Bob Toledo’s six seasons at UCLA read like an EKG chart, spiked with both the euphoria of New Year’s Day bowls and the gloom of underachieving teams.

The 2001 campaign was a microcosm of the program’s inconsistency -- the Bruins zooming out to a 6-0 record and No. 4 ranking only to collapse into a four-game losing skid. Toledo’s team wrapped up the season with seven wins, but declined a Humanitarian Bowl bid when a contractual ticket-guarantee made it financially unfeasible. The mixing of dollars and athletics was an appropriate conclusion to a season in which All-America tailback DeShaun Foster was ruled ineligible over the final three games after he accepted a leased SUV and cash from a booster.

The Bruins opened the 2001 season ranked No. 17 in the AP poll, traveling to face No. 25 Alabama and new coach Dennis Franchione. Although out-gained 459 yards to 291 and trailing in time of possession by eight minutes, UCLA escaped Tuscaloosa with a 20-17 win. The Bruins’ defense created the game’s only two turnovers and also stopped the Tide on a critical fourth-and-1 from the 2-yard line during the final quarter.

Having moved up to No. 14 a week later, UCLA stormed through Kansas, 41-17, behind Foster’s 179 yards rushing. The Bruins followed with their first home game of the season, a 13-6 win over 21st-ranked Ohio State in which Buckeyes quarterback Steve Bellisari endured a 5-for-23 passing day with two interceptions. The Bruins held Ohio State to eight first downs and 166 total yards, but the game remained close because UCLA fumbled seven times, including four by Foster.

In preparation for the Week 4 match-up against No. 19 Oregon State, Toledo primed his 12th-ranked club by showing video lowlights of two previous losses to the Beavers. That motivation sparked UCLA to a 38-7 win in which the Bruins held a 496-157 edge in total offense. Foster ran for 147 yards and three scores and Corey Paus tossed two touchdowns to Brian Poli-Dixon.

No. 10 Washington was next, and Foster’s school-record 301-yard rushing day carried No. 7 UCLA to a 35-13 blowout. Foster chirped of national championship hopes after scoring four touchdowns against the Huskies, but he also climbed into the Heisman Trophy race by finishing the week as the nation’s top rusher (162.6 yards per game).

Winless Cal provided little resistance the following Saturday as No. 4 UCLA coasted to a 56-17 win. Foster ran for 117 yards on 24 carries, but Paus was the catalyst, throwing for 273 yards and three scores in less than three quarters of action.

But UCLA’s unbeaten season unraveled in a 38-28 loss at Stanford. The blame fell to a Bruins defense that allowed 31 first-half points and a sub-par day by Foster, who finished with 77 yards on 21 carries.

The No. 9 Bruins still harbored Pac-10 title hopes, but even those were squelched on Nov. 3 by a 20-14 loss at Washington State. UCLA threw five interceptions -- three by Corey Paus and two by Ryan McCann -- and a Foster fumble set up an additional Cougars score.

Behind a Joey Harrington-led comeback, No. 7 Oregon beat 17th-ranked UCLA, 21-20, the following week. Foster did not suit up, having been suspended for receiving improper benefits, but the Bruins had a chance to win until the game’s final play, when Chris Griffith was short on a 50-yard field goal try.

Then came UCLA’s worst performance of the season, a 27-0 whitewashing against Southern Cal. The Bruins managed only 28 yards rushing and 112 yards overall and were shut out by USC for the first time since 1947.

There was more in-house drama before the regular-season finale against Arizona State, with Paus being demoted to third-string for not disclosing a pair of alcohol-related incidents to Toledo. But on senior day at the Rose Bowl, in stepped Scott McEwan to throw for 280 yards and three touchdowns as UCLA prevailed, 52-42.

After the victory, Toledo lobbied for a bowl bid: "I think when you’re 7-4 at a place like UCLA, you ought to have an opportunity to play somewhere. I’ll let the administration handle that stuff. I’m going to enjoy this."

However, when the administration determined that the team would lose in excess of $300,000 by playing in the Humanitarian Bowl, UCLA’s season came to a close.

