—

Getting his kicks

The UCLA Bruins are a 3 1/2-point underdog at Arizona on Thursday night, suggesting kicker Tyler Gonzalez might be needed to attempt his first field goal of the season in a tight game at Wildcat Stadium in Tucson.

And that would be fun.

Just a month ago, Gonzalez was a team manager for the UCLA soccer team, washing jerseys and running errands. But the fifth-year senior was a kicker in high school, and his former roommate — a football team staffer — persuaded him to try out after the Bruins lost two kickers to injuries.

Coach Rick Neuheisel liked what he saw, and put him on the team.

Soon, he was promoted when punter Jeff Locke struggled. Gonzalez made his first two extra-points of the season in a 28-25 win over Washington State.

"My heart was beating 1,000 times a minute," Gonzalez told the Los Angeles Times.

"But I was confident I was going to put it through."