Foster Has New Kid on Blocks

Ed Ieremia-Stansbury, who replaces the injured Matt Stanley at fullback, makes his third career start today.

This is not to say Ieremia-Stansbury is an experienced fullback. He arrived at UCLA as a quarterback but never played there, then outgrew the position and moved to linebacker. He started two games there last season, then moved to fullback this season.

“Fullback is starting to come a lot more naturally to me,” said the 258-pound junior. “It’s mostly blocking. Every now and then I’ll have a catch or maybe a short-yardage run. I know I’m leading the way for [tailback] DeShaun [Foster].”

No kidding. Stanley, expected to sit out four to six weeks because of a dislocated shoulder, started the first three games but did not carry the ball. He did catch three passes, and Ieremia-Stansbury caught a touchdown pass last week.

“I enjoy blocking, but the reward is getting to catch the ball once in a while,” Stanley said. “It’s like the treat you give to your pet.”

Of the Bruins’ 144 carries, Foster has 95, with quarterbacks Ryan McCann and Scott McEwan accounting for an additional 15.

*

Oregon last lost a home game Oct. 11, 1997--to UCLA, 39-31. The Ducks have won 16 consecutive games at Autzen Stadium, the longest winning streak among Pacific 10 Conference teams since USC won 20 in a row from 1927-29. The conference record is 26, set by California from 1919-23.

However, of the 16 opponents Oregon has beaten, only three finished the season with a winning record--Utah in 1997, USC in 1998 and Oregon State last season. The Ducks have not played UCLA, Arizona or California at home during the streak.

*

Rain is not in the forecast today, a mild concern to UCLA Coach Bob Toledo. The artificial turf at Autzen Stadium includes sand, and running can be difficult when the sand is dry.

“It’s like running on ball bearings,” Toledo said.

The Bruins worked out at Autzen Stadium Friday, and Foster said he was not worried about the surface.

“I’ll just have to make quicker cuts,” he said. “I don’t want to get my leg planted.”

*

* Time: 12:30 p.m.

* Site: Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Ore.

* TV: Fox Sports Net.

* Radio: KXTA (1150).

* When UCLA has the ball: Keep an eye on junior receiver Freddie Mitchell, who caught 10 passes in last week’s victory over Michigan. “I want 10 catches a game, and more than that,” Mitchell said. Good thing, because he might need to catch that many if UCLA is to win. The Ducks tend to stack their defense against the run, and they’ll certainly focus on stopping tailback DeShaun Foster while challenging quarterback Ryan McCann to take advantage of single coverage. Foster averages 141 yards a game rushing, ranking second in the Pacific 10 Conference and ninth nationally. Oregon linebacker Matt Smith is the Ducks’ leading tackler. Junior cornerback Rashad Bauman, a freshman All-America who missed last season after knee surgery, is likely to cover Mitchell.

* When Oregon has the ball: The Ducks are the only Pac-10 team to score more than 100 points in their first three games. Quarterback Joey Harrington averages 229 yards a game passing to lead the conference. He threw for a career-high 362 yards at Wisconsin two weeks ago and threw four touchdown passes last week against Idaho. Tailback Maurice Morris, who set the national junior college rushing record with 3,708 yards at Fresno City College, has run for 334 yards in three games, and his average gain of 6.2 yards betters that of Foster (4.4). Sophomore Sean Phillips makes his first career start today, replacing injured star Kenyon Coleman at defensive end. Coleman, called the Bruins’ best player by Coach Bob Toledo, will miss at least four weeks after arthroscopic knee surgery to repair a torn ligament. The Ducks have given up a conference-low three sacks.

* Key to the game: The Bruins have yet to get a first down in their first series, and they have trailed in the first quarter of each game. McCann has not started a road game, so another stirring comeback may be asking too much against a loud crowd.

* Fast fact: The Ducks are 11-1 in games in which Harrington has played. His father, John, also played quarterback for the Ducks. In his three seasons (1967-69), the Ducks were 11-19-1.

* Line: Oregon by 3 1/2.

HOW THEY COMPARE

UCLA and Oregon

27.3 Scoring 33.7

21.7 Points allowed 15.7

209.3 Passing 275.3

144.0 Rushing 178.0

353.3 Total offense 453.3

159.7 Passing defense 119.0

145.0 Rushing defense 139.3

304.7 Total defense 258.3