By
Maxx Wolfson
Arizona Daily Wildcat
UA will have to stop Tucson-native Poli-Dixon to defeat UCLA
UCLA junior split end Brian Poli-Dixon knows all about ups and downs.
During his three-plus seasons as a Bruin, the 6-foot-5 wide receiver has experienced the highs of playing in the Cotton Bowl (1997) and the Rose Bowl (1998) and the lows of finishing a disappointing ninth place in the Pacific 10 Conference in 1999.
This season, Poli-Dixon wants UCLA to get back to the way it used to be during his first two seasons.
The Bruins were one of the nation's most surprising teams in the season's first few weeks - defeating then-No. 3 Alabama and then-No. 3 Michigan - and went from being unranked prior to the season to having the No. 3 rating in the country.
What a difference a month makes.
Lately, things have not been so good for the "Sons of Westwood" - UCLA has lost its last two games to both California and Oregon State.
"We played pretty solid against Oregon State," Poli-Dixon said. "We have no choice to get back on track."
A victory against the Wildcats would be even more gratifying for Poli-Dixon - the junior grew up watching Wildcat football and has, to some, turned his back on his hometown by attending UCLA.
Poli-Dixon, a Tucson native, chose to attend UCLA over Arizona back in 1996.
"We tried as hard as we could (to recruit him)," UA head coach Dick Tomey said. "Poli-Dixon is a terrific young man, and he is somebody we worked really hard at and we got to know really well. He decided to go to UCLA and has done a really nice job there."
Even though UA was the first school to offer Poli-Dixon a scholarship, the junior felt UCLA was a better fit for him.
"I had to do what was best for me," the pre-season Biletnikoff Award candidate said.
During his days of growing up in Tucson, the lanky, 216-pound Poli-Dixon was a two-year letterman for coach Jeff Scurran at Sabino High School.
The senior - who has caught 29 passes for 370 yards and two touchdowns so far in 2000 - is excited to get a chance to come back home and play.
"I can't wait to get home and play in front of my hometown people," he said.
However, Poli-Dixon feels as if he is going to be a marked man Saturday afternoon.
"I am looking for (Arizona's) coaches to personally put the hit out on me," Poli-Dixon said. "I am sure they are telling their defensive backs that 'he is from Tucson, so don't let him score.' They want to show that I probably made the wrong the decision (by attending UCLA)."
Poli-Dixon is not alone as a UCLA offensive threat.
Junior flanker Freddie Mitchell, a native of Florida, ranks second in the nation in receiving yards per game with 118.6 yards.
Both receivers have flourished this season despite a stalled UCLA running attack.
"We have not run the ball extremely well lately, (but) on the other hand, we have thrown the ball extremely well," UCLA head coach Bob Toledo said. "Our receivers have given us a chance to make some big plays. Freddie Mitchell is one of the leading receivers in the country right now in yards per game and catches. Those are two of our better threats right now."
Tomey said the Mitchell-Poli-Dixon tandem is comprised of "the two best receivers on one team that we have played against."
Throwing the ball to Poli-Dixon and the six-foot Mitchell will be sophomore quarterback Cory Paus.
Paus started the season as the Bruins' top quarterback before separating his shoulder on the first play of the season against Alabama. After using a merry-go-round of backups, Toledo tabbed a healthy Paus to return against Arizona State on Sept. 30. The sophomore has been the Bruins' starting quarterback for the last three games.
"I am very confident in our quarterback situation," Poli-Dixon said. "(Paus) is out there relaxed going through plays."
The UCLA running game will be led by junior tailback DeShaun Foster.
Foster, an early candidate for the Heisman Trophy, missed a game-and-a-half after breaking his right hand in the second quarter against ASU.
Foster's stock rose in the first game of the season against Alabama.
The 6-foot-1, 217-pound native of Tustin, Calif., rushed for a career-high 187 yards and three touchdowns en route to a 35-26 Bruin victory against the Crimson Tide.
"He is a little bit like Trung (Candiate), but he is 210 pounds," Tomey said. "He was just awesome against Alabama, but when you are out for a month, you are just not going to be the same."
