An itchy trigger finger
UCLA's McNown anxious to play season opener
Posted: Tuesday September 08, 1998 11:14 AM
| |
McNown (left) and Texas running back Ricky Williams are the two leading vote-getters in last year's Heisman Trophy race to return this year AP |
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Cade McNown figures he'll enjoy his next 11 Saturdays a lot more than he did the last one.
That's because he'll be playing football for the UCLA Bruins.
"I was going stir crazy in my place the other day," McNown said Monday -- five days before the sixth-ranked Bruins open the season against No. 23 Texas at the Rose Bowl. "I couldn't watch college football, it was too frustrating.
"I read, ran around, put my head into walls. ... I'm kidding. I was too pumped."
UCLA will be one of the final teams to open the season -- the Bruins and No. 7 Louisiana State are the only ranked schools who haven't done so.
Even though they were idle Saturday, the Bruins moved up one notch in the rankings, past Michigan, which dropped from fifth to 13th after losing to No. 10 Notre Dame 36-20.
Texas moved into the Top 25 by virtue of a 66-36 victory over New Mexico State in its first game under Mack Brown, who succeeded John Mackovic as coach after last year's 4-7 season.
The low point of last season -- and one of the lowest in school history -- came in the second game, when the 11th-ranked Longhorns lost to visiting UCLA 66-3.
The win was the first for the Bruins after two losses. They haven't been beaten since, winning the final nine games of the season capped by a 29-23 triumph over Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl.
"It was certainly a turning point," said McNown, who led the country in passing efficiency last year. "What we want to do this year is get off to a good start, get some momentum going here.
"You can't pretend like it never happened. [But] it's a new year, you can't rely on what happened last year to happen this year. We don't think we're going to just go out there and beat them. We know it's going to be a tough game. We can't be thinking about last year."
Offensive tackle Kris Farris said he's heard Texas has been "talking trash about us," and the Bruins already have extensive bulletin-board material.
"Cade McNown is a dead man, I think he said," Farris said of Texas defensive end Aaron Humphrey. "That's going to be motivational. We don't need it, but it's kind of fun. For the older guys, that really doesn't matter."
When asked about Humphrey's alleged remark, McNown said, "Are we in high school? That's my only comment."
Later, when asked how UCLA would feel if it had lost to Texas 66-3, McNown said, "We'd definitely be upset. At the same time, we probably wouldn't be mouthing off the way some people have."
The Bruins got a little more bulletin-board material Monday when Texas linebacker Aaron Babino said, "They scored 66 on us at our home, I don't see why we shouldn't do that to them."
UCLA has lost its last two openers -- both with McNown at quarterback.
"With some of our goals, as far as being a nationally ranked team, every game is important," he said. "I think we can be as good as we want to be. We shouldn't be afraid to shoot high. We want [this season] to be a special one."
McNown and Texas running back Ricky Williams, who rushed for 215 yards and a school-record six touchdowns against New Mexico State last weekend, are the two leading vote-getters in last year's Heisman Trophy race to return this year, finishing eighth and fifth, respectively.
"I'm sure both of them will perform well and be in the [Heisman] race after the game," UCLA coach Bob Toledo said. "Obviously, I'd love for Cade to win the Heisman Trophy. I'm going to give him every opportunity to be successful. Whatever I can do to help him win the award, I'm going to do, believe me.
"[But] we're here to win games, he knows that. He's great about that."
Toledo, incidentally, said he had no problems watching football the other day.
"I loved tailgating Saturday -- tailgating on my couch for 13 hours," he said. "I can't wait for [this] Saturday."
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
| 
MULTIMEDIA
