo.

“It makes me feel old,” said Field, 52. “I don’t feel that old, but sometimes I feel like I’m coaching grandchildren or something.”

The younger Tuiasosopo provides Field with plenty to worry about, besides wrinkles. He isn’t the best passer in the nation, or the best runner, but he might represent the most dangerous combination. The Huskies are equally comfortable using him as an option quarterback and a drop-back passer, and the senior has thrown for more than 5,000 yards and rushed for more than 1,000 in his Washington career.

“If he has a big day, they’re awfully hard to beat,” Field said. “There are so many dimensions to how they use him. He’s hard to contain for 60 minutes.”

The Bruins did a pretty fair job in last year’s 23-20 overtime victory over the Huskies, in which Tuiasosopo ran for 15 yards and passed for 134, completing 12 of 25 attempts.

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Julius Williams paid a visit to his once and future teammates at practice Tuesday. Williams, who left school because of academic deficiencies before the season, said he expects to receive enough credits through his UCLA Extension work this fall to regain regular academic status for winter quarter.

Williams has two seasons of eligibility remaining. He could compete for a starting job next season at right cornerback, a position currently manned by senior Jason Bell.

In the meantime, he shares a house with tailback DeShaun Foster, tight end Bryan Fletcher, linebacker Robert Thomas and defensive lineman Stephen Sua. It is tough to hear them talk about Bruin football, tougher still to see them leave for a road game.

“Then I’m the only one sitting around the house,” Williams said.

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Although several UCLA players have bemoaned the Bruins’ inability to put away opponents, Coach Bob Toledo does not sound quite as troubled. Of the five Pacific 10 Conference games last Saturday, all were decided by six points or less, including two overtime games. No team scored fewer than 24 points.

“I laugh at people who talk about ugly wins. They’re all beautiful,” Toledo said. “They’re all close in the Pac-10. We’ve all got good teams, and the offenses have just gone crazy this year.”