The Curse of Cade? How one play may have led to 25 years of misery for UCLA football

Former UCLA quarterback Cade McNown and the Bruins have struggled since a 1998 win over USC. Clockwise from top: McNown; Ka’imi Fairbarin missing the 52-yard field goal against Stanford in 2012 Pac-12 title game; Miami’s Edgerinn James running through UCLA defenders on Dec. 5, 1988; former UCLA coach Karl Dorrell; former UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel; current UCLA coach Chip Kelly; Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne runs against UCLA during the 1999 Rose Bowl; former UCLA coach Jim Mora; and former UCLA coach Bob Toledo. (Illustration by Tim Hubbard / Los Angeles Times)

One play remained. Rivalry revelry was assured.

UCLA was bludgeoning USC at the Rose Bowl a quarter of a century ago.

Ahead by three scores, taking a knee or running up the middle would have been the humane thing to do, even against those terrible Trojans.

Cade McNown leaned into the huddle and relayed the play. As the clock ticked below 20 seconds, the Bruins quarterback stepped behind center and took the snap. He faked a pitch and took off in the other direction, no one there to protect him.

It was a naked bootleg, and a timeless kick in the rear.

“I mean, I still f— hate Cade McNown,” former USC fullback Petros Papadakis said this week with a hearty laugh.

UCLA quarterback Cade McNown hands off to running back Skip Hicks during first-half action against USC on Nov. 22, 1997, at the Coliseum. (Kevork Djansezian / Associated Press)

No one on the Trojans’ sideline found any humor in it on that warm afternoon in November 1998. Scrunching his face in disgust, USC coach Paul Hackett yelled for someone to wallop that barbaric Bruin. Safety Rashard Cook finally complied, bringing McNown down at the end of a 23-yard run that completed UCLA’s 34-17 victory in unsavory fashion.

Another party may have been aggrieved. The college football gods seemed to zap the unbeaten Bruins…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/curse-cade-one-play-may-130050729.html

Author : LA Times

Publish date : 2023-11-16 13:00:50

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