COLLEGE FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : UCLA : Fien Makes the Most of Opportunity

It had been a long time for Ryan Fien, who was plenty nervous Saturday when he came on the field to play quarterback at Nebraska.

He acclimated quickly.

“There were mixed feelings,” he said of entering the game when starter Wayne Cook was shaken up. “I just wanted to hit my first pass to calm down.”

And he did, finding Derek Ayers for nine yards.

Fien played in two games two seasons ago as a freshman after Cook and Rob Walker were injured. He was in for only one play--an incomplete pass against California--last season after Cook came back to claim the starting job in competition with Walker and Fien.

Fien is listed as the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart and that status has made him more cognizant of players with similar status.

“I told Brent Brennan, Derek Ayers and Avery Anderson--my guys--that I would take care of them,” he said, laughing.

Fien completed six of seven passes for 85 yards and led the Bruins on their final touchdown drive. Two of his completions were to Ayers for 17 yards, one to Anderson--who dropped another--for 14 yards and one to Brennan for seven.

Ayers and Brennan had never caught a college pass and Anderson had caught only four.

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The defense of Washington State, which UCLA faces Saturday at the Rose Bowl, has not given up a touchdown in 10 quarters, dating to last season. . . . Reserve lineman Mike Rohme worked overtime Tuesday on pass blocking against nose guard George Kase. Rohme might get playing time Saturday at left guard because James Christensen has a knee injury suffered at Nebraska. Kase wanted the extra work after struggling--as did most of his teammates--in the 49-21 loss at Nebraska. . . . UCLA will have played four games before school starts.