Bruins Qb To Return, But Top Defender Out Ucla Fien At Qb, But Not So Fine At Linebacker

Terry Donahue would have settled for a good-news, bad-news report from the UCLA training room Monday.

What he got was a good-news, terrible-news update on an injury situation that has become critical.

Donahue, in his 20th year as the Bruins’ head football coach, learned his oft-injured starting quarterback, Ryan Fien, should be healthy for Saturday’s Pacific-10 Conference showdown against Washington State in Pullman.

But he also received word that Donnie Edwards, his All-American junior linebacker, will be sidelined for a month because of a compression fracture of the vertebrae suffered in Saturday’s 38-31 loss to Oregon. “He’s our best defensive player; it’s a blow,” Donahue said of Edwards’ injury.

“Injuries happen. We’re just going to have to find a way to go on (and) do well.”

Donahue said either Brian Willmer or Jeff Ruckman will start at middle linebacker in place of Edwards, who led the Bruins in nearly every defensive category as an outside linebacker last season.

Both are sophomores, but Willmer did start at middle linebacker earlier in the year before Edwards was moved inside.

“When one guy goes down, somebody else just has to step up and play,” Donahue added. “Brian Willmer and Jeff Ruckman are both real tough, hard-nosed, physical athletes. Both will play aggressively.”

In addition, it was announced that because of injuries to starter Danjuan Magee (knee) and backup Vae Tata (concussion), the Bruins might have to start a third-string defensive end against the Cougars when the teams kick it off at 12:30 p.m. at Martin Stadium.

ABC-TV will televise the game live on KXLY (channel 4) in the Spokane area. A near-capacity crowd is expected, according to WSU officials, who announced that less than 3,500 tickets remain.

Donahue, when asked how the growing injury problems might affect his 16th-ranked Bruins (2-1 and 0-1 in the Pac-10) against WSU (1-1), said, “You have only two choices, it’s quite simple. You go up and get the crap beat out of you and feel worse, or you find a way to win.

“A win would be hard, but those are our only two options.”

The Bruins came back from an early 18-point deficit to tie Oregon at 31 Saturday and missed a chance to tie or win when tailback Karim Abdul-Jabbar was stopped inches short of the goal line on the game’s final play.

Jabbar, who had been listed as questionable because of a back injury suffered against BYU a week earlier, carried 32 times for 127 yards against Oregon.

And Donahue’s offense received another big lift when backup tailback Skip Hicks returned from knee surgery to race 52 yards for a touchdown on his first carry of the season.

But the Bruins were forced to start Cade McNown, a true freshman, at quarterback.

And with Fien, a redshirt junior, pulling the trigger, Donahue hopes his offense can be even more productive than it was against the Ducks.

“I’m anticipating Ryan will be cleared this week,” Donahue said of Fien, who also suffered a mild concussion - his second of the season - against BYU two weeks ago. “I’m assuming he is going to be fine and that he’s going to play and start the game. I’d be very surprised if he isn’t.”

, DataTimes