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PRINT THIS PAGE | E-MAIL THIS PAGE Saturday, September 19, 1998 UCLA trying not to look past winless Cougars By MICHAEL A. LUTZ AP Sports Writer HOUSTON (AP) -- Football teams from the Lone Star state have been taking a beating lately from No. 4 UCLA. The Bruins are 4-0 against Texas teams over the past two seasons and they'll be 27-1/2 point favorites to make it five in a row Saturday against winless Houston (0-2) at tiny Robertson Stadium, UH's new on-campus home. "We don't overlook anyone," Bruin quarterback Cade McNown said. "Last year, we started out 0-2 and it was an uphill battle the rest of the way. We want to make sure we take care of each game and not look past anybody, no matter what their record is." The Bruins rebounded from their dismal start to win the next 10 straight, including victories over Houston (66-10), Texas (66-3) and a 29-23 season-capping win against Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. Having already beaten Texas 49-31 this season, UCLA is now riding a school record 11-game winning streak. And the offense-challenged Cougars appear to have little hope in changing that. The Texas game occurred before 73,070 at the cavernous Rose Bowl a week ago. This Saturday, UCLA will visit Houston's cozy 20,000-seat home that once served as the city's high school stadium. Until this year, UH had played at least part of its home slate at the Astrodome each season since 1965. "You've got to be ready to play anywhere," UCLA coach Bob Toledo said. "I don't care if we play in the street, or a Safeway parking lot. You've got to be ready to play." Toledo, a former assistant at Texas A&M, hopes the Bruins don't have a letdown against their third straight Texas team. "That's never an easy task, Texas is very good and A&M was one of the toughest games we've had in awhile," Toledo said. "Now, playing Houston on the road, I've been there before and it's always a tough place. "I know they have some good athletes. Their defense did an excellent job against Minnesota." Try as he will, Toledo will have a tough time selling Houston as a threat. The Cougars went 3-8 last season, losing their last four in a row. Lightly regarded California and Minnesota have upped their overall skid to six. Houston's defense has improved this season but they're still struggling with the offense. McNown will be a severe test for the Cougars. "I can't imagine anyone more valuable to his team than Cade is to us," Toledo said. "He has the complete package. He possesses a strong arm, quick feet and outstanding leadership qualities." While the Cougars have given up just 14 points in their first two games, their offense hasn't shown the ability to match firepower with UCLA. UH quarterback Jason McKinley has struggled for consistency. "There are not good quarterbacks unless the receivers get open and they are protected," Houston coach Kim Helton said. "They (opponents) want to see if we can throw touchdown passes, and so far we haven't." Defensively, the Cougars have racked up 11 sacks and want to continue the streak against McNown, who hasn't gone down since the Cotton Bowl. "This quarterback is not used to having people close to him," Helton said. "I hope he gets introduced to what a sack is."   Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below: texnews.com Reporter OnLine Local Sports Texas Sports Copyright ©1998, Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below:

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