Columnist Steve Guiremand: UCLA’s McNown faces scrutiny from some Bruin classmates

Steve Guiremand

Friday, Oct. 16, 1998 | 11:12 a.m.

Steve Guiremand's college football notebook appears Fridays. Reach him at steveg@lasvegassun.com or 259-2324.

It's not easy being a Heisman Trophy candidate.

Just ask UCLA's Cade McNown.

He's the unquestioned leader of a Bruin team that is 4-0, ranked No. 2 in the nation, is averaging 48.0 points per game and just hammered a very good Arizona team in Tucson, 52-28. Like Arizona State's Jake Plummer two years ago, McNown has the uncanny ability to scramble away from a group of defenders or run for a key first down to keep a drive alive.

But because he's not putting up Tim Couch-like numbers or isn't close to matching his exceptional 1997 passing stats when he set a Pac-10 efficiency record of 168.6, McNown is being criticized from the most unlikeliest of places ... the school paper.

The headline in the Daily Bruin after UCLA's impressive victory at Tucson: "UCLA wins despite McNone."

Granted, McNown's stats weren't eye-popping: 10 of 24, 171 yards, 1 TD. But when the game was on the line in the fourth quarter, he made a key third down pass to Danny Farmer to keep one drive alive, then sealed the game with a great play-action fake and a 40-yard touchdown pass to Farmer.

Considering the hostile environment in Tucson and what was riding on the game --- the Wildcats would have had the inside track to the Rose Bowl with a win --- it was a gutty if not spectacular performance by McNown.

But because his school-record streak of 18 consecutive games with at least 200 yards passing came to an end, McNown found himself getting toasted by his own school paper. And he would have "McNone" of that.

"I think it's absurd," McNown said about the notion he is struggling. "I talked about it last year, how efficiency is an offensive stat, it's not a single-guy stat. We've only played four games and things will be different every single game.

"We've had some big plays and some times where they've stopped us, but we haven't really opened it up the same way we had last year. And why not? Because, well, we haven't had to. We've been able to do simple things and beat people pretty bad."

McNown said the Bruins haven't had to show their entire hand, which is fine by him.

"So long as we keep winning and we're scoring, I'm fine with that," McNown said. "We're trying to win games, we're not trying to pad stats or make a particular guy look good."

Once around the WAC

AIR FORCE: Cale Bonds became the first quarterback in 36 games without the last name Morgan to direct the Falcons to victory, 49-7, over Navy last weekend. Beau Morgan preceded Blane Morgan (ankle injury) at quarterback, taking over on Oct. 21, 1995.

BYU: Cougar defensive back Jason Walker leads the nation in interceptions (5).

COLORADO STATE: Rams (5-2, 3-1 WAC Mountain) have compiled a 26-4 record in October and November since 1994.

FRESNO STATE: Bulldog head coach Pat Hill played for Utah head coach Ron McBride at UC Riverside in the early 1970's.

HAWAII: Top inside linebacker Stephen Gonzalez, who has missed the last two Rainbow Warrior games with a third degree ankle sprain, is expected to play Saturday against visiting BYU.

UNLV: Three down, one to go? Former Las Vegas High star Bong Kuk Pak --- you can call him Steve (his nickname) --- took a few snaps at quarterback in practice this week.

NEW MEXICO: Lobos tailback Dion Marion leads the nation in kickoff returns with a 36.2 average.

RICE: Owls (1-4, 1-1 WAC Mountain) held a 375-83 edge in rushing but still lost at San Jose State, 20-17, last week.

SAN DIEGO STATE: Aztecs will be without two of their top wide receivers Saturday at New Mexico. Sean Pierce (broken left fibula) is out for the season while Lonny Mitchell (sprained knee) is expected to be out 3-4 weeks.

SAN JOSE STATE: Spartans (3-3, 2-0 WAC Pacific) are in first place in their division despite being last in the WAC and 109th nationally in rush defense, yielding an average of 250.2 yards on the ground.

