PROVO, Utah — His neighbors were season ticket-holders and Dennis Pitta never turned down an opportunity to tag along to UCLA football games at the Rose Bowl.

During those picturesque fall afternoons, Pitta would sit in the stands and wonder how it would feel to run routes on a field where so many great players had tread.

The Moorpark High graduate will finally get his chance on Saturday when his Brigham Young University football team visits No. 13 UCLA.

"It's something as a kid I dreamed about, and it's great to have that opportunity now," Pitta said. "I am definitely excited, and I can't wait to get back."

Pitta left Moorpark for BYU in 2003, but has spent the last two years serving a Mormon mission in the Dominican Republic.

The 22-year-old sophomore tight end returned to action last weekend in BYU's 20-7 victory over Arizona, and displayed few signs of rust from the layoff. Pitta had four catches for 33 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown reception.

"Physically, I felt like I did back in 2004," said the 6-foot-5, 252-pound Pitta referring to his freshman year when he led all BYU tight ends in receptions (17) and yards (176). "But I feel like I have grown up a little bit in a football sense. In 2004, it was my first season at tight end, so I was just kind of learning the ropes.

"Now, I have more of a sense of what being a tight end is all about."

Pitta played slot receiver and cornerback while at Moorpark High. He arrived as a scrawny 5-foot-7, 130-pound freshman and gradually developed into a sturdy, reliable target.

He developed his soft hands playing catch with his father in their cramped backyard at the expense of his mother's flowers. But Moorpark coach Tim Lins believes what elevated Pitta above the rest wasn't honed through repetitions.

"He had no fear whatsoever," Lins said. "He was a fearless receiver, and that is a combination you don't always get. He would go get any ball and would never give up on an play. He was able to outphysical guys and use his athleticism to make plays."

Although Pitta caught nearly every pass thrown his way for the Musketeers, he didn't catch the eye of many recruiters. Aside from Ivy League institutions, he received minimal interest from Division I programs.

"I think it was partly because he had a workmanlike junior year and didn't put up banner statistics," Lins said. "He came into his own as a senior, but unfortunately some people questioned his speed a little bit, which I thought was wrong. In my eyes, he was plenty fast enough and was definitely a scholarship player."

BYU invited Pitta to walk on in 2003 and grayshirt. After his impressive contributions as a freshman, he was given a scholarship before departing on his mission.

Although working his way back into football shape has been an arduous eight-month process, Pitta is grateful for his experience in the Dominican Republic.

"I think I really grew and matured while I was there," Pitta said. "It made me realize what is really important in life. There were people there with nothing and they are still living a very happy life. I really got a new perspective that life is not all about the material things you have and it's not all about football. It's about finding happiness in what you have."

Pitta expects to experience a few flashbacks when he jogs onto the field Saturday and sees UCLA quarterback Ben Olson standing on the other sideline.

Pitta and Olson staged several Marmonte League showdowns on the gridiron and the hardwood when Olson was a coveted senior at Thousand Oaks and Pitta was an overlooked junior at Moorpark.

They could have been teammates at BYU, but Olson decided to transfer after returning from his mission in Canada.

"I saw him a lot (in high school), and he is a great competitor," Pitta said. "He was outstanding in both basketball and football, and it's going to be a great opportunity to go against him once again."

Although Pitta grew up cheering for the Bruins from his seat in the Rose Bowl, he said he never envisioned himself wearing powder blue.

He wanted his jersey a few shades darker.

"Ultimately BYU is the place I wanted to go," he said. "So everything worked out well."