Hobbled Ware Will Be Spectator

Cornerback Matt Ware’s streak of 30 consecutive college starts, a run that began in the first game of his freshman year in 2001, will come to an end Saturday. The junior, one of the best pass defenders in the nation, will sit out the California game because of a sprained left ankle.

“I never want to miss a game, and I definitely don’t want to miss this one,” said Ware, who dressed for Wednesday’s practice but did not take part in any drills. “At this point, I’d probably be doing the guys an injustice if I went out there.”

When was the last time Ware, a two-way star at Los Angeles Loyola High, missed a game? “Never,” he said. Not even in high school, Pop Warner? “No,” he said.

Unlike a certain Baltimore Oriole infielder, Ware will not play Saturday for the sake of keeping his streak alive.

“I have a good thing going, and I don’t want to go out there and set myself back further -- that would be stupid,” Ware said. “I’ll just try to get better for next week.”

Ware, the first UCLA true freshman to start every regular-season game since freshmen became eligible in 1972, is confident he’ll be able to return for the Oct. 25 game against Arizona State.

Senior Keith Short, a former Irvine High standout, will start in Ware’s place against Cal, and Marcus Cassel will play more at cornerback.

Short expects the Bears to attack his side of the field -- that’s what happens when you replace one of the Pacific 10 Conference’s top cornerbacks -- but Coach Karl Dorrell said the Bruins won’t make any major adjustments to compensate for Ware’s absence.

“We’re not the type of defense that will change if one or two guys get hurt,” Dorrell said. “We have to play our system and hope the guys we plug in can do the job.”

With the 5-foot-10, 185-pound Short and 5-9, 170-pound Matt Clark on the other side, the Bruins won’t have much size on the corners. But the Bruins have confidence in Short, who will be making his second career start -- his first was in place of the suspended Clark against Illinois on Sept. 13.

“He’s a solid player,” linebacker Spencer Havner said of Short. “He had a great camp, and I thought he’d be our nickel back. He’s real tough against the run and a great tackler.”

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Strong safety Jarrad Page, who sat out the Arizona game because of a sprained right shoulder, participated in contact drills and will play Saturday.... Dorrell and UCLA will host a reunion dinner Friday night and a pregame barbecue Saturday for players from the 1982, 1983 and 1985 Bruin teams that won Pacific 10 and Rose Bowl championships.