SMU: Mustangs (1-5, 1-2 WAC Mountain) play arch rival TCU (4-1, 2-0 WAC Mountain) Saturday at Cotton Bowl for the famed Iron Skillet, a prize the schools have played for since the 1930s.

TCU: Frogs held Fresno State without a first down rushing in last week's 21-10 win over Bulldogs. That's the first time since 1930 a TCU defense has accomplished that feat.

UTEP: Miners' 22-19 win at New Mexico was their first win on grass in seven years.

TULSA: Golden Hurricane (2-3, 0-2 WAC Mountain) have amassed 12 turnovers in last three games, all losses.

UTAH: You can bet Utes (3-2, 1-1 WAC Pacific) worked on pass protection during bye week. Saturday's opponent in Salt Lake, Fresno State, had an astounding 12 sacks in last year's nationally televised 27-13 win over Ron McBride and company.

WYOMING: Cowboys (4-1, 2-0 WAC Mountain) are averaging just 19.5 points per game this season, their lowest scoring average since 1985 when they averaged 19.1 in Al Kincaid's final season.

Once around the nation

ACC: This is the 10-year anniversary of one of the most famous plays in recent college football history, Florida State's "puntarooski", that stunned Clemson in Death Valley in 1988. The two teams meet again Saturday in Tallahassee.

BIG 12: Is there trouble in Lincoln? Nebraska wide receiver Kenny Cheatham on his team's 28-21 loss at Texas A&M: "It seems like a lot of players almost gave up. To be a championship-caliber football team, you've got to have players who are willing to go all 60 minutes. It's not our style to give anything other than 110 percent. If every player can say he gave 110 percent and we still lost, fine. I think a lot of players know they didn't give that."

BIG EAST: Pitt will honor former offensive line star Bill Fralic at halftime of Saturday's Homecoming game against Rutgers. The three-time All-American will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December.

BIG TEN: Indiana already has scored 51 points in two Big Ten games this season. That's three more than the Hoosiers scored in eight conference games a year ago.

BIG WEST: Nevada-Reno wide receiver Geoff Noisy caught 14 passes for 283 yards in last week's 48-45 loss to New Mexico State. He needs just 14 more catches this season to break the NCAA career receptions mark of 266 set by Pacific's Aaron Turner.

CONFERENCE USA: Memphis (0-5, 0-1 C-USA) head coach Rip Scherer got a vote of confidence from school president V. Lane Rawlins this week. Tigers host Cincinnati (0-6, 0-3) in battle to escape the basement Saturday.

MAC: Toledo (3-3) hosts Bowling Green (1-4) in battle for bragging rights in northwest Ohio. The schools are separated by just 25 miles. "It will be a war," predicted Rockets QB Chris Wallace.

PAC-10: Check out the over-unders for Saturday's showdown between No. 2 UCLA and No. 11 Oregon --- 71! And for good reason. Combined, the teams are averaging 98.6 points and 1,025 yards per game. UCLA has scored 40 or more points in all four of its games while Oregon has done it in four of its five contests. Maybe 81 would be a better number.

SEC: Quarterback Chris Simms (6-5, 215) of Franklin Lakes (NJ) Ramapo HS, the son of former NFL star Phil Simms and one of the nation's top prep quarterback prospects, will make an official recruiting visit to Tennessee on Oct. 24 when the Vols host Alabama.

WAC: At the halfway point of the season, the so-called Breakaway Eight has a big edge on the remaining WAC members in terms of overall records. Breakaway Eight teams are a combined 24-22 while the Remaining Eight are just 13-29.

INDEPENDENTS: Rose Bowl officials vehemently denied reports that they are working on getting Notre Dame (4-1) in place as a backup should either No. 1 Ohio State or No. 2 UCLA, or both, go to the Fiesta Bowl as required by the new Bowl Championship Series agreement pitting No. 1 vs. No. 2 in Tempe on Jan. 4, 1999.