Toledo insisted throughout the spring that he wouldn’t pick a starting quarterback until the week preceding the season opener. But with the fifth-year senior Paus (6-2, 218) having only to outplay red-shirt freshman John Sciarra (6-2, 194) for the job, there’s no real mystery here. The coach’s ploy is aimed less at predicting a wide-open competition and more at convincing Paus to improve his preparation and consistency.

Fellow senior Ryan McCann -- who delivered some big plays in 2000 but was only 7-of-17 with two interceptions last season -- has transferred to Division I-AA Tennessee-Chattanooga hoping to get more playing time.

Among the Pac-10’s starting quarterbacks, Paus ranked only eighth in completion percentage (52.1). Likewise, his touchdown-to-interception ratio (eight of each) ranked ninth. Part of his difficulty involved a preseason thumb injury that hampered certain throws, but the late-season rift with Toledo was equally bothersome. Paus wound up completing 101-of-194 passes for 1,740 yards.

Sciarra, a prep All-American from LaCrescenta, Calif., has a UCLA legacy, his father having quarterbacked the Bruins to the 1976 Rose Bowl victory. He also benefits from having spent a season directing the scout team.

Fall arrivals Matt Moore and Drew Olson , both ranked among the top high school quarterbacks in the nation, likely will need time to grasp the system.

Foster was a galloping, long-striding tailback in the physical vein of Eric Dickerson. His eight-game totals last season were impressive -- 1,109 yards and 12 touchdowns -- but his second consecutive 1,000-yard campaign was marred by frequent fumbles. That high-risk running style, combined with off-the-field character issues, best explain why such a talented player fell into the second round of the NFL draft, going No. 34 overall to the Carolina Panthers.

Foster’s college career began with an arrest for marijuana possession and ended with him skipping the senior day ceremony before the Arizona State game. Toledo has to believe that what the Bruins’ ground attack loses in breakaway flash it may recoup in dependability.

Junior Akil Harris (6-0, 203) started two games in Foster’s absence, enjoying a 138-yard performance against ASU. For the season, he gained 375 yards and scored three touchdowns, averaging 4.9 yards per carry. Harris’ longest gain of the season was a 54-yarder, but he also had a 47-yard score against Cal.

A bigger option at tailback is the bruising Manuel White (6-3, 241), who gained 290 yards while scoring three touchdowns. White also caught five passes out of the backfield for 64 yards. A reliable runner near the goal line, two of White’s scores came against Arizona State.

UCLA must replace a pair of talented fullbacks who became NFL free agents. Ed Ieremia-Stansbury (Houston Texans) and Matt Stanley (San Francisco 49ers) combined for 116 yards and two touchdowns rushing, along with 13 catches for 141 yards and two touchdowns receiving. But their lead blocking will be missed most.

Toledo will utilize a pair of third-year sophomores -- Pat Norton (6-1, 240) and Ray Cassaday (6-1, 235). Norton played in five games last season, while Cassaday was familiarizing himself with the position after moving from inside linebacker.

Split end Poli-Dixon left UCLA as the fifth-leading career receiver in school history and signed with the San Diego Chargers. Poli-Dixon made 139 career receptions, but only 24 of those came last season, when injuries kept him out of three games and hampered him during several others.

Craig Bragg (6-1, 189) capitalized on more playing time when Poli-Dixon was limited. Bragg wound up leading UCLA with 29 catches as a red-shirt freshman, including 13 during the final two weeks. In the season-ender against Arizona State, Bragg caught seven balls for 138 yards and two scores.

At flanker, junior Tab Perry (6-3, 220) gives the Bruins a potent deep threat. He burned Alabama for a game-turning 53-yard touchdown in the 2001 season opener and went on to lead UCLA by averaging 19.8 yards per catch.

Perry added a 49-yard score in the romp over Kansas, but he played sparingly over the final three games after fracturing four ribs and sustaining a partially collapsed lung against Washington State. He ended the season with 21 receptions for a team-best 416 yards.

Junior Ryan Smith (6-3, 200) is back after making 18 catches for 272 yards. He scored the Bruins’ only touchdown in the narrow win over Ohio State and figures to be a quality possession receiver this fall.

