Prior to the season, UCLA tight end Marcedes Lewis’ stated
goal for his senior year was 1,000 receiving yards. When the
comment was made, people gasped. Lewis only had 832 career
receiving yards in his first three years. Lewis knew, however, that
when he made that prediction, he meant it. “I knew the hard
work I had put in, and this year I wanted to show it,” Lewis
said. “The number 1,000 was just a goal I set for
myself.” Lewis thus far has shown the improvement everyone
expected him to make, leading the Bruins with a career-high 34
receptions and 433 receiving yards. In addition, Lewis has been
named national tight end of the week by the Nassau County Sports
Commission twice in the last four weeks, placing him in top
contention for the Mackey Award, which is given annually to the
nation’s top tight end at the end of the season. “Those
recognitions are all nice,” Lewis said. “But the
important thing is that if I play well, and the team plays well, we
will get even more recognition at the end of the season.”
Lewis certainly is deserving of the recognition he has been
receiving. He is currently first in the Pac-10 (tight ends) in both
receptions (4.86), and receiving yards (61.86) per game. For all
receivers, he ranks eighth and 10th in the Pac-10, respectively. In
fact, Lewis has led the Bruins in receptions and receiving yards in
three out of the last four games. “I’ve been ready to
take that leadership role for a couple of years,” Lewis said.
“This year, I finally made an effort to help out the younger
receivers.” What has benefited Lewis this season has been the
play of his counterparts at the skill positions. Quarterback Drew
Olson and running back Maurice Drew are both having career seasons,
and each is taking up the bulk of the defense’s attention.
“When these guys are playing so well, it just helps me
out,” Lewis said. “The defense can’t put all the
attention on me, and I have more room to do what I need to
do.” Olson’s improved play, in particular, has been a
big help for Lewis. This season, Olson and Lewis have connected for
six of Olson’s 21 touchdowns, and all have been in the red
zone. “Having an option like him is such an advantage,”
Olson said. “No matter where he is on the field, he causes a
mismatch.” A play the two have been working on as of late is
the fade pass, which the Bruins began to implement at the goal line
this season. “If we’re near the goal line, it’s a
no-brainer,” Olson said. “I know if I put it up there,
he is going to get it.” Their connection this season has been
kind of a renaissance. In previous seasons, Lewis and Olson
weren’t always on the same page. There were times during
games where Lewis would be open and show visible frustration with
Olson’s decisionmaking. “That’s all in the
past,” Olson said. “I think we’re now both
thinking alike. I know where he is going to be, and he knows where
I’m going to put it. Its kind of an unspoken language between
us.” Through the first seven games, rhythm hasn’t been
a concern. Any miscommunication that might have plagued Lewis and
Olson in the past seems to have faded away. And Lewis knows the
chemistry they’ve got going. “Everything we’ve
gone through just makes this so much more special,” Lewis
said. “Everyone has worked so hard to get to this point, and
we don’t just want to throw it away. We have a different
mind-set now.” On Saturday, Lewis, Olson and the Bruins will
travel to Stanford, where the Bruins haven’t won since 1997.
Lewis personally has a chance to put away all the horrors of the
Bruins’ past and establish himself in the lore of UCLA
football. “When I chose UCLA, I wanted to go to school where
I could make plays,” Lewis said. “It’s important
to me that I finish my career as one of the best in UCLA history,
and one of the best tight ends to ever come out of the
Pac-10.”
EXTRA NOTES: Senior center Mike McCloskey
participated in no-contact drills today, and his status for
Saturday is questionable … Freshman linebacker John Hale and
junior wide receiver Joe Cowan practiced today and are expected to
play on Saturday.