Bruins Have Nothing in Mind

The UCLA Bruins will be on a scavenger hunt tonight, collecting this and that, anything to hold their interest against California, one of the worst Pacific 10 Conference teams in recent years.

First on the list is a big fat zero. UCLA’s defense has proven one of the most formidable in the nation, but a shutout has eluded it so far.

Twice the No. 4 Bruins (5-0, 2-0) came close. Ohio State scored only on a blocked punt and Oregon State scored a late touchdown against the second string.

“It is important to us, sure it is,” linebacker Robert Thomas said. “It’s one of those things a defense can be proud of. Shutting somebody out is not easy in this conference and we want it.”

This is the best opportunity. The energy crisis must have hit hard in Berkeley--Cal has no electricity. The Bears (0-5, 0-3) average fewer than 18 points a game, have struggled to run the ball and quarterback Kyle Boller is sidelined because of a back injury.

Next on the list is a welcome mat. Cal offensive coordinator Al Borges held the same job at UCLA the last five years and this game marks his return to the Rose Bowl.

Borges left on good terms and he and UCLA Coach Bob Toledo remain close friends. His goal is to become an NFL coordinator or a college head coach, and working in Toledo’s shadow was not to his advantage.

He professes no regrets. With the Bear season falling apart and Coach Tom Holmoe as good as gone, Borges might get his chance as a head coach next season. Or he could be unemployed if a major housecleaning takes place. Or he could serve as coordinator under the next coach, who could be Bruce Snyder.

“Becoming the head coach here is not something I thought much about,” he said. “If we had a good season or two, I figured I’d get a chance somewhere else.”

Borges is in the first year of a contract that runs through June 2003. Right now, he’s just trying to get the offense clicking. The Bears are last in the nation with a minus-16 turnover margin.

“We don’t have anybody making big plays, that’s been a problem,” he said.

The Bruins also will look for glue. UCLA has fumbled 12 times in the last three games, seven against Ohio State and five last week against Washington. The ball has been dropped after receptions, on kickoffs, on punts and on carries from scrimmage. Tailback DeShaun Foster has six fumbles, including one at the Washington one-yard line.

“Most of his fumbles come on second effort,” Toledo said. “Overall we have to do a better job of holding onto the ball, especially in the red zone.”

Foster needs 187 yards to reach 1,000 for the season. Toledo won’t leave him in the game just to pad his stats, however.

“If he doesn’t do it in the time I’ve allotted him, I’ll pull him,” he said.

Although a senior, Foster has never played against Cal, which defeated UCLA the last two years. A hand injury kept him out last year, an ankle injury sidelined him in 1999 and he was out because of a sprained knee in 1998.

“That just reminds me I’m healthy for the first time,” he said. “The last two years it was hard watching while we got beat.”

The last item to find is a compass for quarterback Cory Paus, something to point the way to his receivers on a consistent basis.

Paus has had trouble finding his medium-range targets, either misfiring or ignoring them altogether and heaving the ball long.

“He needs to find the open receiver and make the correct throw,” Toledo said. “He is doing a super job of checking to the right play and he hasn’t thrown an interception all year.

“For the most part, he’s not throwing bad balls. He’s not getting us beat. But we should have some opportunities this week.”

Cal is expected to stack nine defenders near the line of scrimmage to slow Foster.

“They give up big plays because they are trying to stop the run,” Toledo said.

Trying to collect everything on their list will be enough to motivate the Bruins. There shouldn’t be a letdown, not with the memory of a 1-4 Cal team beating them in triple overtime last year. Not with the first bowl championship series rankings coming out next week. Not with Toledo yapping in their ears.

“There are only 11 or 12 games in a season,” he said. “I told them, ‘If you can’t get up for 11 football games, go find something else to do.’

“We have a lot of goals for this team and there is a whole list of things we can accomplish.”

Let the hunt begin.