Mcnown’s Dawning Gives Ucla New Life

What if Wally Pipp hadn’t gotten a headache the day young Lou Gehrig was pacing the dugout, awaiting his chance? What if Lincoln had gotten a headache, and canceled that trip to the theater?

The course of human events might have been altered, and nobody would have been the wiser. Historians do a nice job of recording assassinations, revolutions and such, but ignore the turning points that don’t happen.

Like the one that didn’t happen Saturday at the Rose Bowl while UCLA was beating Washington State 38-14.

This might have been the day that Steve Buck, the Bruins’ sophomore backup quarterback, lifted the job from Cade McNown, the Bruins’ sophomore starting quarterback. Coach Bob Toledo had made no secret of his plan to yank McNown if he and the offense struggled as they had in last week’s come-from-ahead loss to Stanford.

McNown came into the Washington State game as the Pacific-10 Conference’s 10th-ranked passer. UCLA fans expect better.

So this might have been the start of the Buck Era. Or, at the very least, the kickoff of UCLA’s 1997 quarterback controversy.

In fact, you would have bet on it at one point in the first half. McNown, despite starting the Bruins’ first four possessions near midfield, had led them to only seven points - and that was thanks to a 38-yard Skip Hicks run. McNown had thrown the interception that led to the Cougars’ tying touchdown.

As McNown jogged to the huddle for the Bruins’ first series of the second quarter, Buck began to warm up, playing catch behind the bench.

“I’m hoping and expecting to get my chance,” Buck said later. “When that comes, I’ve got to be ready.”

But this would not be the day.

For one thing, Buck had a mild case of the flu, and although he said that “wasn’t going to stop me,” Toledo wasn’t eager to use him. In fact, none of the coaches had asked Buck to take those warm-up tosses.

Still, the guess here is that McNown saw what was going on and saw his UCLA career pass before his eyes, because he reacted in the manner that has become his custom.

McNown is not UCLA’s next Troy Aikman, or even its next Tommy Maddox, but he has a quality that many more gifted quarterbacks never acquire. He responds to challenges.

Thus, it came as no surprise that with his job on the line, McNown turned in a perfect series, leading the Bruins to the touchdown that put them ahead for good.

On second-and-nine at the UCLA 21: McNown threw a fastball to Derek Ayers over the middle for nine yards and a first down.

On second-and-one at the UCLA 39: McNown threw deep to Danny Farmer for a 52-yard gain.

On second-and-goal at the Washington State 10: McNown, who is left-handed, rolled to the left, pivoted and threw a screen pass back to the right. Hicks carried it into the end zone.

This was McNown at his best. Even Buck enjoyed watching as his teammate and rival later threw touchdown passes of 24 yards to Hicks and 16 yards to Mike Grieb in a 16-for-32, 230-yard, two-interception performance.

“He’s exciting,” Buck said. “He makes plays.”

The coaches said they never thought about replacing McNown Saturday. He didn’t give them the chance.

Toledo had told McNown in no uncertain terms what was expected. The coach joked, “He doesn’t like me right now, after the little talk we had. I was like a father to him. Now I feel like a stepfather.”

Maybe that’s why Toledo saw a different McNown this time - “very focused, very intense… . He could have played linebacker for us today.”

The red-haired McNown admitted he was a little fired up Saturday.

“Our backs were to the wall, mine in particular,” he said as he walked off the field. “I knew my play was under the microscope. I was aware of that. I tried to be as focused as I could and mistake-free as I could.”

Said Bruins offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Al Borges: “Some kids really react well to pressure. He did that today.”

Added receiver Jim McElroy: “He always comes through in tough situations.”

He did it in 1995. Each time a poor effort put the pressure on, McNown came back the next week with one of his best games.

Now the Bruins coaches have another demand: They’d like to see McNown and his teammates do it two weeks in a row.

Arizona is next on the UCLA schedule. Wildcats, watch out. Steve Buck, enjoy watching.