UCLA

The weather forecast for the Gulf Coast region doesn’t offer encouraging news. Tropical Storm Frances, which made land last Friday and doused the Houston area, has passed, but rain is predicted for at least portions of the rest of the week.

The visit to Robertson Stadium on Saturday already was looking underwhelming enough for fourth-ranked UCLA. The Bruins play a bad opponent, one week after facing Texas and a week before facing Miami. They will play in a stadium that seats 20,500, a week after playing in the Rose Bowl and a week before playing in the Orange Bowl.

“It’s kind of a dismal atmosphere,” Bruin Coach Bob Toledo said. “We’re playing in a small stadium and we’re used to playing in a big stadium. I guess the important thing is that you’re ready to play anywhere.”

Ordinarily, this wouldn’t be much of a concern, but Houston, after playing a total of seven games at Robertson Stadium the last four seasons, switched from the Astrodome back to the outdoor, on-campus facility. This marks the first time it will have played all home games there since 1949.

The seating is scheduled to be increased in coming years, but the small crowd could be the least of the concerns if the rain comes in a big way. The field was in decent shape last Saturday against Minnesota, but a continued lack of cooperation from the weather could make the turf a factor by the time UCLA gets to town.

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Junior Mark Verti, the third-string fullback, Tuesday was awarded a scholarship by Toledo. “He’s done a great job,” Toledo said. “He’s worked hard for three years. He’s been on special teams since he was a freshman, and he did a great job Saturday.” . . . Aaron Humphrey, the Texas defensive end who said “Cade is a dead man,” a comment he insisted was a joke but that nonetheless served as inspiration for the Bruins, escaped the game without retribution. The only things close were the verbal confrontations with UCLA tackle Brian Polak, but that was more heat of the moment than anything related to defending Cade McNown. “We talked a little bit,” Humphrey said. “I can’t really say what I said, but we talked a little bit.”

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Next Up for UCLA

Who: Houston

Where: at Houston

When: Saturday, 12:30 p.m.

TV: FX

Radio: AM 1150