Several players are vying to supplant tight end Bryan Fletcher, a second-team All-Pac-10 selection in 2001, who was picked in the sixth round by the Chicago Bears. Fletcher had 11 catches for 189 yards, but senior Mike Seidman (6-5, 245) could be an improvement. With better speed and hands, Seidman could make the tight end spot a bigger focus of the passing game. He caught 12 balls for 250 yards and one touchdown in 2001.

Four returning starters up front should create plenty of running room for the committee of tailbacks. UCLA’s 169.9 rushing yards per game was third best in the Pac-10 last season. However, this beefy group of veterans must improve on passing downs after allowing 32 sacks.

Senior tackles Mike Saffer (6-5, 304) and Bryce Bohlander (6-6, 295) started every game last season, as did guard Eyoseph Efseaff (6-3, 298), who was a freshman All-American.

Sophomore Steve Viera (6-6, 308) returns after making five starts at right guard last season, while junior Shane Lehmann (6-5, 291) made six.

At center, sophomore John Ream (6-4, 302) is bidding to replace the departed Troy Danoff.

The reserves at tackle are red-shirt freshmen Matt Mosebar (6-8, 280) and Ed Blanton (6-9, 316). At guard, the backups are sophomore Paul Mociler (6-5, 302) and freshmen Robert Cleary (6-7, 290) and Collin Barker (6-8, 300).

Red-shirt freshman Mike McCloskey (6-5, 265) enters fall as the second-team center.

Fifth-year senior Griffith (6-2, 200) is a former walk-on whose 34 career field goals rank him fourth in UCLA history. Known more for accuracy than a powerful leg, Griffith is 35-of-40 all-time from inside of 40 yards and 9-of-15 from beyond.

Sophomore Chris Kluwe (6-5, 200) is a capable backup at kicker and punter. After red-shirting in 2000, he missed most of last season with a knee injury.

The Bruins lost a key component in defensive end Kenyon Coleman, a fourth-team All-American who was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the fifth round.

Starting defensive tackle Ken Kocher also graduated and has signed with the Green Bay Packers. In addition, defensive tackle Anthony Fletcher, a top reserve, went on to sign with the San Diego Chargers.

However, two starters return in tackle Rodney Leisle (6-4, 298) and right defensive end Dave Ball (6-6, 276). Leisle, a junior who has started all 23 games of his college career, made 32 stops last season.

Ball started all 11 games and made 18 tackles, including four behind the line.

Ball’s twin brother Matt Ball (6-6, 266) ended the spring as the leader at left end, having moved from outside linebacker. Behind him is junior Asi Faoa (6-5, 270), who played in every game last season as Coleman’s backup.

The other tackle spot could go to Ryan Boschetti (6-4, 276) of San Mateo (Calif.) College, who was a first-team junior college All-American pick by J.C. Grid-Wire and rated the No. 2 junior college player in the nation by JCFootball.com. He was credited with 21 quarterback sacks the last two seasons. Boschetti is joined by fifth-year seniors Steve Morgan (6-3, 292) and Sean Phillips (6-6, 295).

UCLA enjoyed the services the Pac-10’s top linebacker last season in Robert Thomas, a Butkus Award finalist and first-team All-American. Thomas made a conference-high 111 tackles before being selected in the first round of the NFL draft by the St. Louis Rams.

The Bruins also must replace outside linebacker Ryan Nece, a Butkus Award semifinalist and four-year starter who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The lone returning starter is junior outside linebacker Brandon Chillar (6-3, 230), who made 42 tackles and 4.5 sacks.

Stepping in for Thomas in the middle is senior Marcus Reese (6-2, 227) and junior Dennis Link (6-2, 215). Reese played inside and outside as a backup in 2001, making 34 stops and even blocking a couple of punts.

Gone are free safety Marques Anderson -- a 2001 third-team All-American who became a third-round selection of the Green Bay Packers -- and strong safety Jason Stephens. But the secondary remains solid thanks to a couple of stars -- Ricky Manning Jr. and Matt Ware .

The senior Manning (5-9, 180) is a two-time All-Pac-10 cornerback who has made 32 consecutive starts and has nine career interceptions. Ware (6-3, 199) became the first freshman at UCLA to start every game and promptly led the team with five interceptions. He moved from cornerback to free safety during the spring.

