PASADENA “”mdash; In UCLA’s 31-17 loss to Colorado, a game
in which beating the Bruins seemed like child’s play, there
was naturally a Cinderella story involved.
Prior to the contest, UCLA fifth-year senior wide receiver Jon
Dubravac was named a starter and game captain. The Denver native
had 40 or so of his family and friends make the trip and everyone
at home watching the regional broadcast.
So he made sure they all had something to cheer about.
On the first play of the second quarter, Dubravac took a handoff
from fullback Manuel White and threw as if he were wearing glass
slippers. The ball was so underthrown that Colorado cornerback Don
Strickland as well as the sidejudge slipped. UCLA’s Craig
Bragg, meanwhile, hauled it in at the 2-yard line and dove in for
the score to give the Bruins an early lead.
After the final whistle, however, Dubravac’s first career
pass became bittersweet.
“If I had the choice, I’d rather have that be
incomplete and walk away with a win than just have the
touchdown,” said Dubravac, who had practiced the play all
week.
After his junior season, Dubravac had only caught 21 career
passes. He missed all of last year on a medical redshirt after
being diagnosed with Facet Syndrome, a back disorder.
“I might have thrown out my arm on the play, but not my
back,” Dubravac joked.
Once upon a time in high school, Dubravac was a coveted recruit.
Colorado, the team he grew up rooting for, offered him a
scholarship. Northwestern, then led by Colorado coach Gary Barnett,
also wanted him.
Cover boy: On his way out of the locker room, junior defensive
tackle Rodney Leisle stopped to pick up some game programs, which
much like the rest of the UCLA defensive linemen during the game,
were strewn on the ground and left in the dust. He pointed his
finger to a picture of himself, which graced the covers of the
programs.
“Colorado running on us makes us look bad especially when
I’m on the cover and we’re trying to establish a new
front ““ that we’re not soft,” Leisle said.
Screw Drew: Despite what the fans in the Rose Bowl chanted for,
backup quarterback Drew Olson did not appear for the first time in
a game this season. Head coach Bob Toledo, who had promised to give
the highly touted true freshman snaps until the Pac-10 play began,
said, “(The coaches) didn’t feel (playing Olson) was
appropriate at the time.”
Extra points: The last time someone ran all over UCLA like
Colorado’s Chris Brown (188 yards, 3 touchdowns) did was in
the 1999 Rose Bowl when Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne ran for 246
yards and four touchdowns … UCLA had its nine-game winning streak
in non-conference regular-season games snapped … Bragg’s
two touchdown receptions in the game equaled the number he had all
last season … Senior punter Nate Fikse attempted his first career
field goal, missing a 55-yarder right before halftime …
Defensive end Mat Ball recorded the first full sack of his
three-year career … Two true freshmen – fullback J.D. Groves and
wide receiver Junior Taylor – made their first receptions.