Never Over Until It’s Over

There apparently are some UCLA skeptics among those who vote in the bowl championship series and Associated Press college football polls. In both compilations, the 8-0 Bruins are rated lowest of the five remaining undefeated teams in Division I-A.

But UCLA players certainly aren’t lacking confidence.

Four double-digit, fourth-quarter comebacks in a span of five weeks have the Bruins thinking they might be invincible no matter what the circumstances.

“We feel like we’re now the team being hunted and it’s fun,” senior tight end Marcedes Lewis said. “It’s been a while since it’s been that way here and we like it.

“This team has been through so much this year. The way we’ve pulled out games, we are not afraid of anything.”

The last time UCLA was unbeaten this late in the season was 1998, when the Bruins were 10-0 and climbed as high as No. 3 in the national rankings thanks to several thrilling wins -- including comebacks against Houston, Arizona, Oregon, Oregon State and Stanford -- led by quarterback Cade McNown.

But even that team can’t match these Bruins for last-minute heroics. UCLA, which on Saturday plays Arizona in a Pacific 10 Conference game at Tucson, has been down in the fourth quarter by 10 points against Washington, 12 against California, 17 against Washington State and 21 against Stanford.

“I know this sounds really simple, but we’ve learned that a game is not over until it is really over,” wide receiver Marcus Everett said. “We know that as long as we have enough time to get the ball, we can go down and score against anybody and at any moment. We also know that our defense is capable of making big stops to get us the ball at the right time.”

With 10 seniors among 22 starters, UCLA’s veterans have provided leadership when things have looked dim. They say it has been easy to do because of the disappointments they’ve experienced.

“We’re never going to think it’s over ...,” senior safety Jarrod Page said. “That’s what we’ve learned about ourselves.”

Seniors Page, Lewis, Drew Olson, Spencer Havner, Mike McCloskey, Justin London, Ed Blanton, Marcus Cassel, Robert Cleary and Wesley Walker have only heard stories of the glory days of UCLA football.

Until this year, the best season the seniors had experienced was 2002, when the Bruins finished 8-5 and defeated New Mexico in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Even so, Bob Toledo was fired Dec. 9, 2002, and did not coach in the bowl game.

In Coach Karl Dorrell’s first two seasons, the Bruins more often than not were comeback victims. But these Bruins are now using those games as motivation.

“When we fall behind, we know that we have to settle down first,” Cassel said. “That’s when we start playing the way we know how to play. The defense knows that we have to start getting them three [plays] and out so we can get the ball back to our offense. That’s how we focus.”

A look at this season’s comebacks:

* UCLA vs. Washington, Oct. 1 at the Rose Bowl: The Bruins gained only 104 yards in 30 plays during the first half and by the start of the fourth quarter trailed, 17-7, as the Huskies dominated behind running backs Kenny James and Louis Rankin and scrambling quarterback Isaiah Stanback.

But then UCLA quarterback Olson got hot, directing two fourth-quarter scoring drives that lifted the Bruins to a 21-17 victory.

The game-winning touchdown came with 1:08 to play, on a one-yard dive by Maurice Drew, who was held to 33 yards rushing in 14 carries.

“It was the first time UCLA had a fourth-quarter come-from-behind win in about four years,” Olson said this week. “Without that one, I don’t know if we would have been able to come back from these other ones. In a way, it’s probably the most important one because it showed we could do it.”

Olson completed 20 of 26 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns in the second half

* UCLA vs. California, Oct. 8 at the Rose Bowl: The Bruins did not have an answer against the Bear offense, which outgained UCLA, 545-395, and had 26 first downs to the Bruins’ 17. With UCLA’s defense struggling to tackle running backs Justin Forsett (153 yards) and Marshawn Lynch (135), Cal took a 40-28 lead with 12:55 left.

That’s when Dorrell made the call of the season -- a fake punt that sparked the Bruins to 19 consecutive points. Page ran 38 yards for a first down on the trick play, and Olson ran for one touchdown and passed for another in the final minutes to lead UCLA to a 47-40 victory.

Drew had 299 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns -- three rushing, one by pass reception and the other on an 81-yard punt return.

But especially key was the play of the Bruin defense in the fourth quarter.

“All of the comebacks run together, but that Cal game the defense had to step up its game or we wouldn’t have gotten the win,” defensive end Justin Hickman said.

“It’s really unexplainable. It depends on the team, but it’s like it takes us a long time to get started and we don’t get going until the fourth quarter.”

* UCLA vs. Washington State, Oct. 15 at Pullman, Wash.: Led by Jerome Harrison, who ran for a career-high 260 yards, Washington State jumped out to a 28-7 lead in the first half.

But again, Olson -- with some late help from the UCLA defense -- brought the Bruins back.

Olson completed 31 of 43 passes for a career-high 338 yards and tied a school record with five touchdown passes, including a nine-yard strike to Marcus Everett with 44 seconds left in regulation that capped a 96-yard scoring drive and forged a 38-38 tie.

UCLA’s defense, which switched to more basic coverages in the second half, forced Washington State into three consecutive punts in the fourth quarter.

Drew scored the winning points with a one-yard touchdown run in the first overtime for a 44-41 victory.

“I don’t doubt their heart and how they believe in themselves that they can overcome,” Dorrell said of his team.

* UCLA vs. Stanford, Oct. 29 at Palo Alto: Down 24-3 with 8:26 left in regulation, the Bruins switched to a hurry-up offense and put together three touchdown drives that took a combined 3:40.

“We’ve been part of the victories when the offense has carried us. This time it was nice for us to step up until the offense got going,” said defensive coordinator Larry Kerr, whose unit swarmed the Cardinal offense in the final minutes.

“Once the offense got rolling, they were unstoppable as always.”

The Bruins won, 30-27, when Olson connected with Brandon Breazell on a 23-yard touchdown pass in the first overtime, after Stanford had taken the lead with a field goal.

“I don’t know how much more of this my heart can take,” junior offensive lineman Robert Chai said afterward. “I think we all have to get our hearts checked after the season.”

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UCLA comebacks

Comparing UCLA comeback victories in the 1998 and 2005 seasons:

*--* 1998 UCLA (10-2) Opponent The Deficit Result Houston Trailed 6-0 at start of second Won 42-24 quarter Arizona Trailed 28-24 with one minute left Won 58-28 in third quarter Stanford Trailed 24-14 at start of fourth Won 28-24 quarter Oregon State Trailed 24-17 with 5:13 left in Won 41-34 third quarter 2005 UCLA (8-0) Washington Trailed 17-7 at start of fourth Won 21-17 quarter California Trailed 40-28 with 12:55 left in Won 47-40 fourth quarter Washington State Trailed 38-21 at start of fourth Won 44-41 in OT quarter Stanford Trailed 24-3 with 8:26 left in Won 30-27 in OT fourth quarter

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