Kris Farris

One statistic that reinforces the reputation of UCLA's big-play offense this season is the 155 plays the Bruins have had of at least 10 yards. To put this in perspective, consider that USC has only 171 first downs total, despite having played one more game. For offensive linemen such as guard Oscar Cabrera, having big-play potential can be a huge asset.

Cade McNown was selected Tuesday as the winner of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award-given to the top senior quarterback. McNown, whose statistics this season are down from a year ago, said that the honor is a byproduct of the Bruins' success. "I remember my sophomore year, when other guys were getting the spotlight shining on them after one good year," McNown said. "I had played two years and no one really was talking about me. But we hadn't won a lot of games.

SANTA MARGARITA 1992 RECORDS OVERALL LEAGUE 9-3 5-2 COACH: Jim Hartigan RECORD AT SCHOOL: 36-12-1 RETURNING STARTERS OFF DEF 3 2 TOP RETURNERS OFF DEF YR Robert Craven, 5-11, 235 OL DL Jr. Brad Finneran, 6-5, 200 WR FS Sr. Brian Finneran, 6-5, 200 WR SS Sr. TOP NEWCOMERS OFF DEF YR Chris Altomare, 6-0, 170 WR DB Sr. Josh Beckell, 6-6, 300 OL DL Jr. Kris Farris, 6-7, 285 OL DL Jr. Mike Whelan, 5-10, 180 RB LB So. Derek Yankoff, 6-1, 185 QB DB Sr.

Look who has become the dependable part of the offensive line--the newcomer and primary worry on the unit from a year ago. "It's crazy," right tackle Brian Polak said. "It's like last year, the big controversy was if I could fill in or not. Now, I'm a seasoned veteran. It's very weird the way that happened." Polak is more than a seasoned veteran.

Jonathan Ogden, one of the top offensive linemen to play at UCLA, has been selected for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. Ogden was a four-year starter for the Bruins and won the Outland Trophy as the nation's top lineman in 1995. He spent 12 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and was named to the Pro Bowl nine times. Ogden was drafted fourth overall by the Ravens in 1996 and was the centerpiece of an era where UCLA developed top offensive linemen. The Bruins had six offensive linemen drafted between 1994-1999.

Orange County had its share of football players sign letters of intent to Division I-A schools Wednesday. But the quantity didn't match the quality. Last year, 31 players signed Division I-A letters of intent, but only 15 signed Wednesday when the signing period for football began. The period ends April 1. "The players who did sign were very good," said Dick Lascola, owner of the Fallbrook-based Scouting Evaluation Assn. "They just weren't there in big numbers. But that happens.

The UCLA roster includes two players with strong Wisconsin connections. Third-string tight end Bryan Fletcher is the brother of the San Diego Chargers' Terrell Fletcher, who played for the Badgers. Terrell plans to be at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1--apparently to root for the Bruins. "The blood line obviously has something to do with him being on my side," Bryan said. "But he's still a die-hard Badger. Blood is thicker than water, but he definitely has some Badger blood in him."

Kris Farris did it in 1999. Freddie Mitchell followed in 2001 and Matt Ware did the same last year. They are UCLA underclassmen who left the program early to play in the NFL. That's not expected to happen this season, even though juniors Marcedes Lewis and Spencer Havner recently filed paperwork with the NFL to have their draft status evaluated. "We've talked about it a little bit," Lewis said about his NFL discussions with Havner. "I told him that I want him to come back.