New Pursuits for Bruins on Saturday

With a bye this week, Coach Bob Toledo is cutting practices short and has given the team Friday off. Enjoying a seven-game winning streak for the first time since 1993, the 10th-ranked Bruins are “practicing harder but more intensely,” quarterback Cade McNown said. “We’re not going as long, but we’re practicing as if we do have a game Saturday.”

McNown, who has been hot during the Bruins’ winning streak and ranks fourth in the nation in pass efficiency, plans to be competing Saturday--on a golf course.

“I’ll check how Washington and Washington State do on ESPN later in the day,” McNown said. “But I’m not going to spend the whole day in front of the TV set.”

Watching TV is exactly how junior linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo plans to spend Saturday, and he sees it as an opportunity for the Bruins to move up in the rankings without even taking the field.

“I love college football and I’ll watch the teams in the Top 10 to see if anyone gets knocked off,” said Ayanbadejo, who recovered a fumble in Saturday’s victory over Stanford. “Friday night will be great because I’ll go have fun in Westwood Village. We usually have to spend Fridays in some hotel.”

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The Bruins set a team record Saturday by holding Stanford to minus-34 yards rushing, which includes sack yardage. The former mark, minus-26 yards, was set against Fresno State in 1987.

NEXT FOR UCLA

Who: Washington

Where: Rose Bowl

When: Nov. 15, 12:30 p.m.

TV: Channel 7

Radio: XTRA (1150)