Now they all insist `Get me Phil Snow'

Six months ago, Phil Snow was out of a job.

Six months later, Snow could probably get just about any job he wanted.

Snow, let go at Arizona State last season, is the man responsible for UCLA's defensive turnaround this season.

That's right the words "defensive" and "UCLA" were just used in the same sentence in a positive way. You may not be used to it but that is the way it is going to be this season. At least if the Bruins continue to play as they have been.

Take last week's 38-7 win over Oregon State as an example. When UCLA had its starters in the game, the Beavers never got farther than the Bruins' 44-yard line.

Now that's good and all, but when you compare it to what happened the two previous years it is downright jaw-dropping. In 1999 and 2000, the Beavers scored 99 points in two games against UCLA.

"We had been watching a highlight film of the last couple times we went up against Oregon State," UCLA linebacker Marcus Reese told the Orange County Register. "There weren't any highlights of us."

Frightening thing was, Oregon State wasn't the only team running up huge numbers on the Bruins the last few years.

"What has happened in the past is that we felt we were so poor on defense we had to outscore everybody," said UCLA coach Bob Toledo. "So we had to take a lot of calculated risks. You have to take a lot of chances.

"And your players think if you don't score 30 points every game, you don't have a chance. You know a couple of years ago, we averaged 30 points a game and only won half our games."

Because his defenses were as shallow as a Hollywood actor, Toledo put in a casting call for defensive coordinators. Nick Aliotti and Bob Field tried to fill the role. Both were eventually let go.

Toledo picked Snow up during the off-season after Snow and the other Arizona State coaches got the boot.

"Having played against him, I knew what he did," Toledo said. "I felt here was a guy who had coordinated good defenses and had really done a great job with secondary players. And he knew the conference real well. So I thought it was a real good fit."

Even in Los Angeles, the land of cynics, not many can argue that point. Not when you realize the team that has been at the bottom of the conference in defensive stats for almost all of Toledo's tenure is now near the top in the nation in those same categories. The Bruins are ranked in the top 15 in scoring defense, pass defense, total defense and pass efficiency defense.

Not so coincidentally after the convincing win over OSU, they are also ranked No. 9 in the country in the AP and ESPN/USA polls.

"When we lost up here 55-7 two years ago, that was one of the most embarrassing games I've ever been associated with," Toledo said. "We're very pleased to turn it around this time."

Nike U

A couple of Saturdays ago while Oregon was beating USC, some students in the Ducks student section noticed Phil Knight walking through Autzen Stadium. The entire section rose and gave the Nike founder and CEO a standing ovation.

Three days later, the rest of the University of Oregon was doing the same as they welcomed Knight back into the fold.

That's right. The Quackers are back in good graces with Daddy Warbucks. It seems Knight, who took his money and ran some 17 months ago after the university joined the controversial Worker Rights Consortium, just couldn't stay away.

"I guess I reached the conclusion that a man without a country is not the only lonely man," Knight wrote in an editorial last week. "For me, `alma mater' became more than just an expression. And `my community' means more than just my home address."

What this means for Oregon is the $85million stadium expansion can continue without further delay. Knight is believed to have pledged $40 million before he severed relations with the school a year and half ago. There's little doubt Knight has repledged at least that much.

The Oregon alum estimated that before the rift he had personally given the university $50 million - $30 million for academics, $20million for athletics.

"It's awesome," said football coach Mike Bellotti. "I've said all along that in his heart Phil never left. What he does already and just his stature and his desire to be a part of this program, whether he gave us another dime or not, is to me a very positive thing for our athletes."

Hoop scoop

Washington State's Mike Bush won't be the only Pac-10 player swapping time between the hardwood and the gridiron this season.

Stanford wide receiver Teyo Johnson has eight catches and two touchdowns for the Cardinal. At 6-foot-7 Johnson, also a sophomore forward, is the tallest wide receiver in the conference. Bush (6-6) is second tallest.

Passing grade

The Pac-10 is supposed to be the conference in the country with the most talented offensive players. The recruiting base is huge. California alone supplies dozens of colleges with highly skilled players. So how is it two of the Pac-10's top quarterbacks were walk- ons?

That's right. Arizona State's Jeff Krohn and Oregon State's Jonathan Smith both had to earn a scholarship after paying their way for a while. Now their talents are paying off for their respective schools. Krohn is second in the conference in passing yards per game (288.7) and fourth in the nation in pass efficiency (172.4).

Smith led Oregon State to a Fiesta Bowl win last season. This year, he has struggled but still averages 199 yards per game.

Flipside of the flag

Washington State leads the Pac-10 with 101 first downs in four games. Thirty of those first downs have come via the run, 52 via the pass. And an amazing 19 first downs have come because of a penalty on the other team.

Several penalties have kept WSU scoring drives alive. Take Saturday. The Cougars were faced with a third-and-9 at their own 14. Arizona was called for defensive holding. Washington State got the first down and went on to score on an 18-play, 87-yard drive.

Notes

Arizona State has punted just 11 times in three games. . . . Cal's first six opponents this season have an aggregate 19-1 record. . . . Seven of Oregon's last 12 games have been decided by seven or fewer points. Ducks won all seven. . . . Washington State is first in four of the Pac-10's top statistical categories. The Cougars are no worse than fifth in any of those categories. . . . UCLA's DeShaun Foster is the only running back in the conference averaging more than 100 yards a game. WSU's Dave Minnich is at 98.5. . . . Washington State has three quarterbacks (Jason Gesser, Matt Kegel and Tali Ena) in the top 10 in pass efficiency in the Pac-10.

Copyright 2001 Cowles Publishing Company
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