Fifth-year senior Joe Hunter (5-11, 174) moved into Ware’s cornerback spot after appearing in 11 games last season as a reserve.

Sophomore Ben Emanuel II (6-3, 202) is expected to step in at strong safety, although he was held out of spring practice after shoulder surgery. Emanuel played in 10 games last season, intercepting two passes in the loss at Washington State.

Potential All-American Nate Fikse (5-9, 185) enters his fourth season as UCLA’s punter. He has led the Pac-10 the last two years and averaged a career-best 44.2 yards in 2001, which was eighth nationally. He had 12 punts downed inside the 20, along with a dozen that carried 50 yards or more.

The sophomore Kluwe averaged more than 46 yards per kick in becoming a prep All-American.

Fikse’s kickoffs frequently result in touchbacks, and that’s a good thing because UCLA’s coverage unit was last in the conference at 29.8 yards per return.

Likewise, the Bruins’ kick return unit was equally poor, averaging 18.4 yards -- ninth in the Pac-10. On punt returns, UCLA was last at a paltry 6.6 yards.

Bragg and Manning were sure-handed last season as returners, but hardly dangerous. Bragg’s long runs were 31 yards on kicks and 26 on punts, while Manning’s were 11 and 16.

UCLA’s group of signees featured six top-flight defensive backs.

Cornerback Jebiaus Brown (6-0, 185) of Milpitas, Calif., was rated the No. 17 defensive back by SuperPrep and No. 19 by Tom Lemming. Joe Garcia (6-1, 185) of Los Alamitos, Calif., was the country’s No. 25 cornerback according to Max Emfinger and No. 27 to PacWest Football.

Cornerback Idris Moss (5-11, 170) of Rialto, Calif., was SuperPrep’s 25th-rated defensive back and the No. 25 rated receiver in nation in Lemming’s rankings. He also played quarterback, throwing for 30 touchdowns and rushing for 17 touchdowns.

Eric McNeal (6-2, 191) of Gardena, Calif., was rated the No. 7 defensive back in nation by Lemming and made 14 interceptions over the last two seasons. Safety Jarrad Page (6-0, 200) of San Leandro, Calif., was rated the No. 17 defensive back in nation by SuperPrep. As a senior, he made 99 tackles and five interceptions. Page also rushed for 1,004 yards and 16 touchdowns on 71 carries. Safety Mike Nixon (6-2, 200) of Phoenix made 109 tackles and eight interceptions as a senior, following up on a sensational junior season when he made 146 tackles and eight interceptions.

The Bruins also signed a strong contingent of linebackers. Wesley Walker (6-2, 215) of La Puente, Calif., comes to UCLA after consecutive seasons of 100-plus tackles. SuperPrep tabbed him as the No. 11 linebacker nationally, while PrepStar labeled him the No. 2 linebacker in the West. Justin London (6-2, 232) of Roanoke, Va., was the nation’s 18th-best linebacking prospect by SuperPrep and No. 35 by Lemming. London made 236 tackles and 17 sacks during his final two prep seasons.

Don’t bother looking for an open date on UCLA’s schedule -- there isn’t one.

The Bruins play 12 consecutive Saturdays, meaning fatigue could be a larger factor than usual. That doesn’t seem conducive for a team that has become all too familiar with late-season swoons.

The non-conference schedule features only one bona fide power program -- Colorado in Week 3. Match-ups against Colorado State at home and Oklahoma State on the road are risky but winnable. The Pac-10’s rotating schedule has the Bruins missing Arizona State, which figures to be a lower-rung team.

Paus has no excuse for not making the most of his senior season. He is surrounded by the conference’s deepest offensive line, better-than-average receivers and adequate running backs. If he accepts Toledo’s challenge in a positive manner and displays some grit, it’s hard to imagine UCLA finishing last in Pac-10 passing offense again.

The defense returns enough impact players to be respectable, but the front seven will be hard-pressed to replace the charisma and leadership of guys like Thomas and Coleman. This could be a season in which seven wins and a second-tier bowl invite doesn’t seem so dour.