Comebacks Are Part of Hole Routine

By BILL SHAIKIN

Nov. 11, 2000 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

SEATTLE —

Remember that old NBA joke, the one about ignoring the first three quarters because the score would be tied, 100-100, with five minutes to play?

OK, so scoring in the NBA has nose dived. But modify that joke for college football, and you’ve set the scene for today’s game between UCLA and Washington: Ignore the first three quarters, because the score might well be tied, 31-31, with five minutes to play.

“We might just tee it up and say it’s the second half,” UCLA Coach Bob Toledo said. “We’ve both been slow starters and fast finishers.”

The Bruins and Huskies both score plenty of points, but plenty is deceiving. The Huskies (8-1 overall, 5-1 Pacific 10 Conference) have come from behind in seven of their eight victories. The Bruins (6-3, 3-3) have allowed opponents to score first in every game this season.

“Every game has been stressful,” UCLA defensive back Jason Zdenek said. “By no means have any of our games been decided early.”

Each team has scored more than 30 points in four of its last five games. UCLA has lost two of those, scoring the three victories by a total of 12 points.

And what of Washington? Where is the dominance you might associate with a team ranked seventh nationally? The Huskies have won their last five games, but three of the victories were by three points and another by six.

The Huskies trailed by 15 in the fourth quarter before beating Arizona last week, defeated Stanford in the final minute two weeks ago, and trailed by 11 points in the fourth quarter before beating California three weeks ago.

The Huskies have scored 27 first-quarter points. They have scored 130 in the fourth quarter.

“If we had to pick a quarter we would be good in, I think we’ve chosen wisely,” Washington Coach Rick Neuheisel said.

The Huskies live by the motto “In Marques We Trust.” Senior quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo, who rushed for the winning touchdown with 1:10 left in last week’s 35-32 victory over Arizona, evokes memories in Toledo’s mind of Cade McNown and the mostly magical 1998 UCLA season.

“They’re very similar to us, when we had McNown bringing us back,” Toledo said. “You can call it luck or you can call it whatever, but it happens. They’re making the plays down the stretch to win games.”

The Bruins wouldn’t mind making a few plays at the beginning of the game. It’s a weird ritual by now: The opponent takes a 7-0 lead, and Toledo walks around reminding his players they have come back before and can come back again.

“We wouldn’t know what to do if we didn’t get behind. It’s almost a standing joke,” Toledo said. “Nobody panics around here.”

Said offensive lineman Brian Polak, “We made light of it before he did. It’s ridiculous, how many times it’s happened. We’re not trying to be down 7-0 after the first drive or two. It just happens.

“We can’t say, ‘Oh, God, we’re down again.’ We know we can overcome it.”

To the men of the UCLA defense, this is no laughing matter.

“From a defensive point of view, it’s our fault we’re behind every game,” Zdenek said.

And, from an offensive point of view, tailback DeShaun Foster is there to even the score. In the three games since he returned from injury, Foster has ensured the Bruins don’t take long to come back.

After Stanford took a 7-0 lead last week, Foster capped a 10-play drive by rushing 14 yards for the tying touchdown. After Arizona had taken a 7-0 lead two weeks ago, Foster capped a 12-play drive by rushing one yard for the tying touchdown. After Oregon State had moved out to a 7-0 lead three weeks ago, Foster capped an eight-play drive by rushing two yards for the tying touchdown.

To UCLA, and to Washington, a deficit is simply a comeback waiting to happen.

“It provides a lot of confidence, knowing we’re able to overcome pretty large deficits,” Zdenek said. “It’s comforting, knowing that, even though you’re behind, the game is still up for grabs. Four quarters and 60 minutes is going to matter, not being down 10 points in the second quarter.”

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Points Galore

UCLA has been in high-scoring games all season:

RECORD: 6-3

Alabama: W, 35-24

Fresno St.: W, 24-21

Michigan: W, 23-20

Oregon: L, 29-10

Arizona St.: W, 38-31

California (OT): L, 46-38

Oregon St.: L, 44-38

Arizona: W, 27-24