Paus Was on Thin Ice

Cory Paus was off to another poor start, completing two of his first 10 passes, including seven misfires in a row against Oregon State.

A thought occurred to Coach Bob Toledo.

Pull Paus.

“I was considering it, yes I was,” he said.

There is no quarterback controversy in Westwood. The move would have been temporary.

“Sometimes you need to pull him off the field a little bit and let him watch and put him back in,” Toledo said.

The coach did it to DeShaun Foster when the tailback fumbled four times against Ohio State. Paus knows he isn’t immune.

“I have to complete short passes better,” he said. “I know [Toledo] is tough on me. I’ve come to terms with it.”

Toledo was rewarded for sticking with Paus, who completed six of his last seven passes in the first half, including a 41-yarder to Manual White and a 38-yard touchdown to Brian Poli-Dixon on the last play that gave UCLA a 17-0 lead.

*

The Bruins not only got out of Corvallis with a decisive victory, they got off the Reser Stadium AstroTurf without a serious injury.

*

Several starters have minor injuries, however.

Linebacker Robert Thomas and receiver Tab Perry suffered concussions, but both were clear-eyed and coherent after the game.

Defensive tackle Ken Kocher is questionable for the Oct. 13 game with Washington with a sprained knee, offensive tackle Mike Saffer is sore after playing on a sprained knee and fullback Matt Stanley will miss several practices with an ankle sprain.

*

Sophomore reserve receiver Ryan Wikert has taken a medical retirement because of bulging discs in his back, prompting sophomore Garrett Lepisto to move from safety to receiver.

*

The UCLA-Washington game at the Rose Bowl will begin at 12:30 p.m. and be televised by Channel 7.