UCLA's football team is preparing for two different Hurricanes -- Miami's football team and Hurricane Georges, which ripped through the Dominican Republic on Tuesday and is on a course that could send it to south Florida late Thursday or early Friday morning.
A storm watch is likely to be issued for south Florida and the Florida Keys early today, according to the National Weather Service. At the National Hurricane Center in Miami, workers boarded up the windows Tuesday.
The Bruins (2-0) originally planned to arrive in Miami late Thursday in preparation for Saturday's game against the Hurricanes (2-1) at the Orange Bowl.
On Tuesday, UCLA officials examined a few contingency travel plans, including a Thursday-night layover in Atlanta. A provisional plan will be finalized today, a school spokesman said.
Should the storm hit the Miami area hard, there is a possibility Saturday's game will be canceled, a University of Miami spokesman said Tuesday.
"It's an option, if it gets to that point," Hurricanes spokesman Bob Burda said. "We're in a wait-and-see mode now, depending on what happens with the storm."
Burda said he cannot recall Miami having to cancel a football game because of a hurricane.
"It hasn't happened in recent memory, but it may have happened in the '20s," he said.
The Miami Dolphins' NFL season opener was postponed in 1992 due to the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew. The Dolphins and New England Patriots played the rescheduled game during a bye week later in the season.
------------------------------
With returning starters Kris Farris, Andy Meyers and Shawn Stuart, the offensive line was supposed to be one of the Bruins' strengths. However, injuries have prevented the Bruins from establishing much continuity.
"I have had a new guard next to me every game," said Farris, the left tackle. "It makes it difficult to develop a rhythm."
Starting left guard Oscar Cabrera sprained his ankle on the first play of the first game. He was replaced by Matt Phelan, who subsequently lost the starting job to junior James Ghezzi. A junior college transfer, Ghezzi is scheduled to make his first start Saturday.
The Bruins' lack of depth is most apparent at right tackle. Starter Brian Polak is being spelled by sophomore Josh Webb, who switched from defensive end 2 ½ weeks ago.
Webb played during five possessions last week at Houston, including one goal-line situation in which he cleared a path to the end zone.
Earlier, coaches had removed Webb when the Bruins got close to the goal line.
"I think I could have ran that play, but the coaches wanted to make a change," Webb said. "Even though I've only been playing offensive line for a couple of weeks, I've never felt uncomfortable here. . . .
"I've always had faith in myself I could make the switch," Webb said. "Some of the little stuff has been difficult for me to pick up. I have to work on my technique."
With the Bruins thin at offensive line -- coaches would like freshmen Blake Worley and Mike Saffer to redshirt -- Webb's playing time probably won't decrease.
"We expected him to contribute early," offensive line coach Mark Weber said. "He's a smart young man, and he's very athletic. He has an advantage in that he knows how the defensive linemen think and how they react in different situations. That has helped him in this transition."
------------------------------
Starting split end Brian Poli-Dixon, who suffered a concussion Saturday at Houston, did not practice again Tuesday. Poli-Dixon said he hopes to be cleared to practice today and anticipates being able to play at Miami, weather permitting . . . With Freddie Mitchell out (broken leg), Poli-Dixon and flanker Danny Farmer will be asked to shoulder a bigger load. Farmer made a couple of nice catches in drills Tuesday, despite good coverage . . . In order to help players adjust their body clocks, Coach Bob Toledo shifted practices from afternoon to mid-morning. Saturday's game is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. PDT.
Published 9/23/1998