Sunday, August 18, 1996

Bruins will have an untried squad with many new coachesBy Brent Boyd

Summer Bruin Senior Staff

"Let's get this party started," a sole voice from among the huddled mass of Bruin football players shouted before the opening of fall practice Saturday at Spaulding Field.

It may just as well have been shouted in unison by the entire team.

After a busy off-season and months of waiting, football has finally arrived in Westwood.

"The honeymoon is over, I guess you could say," new UCLA head coach Bob Toledo said, "Or almost over. I am still undefeated, untied and unscored upon."

That is something most pundits don't expect to last much longer.

After losing three of its final four games a year ago, along with longtime head coach Terry Donahue and several key stars, most outsiders give UCLA about as much chance of winning the Pac-10 as they do the Clippers of winning next year's NBA Finals.

However, the players and coaches refuse to be anything but optimistic.

"We have a lot of high expectations for our team," senior flanker Derek Ayers said. "We expect a lot from each other and I think that is what it takes to win."

"Our whole team is real upbeat about our chances," senior safety Abdul McCullough said. "I think we'll definitely improve upon last year, and I think we are going to surprise some people."

The key to surprising their opponents will be the recent changes in the club.

In addition to the beginning of the Bob Toledo era, Al Borges was hired from Oregon to become offensive coordinator, while Rocky Long left Oregon State to lead the Bruin defense.

"We love the changes in the defensive system," McCullough said. "We are playing what I term an offensive defense. We are making any offense adjust to what we are doing. We're attacking, we're stunting and we're moving in different ways. It's my third defensive scheme since I've been here and it's probably my favorite."

On the offensive side of the ball, Borges will try to implement a ball-controlled passing game while also maintaining a strong running game.

"With the way Coach Borges calls plays, it will be tough to scout us," sophomore quarterback Cade McNown said. "There's a lot more flexibility. It is very sophisticated. There are a lot of add-ons, it's going to be a lot more intricate this season. It's going to be very exciting."

In addition, new strength and conditioning coach Kevin Yoxall has the players working like never before.

"Believe me, (the conditioning drills on the first day of practice) were harder than anything we've done in the past, and this was supposedly an easy day," McCullough said.

The changes in the coaching staff aren't the only things that will be different from a year ago.

In fact, "change" has been the buzz word in Westwood over the past eight months.

The weight room was made more comfortable, the locker room was redone and the uniforms were altered. The script on the sides of the helmets will be larger, while the home jerseys will feature gothic numbers, resembling the Bruin uniforms of the 1960s.

"I understand that these changes don't win football games, but I really believe that kids like to see some things that are new," Toledo said. "They like to see that you are trying to do some things to make things better for them."

However, what he did that impressed the players most was give them the opportunity to play the position they wanted to play.

Five players changed positions, most notably McCullough, who will return to safety after spending last season at linebacker while Tyrone Pierce will cross the line of scrimmage from linebacker to tight end.

Although the Bruins are excited about the changes and are genuinely enthusiastic about the upcoming season, they realize that there are plenty of things to improve upon before they open the season Sept. 7 at No. 2 Tennessee.

The Bruin squad is very young and inexperienced, returning the fewest starters of any Pac-10 club. Ayers will be the only senior starter on the offensive side of the ball.

"If there is a weakness on our football team, it would have to be the inexperience of the offensive and defensive lines," Toledo said.

The departure of Outland Trophy winner Jonathan Ogden and two-time All-Pac-10 center Mike Flanagan leaves the offensive line with many openings.

Junior Chad Overhauser will hold down right guard, while junior Chad Sauter, redshirt freshman Kris Farris and sophomores Shawn Stuart and Andy Meyers will make up the remainder of the line.

Senior Travis Kirschke will be the focus of the line in the 3-4 defense that will also feature nose guard Weldon Forde and Jason Nevadomsky, who had one start between them all last season.

The Bruins are also relying on McNown to take a leadership role on the club and improve upon his true-freshman season of a year ago.

"It's been my experience that quarterbacks take a big jump from their freshman year to spring, and then another jump from spring to fall practice," Toledo said. "I am really hoping Cade is ready to take the next big step. I believe he is."

McNown is not backing down from the challenge.

"I know a lot of people all of a sudden are putting a lot of weight on my shoulders," McNown said. "I think I have matured a lot and I just need to go out and do my job."

McNown and crew can be seen practicing at Spaulding Field in preparation for the season every morning except Tuesdays and Fridays from 9:30 to 11:30 and every afternoon from 4:00 to 6:30.

* * *

The Bruins entered fall practice without four players originally on its roster.

Sophomore wide receiver Brad Melsby will be redshirted due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Junior tight end Jason Bendinelli will sit out the season due to a recently-diagnosed case of diabetes, while senior flanker Erik Holcomb will sit out the 1996 season because of recurring concussions.

Freshman nose guard Langston Woodberry quit football due to personal reasons.

JUSTIN WARREN/Daily Bruin

UCLA sophomore quarterback Cade McNown takes a snap during the first fall practice Saturday.