There is nothing a professor hates more than a cell phone
ringing in class. So Jarrad Page best silence his because the
Milwaukee Brewers would like to talk to the true freshman strong
safety before lecture starts.
Page turned down the Brewers’ minor league baseball
contract worth a reported $700,000 after being drafted in the fifth
round of the baseball draft in June to play football at UCLA. But
until he sets foot in a classroom, which he does for the first time
today, he is free to change his mind.
“I forgot about it,” Page said, “Signing takes
away my opportunity to play college football. I’d rather go
to school now and find out later what I’m going to do. I
don’t have a true love.”
Page’s choice is a relief to the Bruins (2-1) who
graduated their starting safeties last season. Sophomores Matt Ware
and Ben Emanuel II have stepped in, but Ware will move to corner
for parts of Saturday’s game against San Diego State (0-4) to
cover their 6’5″ receiver, Kasim Osgood.
“Putting a guy who is 5’5″ against a guy who
is 6’5″ isn’t going to help,” Ware said.
For the record, Ware will play opposite Ricky Manning Jr. who is
5’9″ and replace Joe Hunter who is listed as
5’11″ and his backup Matt Clark listed as
5’9″.
In a case of musical positions, Ware’s move leaves Emanuel
in Ware’s free safety position and Page in Emanuel’s
strong safety spot, with help from sophomore Jibril Raymo.
“I feel like I’m ready,” Page said, “I
didn’t expect to be starting, but when I got here stuff
seemed to click.”
In a reserve role, he made six tackles in three games and nearly
intercepted a pass at Oklahoma State. The secondary will be tested
this week against an Aztec offense that put up 500-yard passing
games the last two weeks. The UCLA defense gave up over 300 passing
yards to Oklahoma State and ranks last in total defense in the
Pac-10.
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Craig Bragg would trade his player-of-the-week honors for a win.
But after last week’s 31-17 loss to Colorado, he’ll
have to settle for individual accolades until this Saturday.
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The Bruin offensive line might have to give blocking lessons to
their “skilled” compatriots on offense. After a
disappointing 62-yard rushing effort against Colorado, UCLA head
coach Bob Toledo said that the fault did not lie solely with the
offensive line.
“The tight ends and fullbacks need to block better. And if
we break the line of scrimmage, the receivers need to block,”
Toledo said.
The Colorado game was sophomore fullback Pat Norton’s
first since his ankle injury. Tailback Manuel White Jr. and true
freshman J.D. Groves have been playing fullback as well.
“I think we just need to work better as a unit,”
sophomore offensive lineman Steven Vieira said of the offense.
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Vieira is one of the four game captains for this week’s
game against San Diego State. Vieira is joined by junior linebacker
Brandon Chillar, senior defensive end Rusty Williams and junior
wide receiver Tab Perry. Vieira and Chillar hail from Carlsbad High
School and Williams graduated from Vista High School, all in the
San Diego area.
Perry was chosen for his excellent performance on special teams
last week, returning three kickoffs for 89 yards, an average of
nearly 30 yards a return.
“I hope it’s not just that,” the wide receiver
laughed.