COLLEGE FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : UCLA : Next Foe Finally Getting Breaks

California (2-2) has turned its season around after losses to Western Athletic Conference teams San Diego State and Hawaii in its first two games, and never was that more apparent than Saturday when the Bears scored a touchdown after one of their punts was blocked.

Ryan Longwell punted, and San Jose State’s Dee Grayer blocked the ball. Matt Clizbe, playing on the outside, grabbed the ball on one bounce and, while everyone wondered what to do, ran 62 yards to give Cal a 28-0 lead in the first half of a game it won, 55-0.

According to college rules, a ball can be advanced by the punting team if it is recovered behind the line of scrimmage.

Cal Coach Keith Gilbertson wasn’t sure.

“I called an official over and asked,” he said. “I said, ‘pretend I don’t know a thing about football. We just had a blocked punt and scored a touchdown. Tell me how we did that.’

“He said, ‘I know you don’t know anything about football. I’ve seen your team play.’ ”

The official might have seen Cal’s game against Hawaii, in which the Rainbows scored twice after blocking Cal punts.

*

Former UCLA defensive back Tommy Bennett was sentenced to 300 hours of community service and given three years probation in Superior Court of West Los Angeles after pleading no-contest to charges of making a false financial statement and grand theft. His case now goes to the office of the Dean of Students for campus action before going to the athletic department to consider reinstatement in the football program.

*

Linebacker Jeff Ruckman said he will probably ask UCLA coaches to redshirt him. Ruckman, a sophomore who played extensively as a fullback as a freshman, injured his back in a preseason scrimmage and has been undergoing therapy since. He apparently felt a new pain Tuesday while working out on his own.