Go ahead, forget about Cory Paus.
Forget that he’s a four-year starter. Forget that he is second on UCLA’s all-time passing yards list, ahead of Troy Aikman.
Forget about his career-best 378 yards passing in UCLA’s win over Oregon State in Corvallis last week.
Forget that Paus hid a drunken-driving conviction, his second in two years, from UCLA coaches late last season and was demoted to third string.
Just forget it all. He has.
“I’ve taken care of my business,” Paus told The Associated Press earlier this season. “I’ll always feel horrible about what I put people through. Before I got in trouble, when I was younger, I had some great games, showed some signs of greatness.
“I’m just excited to have the opportunity to make Bruin fans proud to be Bruin fans.”
In a highly publicized affair, Paus did not tell head coach Bob Toledo about a misdemeanor DUI conviction last year. When the coach found out about the incident, he demoted Paus just two days before the November rivalry match against USC.
“I know that when (the story) did come out, I felt better,” Paus told The Seattle Times. “Even though my name was all over ESPN and all over every newspaper, and I looked like a complete fool, I felt better about myself.”
After serving four days in jail and doing community service in the offseason, Paus has entered his fifth year with the Bruins a new man. He has a pass efficiency rating of 145 — which ranks him No. 25 in the country — and has 1,202 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions.
Most importantly for the Bruins, the team is 4-1 and ranked No. 25 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll.
“A lot of people don’t think he’s as good as he is until they play him,” Toledo said. “Then when you look at the stats and realize he’s the second-leading passer in the history of UCLA, that speaks volumes about his ability.
“He’s really matured.”
And his maturation couldn’t have come at a better time for Toledo and the Bruins.
For one, Toledo, much like his quarterback, has been under considerable scrutiny this season. And a quality year from Paus could save the coach’s job.
With Pacific-10 Conference play under way, Paus has taken his play to another level. Against the Beavers last week, he led the Bruins out of a 14-0 first-quarter deficit to score 29 unanswered points in a 43-35 win. He threw one touchdown pass and was not intercepted against Oregon State.
“I’ve been talking a little bit of the talk, and I don’t think there’s too much I can hear negative about this week,” Paus said after the game. “It’s one more week that’s going to be easier to sleep.”
Against the Ducks, Paus has traditionally played well. Last season at the Rose Bowl, he threw for 321 yards but had two interceptions in a 21-20 loss.
In 1999, Paus threw for 332 yards, then a career high, and two touchdowns in a 34-29 UCLA
victory at the Rose Bowl.
Forget all that, though. After an up-and-down career, Paus’ only concern is what he can do Saturday.
“It doesn’t matter if you believe me,” Paus said earlier this season. “It only matters what I think of myself.”