COLLEGE FOOTBALL : THE BOWLS: 1986 : Green Gets Good Jump on Next Year : Campaign for 1987 Heisman Trophy Already in Motion

The Freedom Bowl will never be mistaken for the Rose Bowl, and the year of BYU’s national championship was 1984, not 1986. But 266 rushing yards, anywhere, against anybody, are 266 rushing yards--and Gaston Green’s numbers in Freedom III Tuesday night were enough to set the heavy machinery at UCLA in motion.

Yes, the Greening of the Heisman Trophy has begun.

“He will definitely be a candidate in ‘87, one of the real favorites,” UCLA Coach Terry Donahue said. “I’m real excited about it. I say, it’s about time.”

And Green, the most valuable player in UCLA’s 31-10 victory over Brigham Young University, says it’s a great idea. In the aftermath of his multi-record-breaking evening in Anaheim, Green spent more time discussing Heisman ’87 than any of the four touchdowns for which he accounted--which, for the record, came three by land and one by air.

“This was a good game to start the campaign,” Green said. “Yeah, I think about the Heisman all the time. I’m looking forward to next year. I hope to have a chance.”

Green already has the competition pegged.

“Bobby Humphrey of Alabama,” he said, referring to the exceptional sophomore halfback. “He’s the only person I can think of at the running back position.”

And he knows about the odds of winning a Heisman at the other school in Los Angeles, the one that didn’t parade out tailbacks named Mike Garrett, O.J. Simpson, Charles White and Marcus Allen.

“That’s starting to change,” he said. “If you’re a good running back, you don’t have to go to a school that builds up its tailbacks.”

OK, so there it is. Moments after the final gun to UCLA’s 1986 season--and eight months before the opening kickoff for 1987--the ceremonial first hype for Gaston Alfred Green has been thrown out.

Prepare to read these statistics over and over in the days ahead:

--266 yards and 3 touchdowns in 33 Freedom Bowl carries. One run covered 79 yards, a Freedom record. The 266 yards are 8 shy of the UCLA single-game record (274 by Theotis Brown in 1978).

--1,405 yards rushing in 1986, the most by a Bruin in one season.

--17 touchdowns in 1986, the most by a Bruin in one season.

It will also be noted that Green, a 5-foot 10 1/2-inch, 190-pound junior, rolled up such a night against a BYU defense that entered the Freedom Bowl with the nation’s sixth-ranked rushing defense. The Cougars were giving up an average of 88.8 yards a game before they ran into--and were run over--by Green.

After 15 minutes, Green was closing in on that mark. In the first quarter, Green rushed for 70 yards in 12 carries.

“That really surprised me,” Green admitted. “BYU was No. 6 in the country stopping the run and the last time we played them (1985), they held me to 55 yards. They have those big guys on the line, Jason Buck and Shawn Knight.”

Buck happens to be the 1986 winner of college football’s second-most prestigious award, the Outland Trophy. But Green ran by him time and again.

Green scored on short bursts of one and three yards--and then on an all-burners-on sprint down the left sideline for 79 yards. But the capper came with less than two minutes left, when Green took a handoff from Matt Stevens, pulled up and hit flanker Karl Dorrell in the end zone for a 13-yard score.

Green for Heisman? How about Green for quarterback?

There are those around UCLA who might like the idea.

“That was the first pass I threw since high school,” Green said with a laugh. “We’ve been practicing it all year, but they’d never let us try it in a game.”

Green was asked for a critique of pass.

“I just kinda threw it up there,” he said, still grinning. “Karl made a real outstanding catch.”

Green called it “a real enjoyable Freedom Bowl.” He spoke again about what it might mean for Heisman ’87.

“I don’t know if it gives me a head start, but maybe some people will take notice,” he said.

And what will it take to get those people to vote for Gaston Green?

“More games like this,” he said.

Yep. That might do it.