Paus Brothers See Showdown Ahead

The Bruins eliminated Washington from the Rose Bowl race last season, and they can do so again Saturday with a victory in Seattle, so it’s difficult to imagine cranking the intensity of this rivalry much higher. But try this: Next year, the rivalry could be a family feud.

Washington quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo is a senior, and one of the recruits hoping to replace him is a high school senior from Illinois named Casey Paus. He’s the brother of UCLA sophomore quarterback Cory Paus.

The Bruins were ambivalent about Casey, and vice versa. The UCLA coaches talked with him but thought this year’s crop of local quarterbacks was just as good. Casey preferred to attend a university where he might play sooner, and without constant comparisons to his brother.

“I didn’t really want him to come here and play the same position,” Cory said. “He didn’t have a choice of where to go to high school. I didn’t want him to follow me everywhere.”

Casey might have to redshirt, of course. Or he might not win the job. But the brothers cross their fingers for Paus vs. Paus in 2001, with a sequel in 2002.

“Hopefully I’ll get a chance to play at Washington and play against Cory,” Casey said. “It would be real exciting.”

And who would mom root for?

“Whoever is on offense,” Casey said.

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Sun Bowl representatives scouted the Bruins Saturday in their 37-35 victory over Stanford. The Pacific 10 Conference sends its third-place team to the Sun Bowl, and the Bruins are tied with Arizona for fourth place, but the Sun Bowl could pick UCLA if the Bowl Championship Series awards one of its two at-large bids to a Pac-10 team. . . . The Bruins drew 64,039 Saturday, the fourth Rose Bowl crowd over 60,000 this season. With the USC game already sold out, UCLA will set a school record for total attendance by drawing about 482,000 to seven home games. . . . The Bruins have scored 38 points in three games and 37 in another, but none was a blowout. The Bruins won one by seven points and another by two, lost one by six and another in triple-overtime. “It’s all about sports and entertainment now,” offensive lineman Brian Polak said, cracking a smile. “We’ve got to give the fans their money’s worth in close games.”