In ‘Tide, Bruins Are Facing a Similar Foe

A red elephant with thick tusks and a menacing scowl took up residence in the UCLA locker room weeks ago.

Hard to ignore, but the Bruins did their best. Everybody saw it. Everybody thought about it. Nobody talked about it.

“We needed to get ourselves ready to play,” tailback DeShaun Foster said. “Focusing on Alabama doesn’t do any good.”

Looking inward, it turns out, was good preparation for Alabama. Set aside the elephantine Crimson Tide tradition and the teams are very similar.

Yes, Alabama has won 12 national championships and made 50 bowl appearances.

Yes, Alabama is unbeaten in 20 home openers at Tuscaloosa since the 1920s and has won its last 11 night games in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

And, yes, the story behind the elephant mascot is as delicious a part of ‘Bama lore as Bear Bryant’s hound’s-tooth cap, John Hannah’s thunderous blocks and Joe Namath’s gimpy knees ...

In 1930, Alabama was so good, the junior varsity played the first quarter against Mississippi and took a 7-0 lead. Then, in the words of sportswriter Everett Strupper, “The earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. Some excited fan bellowed, ‘Hold your horses, the elephants are coming!’ and out stamped the Alabama varsity.”

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Roll Tide? Don’t mind the Bruins if they roll their eyes. Last year, Alabama stormed into Pasadena with a No. 3 ranking and more than 20,000 crimson-clad followers. UCLA won, 35-24, and Alabama went 3-8.

Which brings us to the first similarity: Atonement. After a 3-0 start, UCLA went 3-6, losing its last three.

And there’s more:

* Malice in the middle: Inside linebackers Robert Thomas of UCLA and Saleem Rasheed of Alabama are Butkus Award candidates who make running inside the tackles perilous.

Thomas must stop the option dive. Rasheed must stop DeShaun Foster, who ran for 187 yards against Alabama last year.

* Kenyon and Kindal komebacks: Defensive ends Kenyon Coleman of UCLA and Kindal Moorehead of Alabama are NFL prospects rebounding from serious injuries. They anchor lines that are considered the strengths of both defenses.

Coleman missed the last nine games last season because of a knee injury. He had 50 tackles in 1999 and eight sacks in ’98 and ’99.

Moorehead missed all of last season because of a torn Achilles’ tendon. He was All-Southeastern Conference in 1999 and had 10.5 sacks in ’98 and ’99.

* Secondary issues: Both teams were burned through the air last season and questions remain.

Cornerback Matt Ware, UCLA’s only true freshman starter, will be tested early. Strong safety Jason Stephens is a senior who floundered for two years after starting as a freshman. Free safety Marques Anderson is playing a new position but missed much of training camp because of a concussion.

Alabama ranked 71st nationally in pass defense and must replace four starters. Free safety Reggie Myles is a big-play threat, but strong safety Shontau Ray and cornerbacks Hirchel Bolden and Gerald Dixon are suspect.

* New kids on the block: UCLA guard Eyoseph Efseaff is a redshirt freshman. So are Alabama guard Justin Smiley and tackle Wesley Britt.

Both lines have something to prove. UCLA was last in the Pac-10 in rushing and sacks were frequent, which takes the luster off the fact that three linemen return. Tackle Dante Ellington is the only experienced Alabama lineman.

* New men, fresh ideas: Phil Snow makes his debut as Bruin defensive coordinator. Expect a line that penetrates, linebackers who blitz and a secondary that creates turnovers.

Carl Torbush makes his debut as Crimson Tide defensive coordinator. The style of his defense will mirror Snow’s.

Dennis Franchione, of course, is the newcomer expected to make the biggest impact. Alabama’s 24th head coach has turned around losing programs at Texas Christian, New Mexico and Southwestern Texas State.

Not that anyone would confuse those programs with Alabama’s.

Or that anyone would describe Alabama’s as a losing program.

The elephant, it seems, has plopped itself in Franchione’s lap. Nineteen of those 23 previous Alabama coaches opened with victories.

It’s tradition, coach.

“I’ve been around the block a few times and I’m not a wide-eyed kid,” he said. “This is important, no doubt, our opening game against a nationally ranked opponent, but they all count one.”

There’s another similarity. UCLA Coach Bob Toledo is taking the same approach.

But Franchione can keep the elephant.

“We have some tradition too,” Toledo said. “Football is football. You have to block, tackle and throw the ball.”

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UCLA AT ALABAMA

TODAY, 4:45 PDT

TV: ESPN