The Best UCLA Quarterback of Last 20 Years

by Nestor on Jul 10, 2007 4:58 AM PDT in Football

So last Friday brought your attention to a Jon Wilner post on the best Pac-10 coaches of last two years (a list from which Wilner excluded Donahue for all the right seasons). Wanted to bring your attention to another of his list-oriented posts. This time he tried his best to come up the 10 best Pac-10 QBs from last couple of decades. Here is the only Bruin who made the list:

2. Troy Aikman, UCLA: The best combination of arm strength and aptitude since John Elway, but he never won the league, which wasn't so much his fault as Terry Donahue's. (In 1987, the Bruins had Aikman, Gaston Green, Carnell Lake, Ken Norton, Jr. and Darryl Henley, and Donahue still couldn't beat USC.)

Couple of quick notes right off the hand.

The QB who was number 1 in Wilner's list was Jake Plummer from Arizona State, who lead the Devils to a Pac-10 championship in 1996, losing a heart breaker to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. ASU finished the season with an 11-1 record, and it was the only double digit winning season Plummer posted at ASU. For some reason the Plummer listing is not showing up on Wilner's post (perhaps it was accidentally deleted). But IIRC (while browsing the post quickly more than a week ago) the main reason for putting Jake on top of that list was because how he was basically the heart and soul of that Devils team, willing them to win after win (which included a heartbreaking loss for us at the Rose Bowl in 1996 - I remember following that game via ESPN ticker in Boston and seeing how Toledo and co. choked away a 4 TD lead).

Also, I think it is worth noting Aikman (I cannot bring myself to write his first name) was the only Bruin QB (from last twenty years) who also made this list of photo gallery from CNNSI, which has pictures of 'UCLA's top-10 athletes' of all the time.

So who is missing from both of those lists?

The guy who holds the all time UCLA record for passing (via the official media guide):

The guy who holds the all time UCLA record for total offense (also from the official media guide):

And the guy IIRC is the only quarterback with a 4-0 record in this game (1997):

Yeah, I's say he was the posterchild of a college quarterback who is the ultimate heart and soul of his team. If you are thirsty for more video evidence of what number 18 did in that specific game here are the links from the games in 1995, 1996, and 1998.

Also please note unlike Jake Plummer, Number 18 posted two double digit winning seasons, and also a victory in a New Year's Day Bowl game.

Nothing against Aikman and the other good QBs in that list and particularly Aikman, but I think it is pretty clear to this Nation (here is our poll from last May), which quarterback is the best UCLA quarterback from last twenty years.

GO BRUINS.

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Also on that 1987 team?

Future Pro Bowler, Eric Turner.

If memory serves correct, Turner intercepted a Rodney Peete pass on the last play of the first half. His interception return for a possible touchdown fell short of the mark when Peete dragged Turner to the ground by his facemask.

Of course, no flag was thrown by the officials.

Big, big difference in that game.

by mcbruin on Jul 10, 2007 6:41 AM PDT reply actions

No credibility

Not a blindo homer but to not have Cade on this list is retarded. So a guy like Tui gets on this list while Cade with a 20 game win streak & 4 victories over SC doesn't even make it?

This guy needs to re-think and revise his list because without Cade, it is a joke of a list.

by BlueReign on Jul 10, 2007 8:22 AM PDT reply actions

Obviously influenced by the QB's pro careers.

That's bad enough. But ALSO showing anti-UCLA bias, because if he was going to be influenced by pro careers, he'd have to make Aikman number one.

by Chandler on Jul 10, 2007 9:05 AM PDT reply actions

Not much of a pro influence

Ryan Leaf made the list, at #8.

by bruinhoo on Jul 10, 2007 11:27 AM PDT up reply actions

The real shock to me is . . .

where Drew Olson is on the list. Yes, he was a 3.5 year starter, but I had no idea he was second on BOTH lists and came within 1 TD of Lord McNown on the career list!

by charnaw on Jul 10, 2007 10:33 AM PDT reply actions

and I'm suprised

at how high Cory Paus is. He was terrible!

by tasser10 on Jul 10, 2007 10:39 AM PDT up reply actions

Paus

Wasn't that bad. We've had plenty worse. Though I believe his injuries hurt us.

This is what's pop'n

by PopnFried on Jul 10, 2007 1:50 PM PDT up reply actions

Well

He didn't have good arm strength or accuracy. And he didn't put a good spiral on the ball. Aside from that...

by SuperBruinMan on Jul 10, 2007 3:07 PM PDT up reply actions

Don't forget staring at his primary receivers

In '01 he made that WSU CB look like a super-star by throwing 3 INT's right to him cause the CB knew exactly where the ball was going.

by isodore on Jul 10, 2007 5:47 PM PDT up reply actions

Olson

Don't forget he had IIRC the single greatest statistical season any UCLA QB has ever had (at least for TD passes) in 2005. I think he threw 36 TD in 2005-that helped him almost catch Cade.

by ucladj89 on Jul 10, 2007 11:10 AM PDT up reply actions

Negative 427 Rushing Yards for Cory Paus

Is that the lowest of any UCLA player?

by SuperBruinMan on Jul 10, 2007 10:45 AM PDT reply actions

If you think that's bad, imagine what . . .

his average yards per carry is! :) The guy had TWO left feet and 0 arms, so he faired pretty well all things considered.

by charnaw on Jul 10, 2007 1:01 PM PDT up reply actions

surprising

I am not sure about the criteria wilner used for his poll, but maybe Cade was downgraded for the first two years he was a starter. He didn't have that great a record his first two years, but his last two were of course excellent. As much as I like Aikman, and recognize that he did have a 20-4 record as a starter, two of those losses were to USC and he never won the Pac-10. I think Cade was a better college QB and sshould at least have amde the Top-10.

by ucladj89 on Jul 10, 2007 10:57 AM PDT reply actions

Carson Palmer only had one good year

For some reason he felt McNown was a system QB. If Cade was downgraded for that all of Tedford's players should have been removed.

by SuperBruinMan on Jul 10, 2007 12:43 PM PDT up reply actions

Drew Olsen

I don't care what any one else thinks, Drew Olsen is number 1 in my heart. Why you ask? Well to being with, he has a weak arm, was consistently bailed out of bad situations by MJD's heroics and, not to mention he had a bum knee and he never beat the SuC.

But the dude had vision, he could find his receivers any where on the field that year, and by the end of 2005 he had the absurd stat line of 33 TDs to 3 Ints. He tied or broke every one Cade's single game passing records. Drew Olsen #1 in my heart.

Victory or until next year!

by ncrpz2 on Jul 10, 2007 11:19 AM PDT reply actions

I can respect and disagree with your call...

... but I am concerned with the statement re: DO's "vision."

IMHO, Drew had vision, alright -- tunnel vision, at least for the 1st 3 years.

Still, for his work ethic, leadership, and toughness (esp. coming back from that heinous LV Bowl injury), the dude has my respect.

However, the single greatest football player I've ever had the fortune of seeing play live, the one college player I'd want on my team first if my life depended on it...

... was #18, Cade McNown.

WHY NOT US? WHY NOT NOW?

by Meriones on Jul 10, 2007 1:15 PM PDT up reply actions