Donahue Surpasses James
After 20 years, 98 conference victories and a five-year domination of USC, Terry Donahue believes he may finally be regarded as a good football coach.
The underdog UCLA Bruins, playing without their star running back, scored the first three times they had the ball Saturday, then held on for a 24-20 victory over the 11th-ranked Trojans.
That made Donahue the Pacific10’s all-time wins leader, moving him out of a tie with former Washington coach Don James.
“Believe it or not, I’m thrilled,” said Donahue, who has had his ups and downs during his long career at UCLA. “It finally validates me as a coach in this city. It seems I could never get validated as a coach in some people’s minds.
“This record belongs to UCLA, to people who had faith in me, worked with me, let me be the football coach. Everybody helped make it happen. It’s a team thing.”
Asked about reports that he might retire as UCLA’s coach, Donahue replied: “I think this win was worth a two- or three-year contract extension.”
More seriously, he said he would evaluate his situation after the season, as he always does.
Pulling out the stops offensively against the Rose Bowl-bound Trojans (8-2-1, 6-1-1), the Bruins (7-4, 4-4) built a 21-0 lead by early in the second quarter.
Split end Jim McElroy keyed the Bruins’ second touchdown with a 59-yard reception, then threw a 35-yard TD pass off a reverse on a play put in just for the game.
The Bruins stayed in the running for a bowl berth, and their five straight wins over their crosstown rivals is the most by either team in the 65-game series.
John Robinson said when he returned as the USC coach three years ago that he would lead the Trojans back to the Rose Bowl and to victories over Notre Dame and UCLA. He’s 0-2-1 against Notre Dame and 0-3 against the Bruins in his second stint at USC.
The Bruins were without the na tion’s eighth-ranked rusher, Karim Abdul-Jabbar, who was sidelined by a sprained ankle. Converted flanker Derek Ayers helped fill in by gaining 69 yards on 18 carries, and James Milliner carried 13 times for 74 yards.
UCLA 24, USC 20
UCLA 14 7 0 3 - 24
USC 0 7 0 13 - 20
UCLAMilliner 1 run (Merten kick) UCLACaldwell 1 run (Merten kick) UCLAJordan 35 pass from McElroy (Merten kick) USCMcWilliams 5 pass from Otton (Abrams kick) USCWashington 2 run (Abrams kick) UCLAFG Andrasick 38 USCCashman 1 pass from Otton (pass failed)
A-91,363.
UCLA USC First downs 18 22 Rushes-yards 48-211 43-175 Passing 166 187 Return Yards 8 68 Comp-Att-Int 9-18-2 22-32-0 Punts 2-55 3-44 Fumbles-Lost 1-0 4-2 Penalties-Yards 2-10 5-40 Time of Possession 27:12 32:48
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHINGUCLA, Milliner 13-74, Ayers 18-69, McNown 7-36, Davis 5-19, McElroy 1-13, Caldwell 4-6. USC, Washington 30-152, Sermons 9-35, Johnson 1-2, Otton 3-(minus 14).
PASSINGUCLA, McNown 8-17-2-131, McElroy 1-1-0-35. USC, Wachholtz 5-9-0-36, Otton 17-23-0-151.
RECEIVINGUCLA, McElroy 2-68, Ayers player 2-18, Caldwell 2-18, Jordan 1-35, Grieb 1-14, Melsby 1-13. USC, Johnson 12-116, C.Miller 3-22, Parker 2-18, Barnum 2-13, Cashman 2-13, McWilliams 1-5.