Drama at the Pasadena Playhouse

No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 14 UCLA, with No. 2 quarterbacks. And that’s in the good moments.

In the bad, like last Saturday at the Rose Bowl, the Bruins are down to a third-stringer, with receiver Drew Bennett on emergency alert and Coach Bob Toledo wondering what sort of monster he created since everyone keeps asking why they don’t just use Freddie Mitchell there full-time. And then here come the Wolverines, using the most inexperienced of reserves and gliding along, undaunted to where it would have been a problem only if the starter was healthy enough to play.

But Drew Henson isn’t, because of a broken foot that appears at least a week away from its first test drive of the season, so Michigan will again go with redshirt freshman John Navarre today at 12:30 p.m. in Pasadena and wonder all the while over all the worries of a green backup. The Bruins understand the commotion.

Ryan McCann, coming off a solid relief showing versus Alabama, started against Fresno State for the injured Cory Paus. He just didn’t get anything started. So he got the bench, replaced at halftime by Scott McEwan, who went the rest of the way in a 24-21 victory that easily could have been a defeat. If the Bulldog punt returner doesn’t get tripped up by his own man in the open field, after all, or Fresno State doesn’t fumble while driving late or it kicks a field goal instead of failing on fourth and a long two in the second quarter, today’s game is the only thing that would have lost as much luster as UCLA.

Instead, it remains a marquee showdown, with Michigan (2-0) in early contention for a national championship and UCLA (2-0) able to claim the same lofty standing if it dumps a No. 3 team for the second time in three weeks. Strange, then, that it comes with a complete reliance, barring an unexpected appearance by Henson, of backup quarterbacks.

Even stranger that Navarre, in his second season in the program but the first of game competition, has such an obvious edge. He completed 15 of 29 passes for 265 yards and four touchdowns, the latter tying a school record, against Bowling Green in his college debut. He followed that by going 10 of 15 for 129 yards and three touchdowns versus Rice.

Coach Lloyd Carr still calls Henson the starter, so everyone else calls this unbelievable depth: the backup quarterback--the freshman backup quarterback--leads the nation in passing efficiency. It’s very early, but it’s impressive.

There are contributing factors, of course, reasons why today presents such a challenge for the Bruin defense. Michigan has a very good offensive line, led by the experience of tackle Jeff Backus and guard Steve Hutchinson, both of whom will be back in the Rose Bowl after helping to beat Washington State on Jan. 1, 1998. And Michigan has even better depth at tailback than quarterback.

Southern California fans remember Justin Fargas from Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High, but coaches everywhere know Anthony Thomas, the starter who has opened his senior season with back-to-back 100-yard games and needs only 24 more to become the sixth Wolverine ever to break 3,000 for a career. The reinforcements include Fargas, who has 77 yards in 14 carries in his return after missing all of 1999 because of a broken leg, and Chris Perry, averaging 86 yards a game and a team-leading 7.8 a carry.

To counter, the Bruins look to a defense that has performed well in all but the fourth quarter of the Fresno State game, and 75,000 of their closest friends, the number of UCLA faithful expected in addition to the 10,000 or so tickets bought by Michigan fans. They are counting on the atmosphere being different, since the Wolverines, and Navarre specifically, have so far played only home games. They are counting on all forms of pressure making a difference.

“That’s definitely something we want to do,” Bruin defensive tackle Anthony Fletcher said. “This is his first big game. He’s had games against Bowling Green and Rice. Bowling Green and Rice are one thing; UCLA is something completely different. We’ve got to teach him that from the get-go. This is a big-time football game and we think if we can get to him early, start hitting him a lot, get him out of his game, we can maybe cause some things to happen to have them go our way.

“He’s obviously a good quarterback and it’s not that he hasn’t been hit yet. He’s been sacked about five times already. Rice got after him a little bit and he maintains pretty good composure. But he’s a young quarterback, he’s a young guy, this is his first big game. If we can get under his skin a little bit, we can make some things happen.”

The issue at the same time remains whether anything will get under McCann’s skin. Or, anyone.

Toledo named him the starter two days after pulling him, but also said the Bruins would make another change if needed. Speaking of pressure situations.

“One thing about Ryan that’s really good, he always feels like he’s OK,” said Al Borges, the quarterback coach and offensive coordinator. “Some quarterbacks don’t feel that way. Some guys are, ‘Oh my God.’ It’s a minus, but it’s a big plus too. He doesn’t major in history. In this position, you can’t major in history, because if you let what happened last time influence what happens the next time, you don’t have a chance to succeed. He always thinks he’s OK, and that’s good.”

One problem for the Bruins.

McCann does major in history, at least in his academics. Football-wise, class is now in session.

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SPECIAL TEAMS GETTING SPECIAL ATTENTION

Bruin Coach Bob Toledo wants improvement from his punt team, which has given up two big returns and had a miscue on a snap in the first two games. “We’ve got to improve in that area,” he said. D8