Kansas University football coach Terry Allen knows what you’re thinking.
Why on earth, you might ask, did Allen agree last fall to add perennial power UCLA to a schedule that already included Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas and Kansas State in what many consider a make-or-break season for him?
The answer is simple, really for the good of the program.
“You’ve got people paying an awful lot of money to have suites, we’re still in the developmental stages of a crowd and we’re going to get an excellent turnout Saturday,” Allen said. “If we can hold up our end on the field, there’s nothing like that first exposure and people will come and say, ‘Hey, I want to see them again.’ That’s really what our thought process was.
“I’m probably not smart enough to say, ‘Boy, why would I play UCLA when everybody wants me to win x-number of games?’ I think it’s more for the institution at this point.”
KU actually has Missouri to thank for Saturday’s showdown with No. 14 UCLA. When the Tigers backed out of their scheduled game with the Bruins, the Jayhawks saw an opportunity to pick up a seventh home game with the possibility of being on television.
It just so happens Fox Syndication is televising the 11:30 a.m. game.
“It’s really an opportunity game for us,” Allen said. “It’s a great opportunity for us to make a name for ourselves.”
It might be a great opportunity, but beating the Bruins will be no small task.
UCLA opened the season last weekend with a come-from-behind 20-17 victory at Alabama. The Bruins, who trailed 10-0 before rallying, handed the Crimson Tide their first season-opening loss in Tuscaloosa since 1893, a span of 43 games.
UCLA didn’t have a single turnover or commit a penalty in the victory.
“To start the season and playing in that venue,” UCLA coach Bob Toledo said, “and to not have a penalty or turnover, it really is incredible. No, we’re not really that good, we’re just very fortunate. We did a good job. I think the main thing is we’re an experienced football team. We didn’t panic.”
Toledo, now in his sixth season at UCLA, has compiled a 36-23 overall record, but the Bruins are just 10-11 the past two seasons.
Prior to that dip, UCLA had won 20 games in a row and back-to-back Pac-10 championships in 1997 and ’98. But this year’s squad might be one of Toledo’s best.
“It’s a good football team,” he said. “Now again, I don’t know how many games we’re going to win, but I like this team. I’ve told the guys that from the beginning. I think they’ve got great leadership. I think they’ve got some outstanding players.
“As I told them, if they overcome coaching they’re going to be fine,” he quipped.
The Bruins are led by senior tailback DeShaun Foster. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Heisman Trophy and Doak Walker candidate had 24 carries for 110 yards in the opener. The Bruins also return three offensive linemen left tackle Bryce Bohlander, center Troy Danoff and right tackle Mike Saffer who started every game last season.
Toledo who has worked with former UCLA All-America tailbacks Skip Hicks and Karim Adbul-Jabbar, and legendary USC running back Marcus Allen likes what he’s seen from Foster.
“This guy is a lot like a Marcus Allen, but he might be a lot faster,” Toledo said. “He’s very physical, got great vision sometimes he sees too much to be perfectly honest with you and he’s got really good speed and can catch the ball.
“He’s the total package, and if he stays healthy he’s got a chance to have a great season and be one of the all-time leading rushers and scorers at UCLA.”
A year ago, injuries took their toll as the Bruins, especially on the defensive line were seven players went down. In fact, the Bruins were forced to start three freshmen on the line in the Sun Bowl.
Among the leaders for the Bruins are senior split end Brian Poli-Dixon, junior quarterback Cory Paus, senior defensive end Kenyon Coleman and senior free safety Marques Anderson. Poli-Dixon was listed on the preseason Bilentnikoff Award list, Coleman is a Lombardi Award candidate and Anderson is on the Jim Thorpe Award preseason list.
It’s that experience that won’t let the Bruins look past the Jayhawks to next week’s conference opener with Arizona State.
“I think our team being as experienced and mature as they are realize we’ve got to take one game at a time,” Toledo said. “You always preach that, but our guys really believe that. Nobody’s ever mentioned Arizona State until you did just now. I think we’ve got a focused football team that’s looking forward to going and playing against Kansas and when that’s over we’ll worry about the next one.”
