Griffith Gets Plenty of Support

Chris Griffith is about as reliable a kicker as a college team can reasonably expect, making 33 of 44 field-goal attempts in three seasons.

But in his first opportunity to win a game with a long kick, the Bruin junior missed from 50 yards on the last play in UCLA’s 21-20 loss to Oregon on Saturday.

Griffith, a former walk-on, is popular among teammates. They offered comfort, letting him know the kick was too long for him to feel like he lost the game.

But he took special solace in the words of a USC graduate--his father.

“My parents asked me how I felt,” he said. “I said I felt bad but I wasn’t going to kill myself.

“I don’t feel like I needed anybody, but I’m happy to say I spent time with my parents and my teammates.”

Griffith is even-keeled, a plus for a kicker. He went five weeks without attempting a field goal, then had successful kicks of 20 and 37 yards against Oregon before missing. He is nine for 12 this season, a 75% success rate he has maintained during his career.

In 1999, he made a 22-yarder to beat Washington in overtime, but didn’t have another chance with the game on the line until Saturday.

“It wasn’t the end of the season, thank God,” he said. “Now I’m looking forward to USC.”

In addition to his father, Christopher, two of Griffith’s cousins are USC graduates. The entire family rooted for the Trojans while Chris was growing up.

Not anymore.

“My dad is a Bruin fan through thick and thin now,” Griffith said.

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Depth at receiver continues to be a concern.

Ryan Smith, third on the team with 17 catches, did not practice for the second day in a row because of a sprained ankle, but said he will probably practice today.

And Tab Perry, the leading receiver with 21 catches, is out with broken ribs, leaving Brian Poli-Dixon and Craig Bragg as the only healthy receivers on scholarship.

However, Poli-Dixon is coming off his best game of the season. He had six catches for 149 yards against Oregon, giving him 20 for a 19.1 average.

Bragg, who has 16 catches, made a spectacular over-the-head grab for a 54-yard gain against the Ducks.

Walk-on Garrett Lepisto, a converted safety who until the injuries to other receivers saw action only as holder, has made a catch in each of the last two games and is second on the depth chart behind Bragg at flanker.

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Guard Steve Vieira, a redshirt freshman, will make his fourth start, but his first on merit. The first three came because sophomore Shane Lehmann had a sprained ankle.

This time he simply won the job.

“Steve has been more consistent,” Coach Bob Toledo said.