For Openers, Winning Can Be Long-Term Investment

Volunteer manslaughter. That’s what Tennessee could have been charged with after Saturday night’s 24-6 brutal mugging of UCLA at the Rose Bowl. Our topic on today’s Donahue show, we regret to inform you, is going to be Bruin abuse.

Well, it’s only one game. One weak week isn’t going to kill anybody. Terry Donahue will take a look at the films, point out all the missed tackles, point out all the missed assignments, then throw the film into an incinerator and threaten to do likewise to the first player who tells anybody what an easy time UCLA is going to have this Saturday at San Diego State.

“Tennessee just gave us a beating, “ Donahue said.

At least this should teach UCLA to be more careful in scheduling opponents for future season openers--a lesson USC also must learn, by the way. Westwood’s big hunks piled up 59 points in last year’s opener and were still averaging 52 a game three weeks into the season. That even included a scrap against mean old Nebraska.

Somebody might like to call Dial-a-Patsy and reschedule the 1990 opener.

Know who UCLA opens with next season?

Oklahoma, that’s who.

Oklahoma scored 73 points in this year’s opener, because Oklahoma really knows how to kick off a college football season--find some convenient victims and kick ‘em right between the goal posts. (Sadly, Oklahoma’s football players also have been known to do this sort of thing off the field.)

Nebraska knows football, too. Nebraska knows that any say-so you have over your schedule, say so! Say you’ll play Northern Illinois. Say you’ll play Utah State. Place your orders years in advance. Schedule Rhode Island Baptist, Columbia Broadcasting School, Bunker Hill Military Academy, Jenny Craig Diet Center, anybody you think you can whip. Nebraska this season has some of the easiest opponents since Great Britain vs. Argentina for the Falkland Islands.

UCLA and USC should pick on somebody not their size. Stop scheduling Tennessee or Illinois. Schedule some nerdy, dweeby little school that doesn’t mind taking a licking for a nice slice of the gate. Sure, everybody will make fun of your schedule--everybody but your student body. The student body loves being 1-0.

Too bad these arrangements need to be made so far in advance. UCLA already knows who its season-opening opponent will be in 1991 (Brigham Young), 1992 (Cal State Long Beach), even 1997, for that matter (Texas).

The 1996 opener, you’ll be unhappy to know, is against Tennessee.

There’s still a “TBA” (To Be Announced) listed as the first opponent for 1994. We suggest either Slippery Rock, Philadelphia Textile or Northern Methodist. Maybe somebody under the death penalty.

OK, so we’re kidding. We applaud UCLA for tangling with a team as fine as Tennessee’s. There is no reason the Bruins can’t put this experience to good use and spring back to have a good season. Let’s talk some coach talk here: Men, you can benefit from this. Anything that doesn’t kill you can only make you stronger.

The fact that both UCLA and USC dropped their season openers should not be all that amazing. When you start a freshman at quarterback, and toss him right off the get-go at a quality opponent, you should not expect miracles. You shouldn’t even bet the spread.

UCLA’s Bret Johnson didn’t disgrace himself at all Saturday, nor did USC’s Todd Marinovich five days before. Both of these guys will distinguish themselves before much longer. Troy Aikman and Rodney Peete had to start somewhere, remember. Johnson actually looked pretty smooth out there.

What hurt UCLA, unlike USC in its season opener, was falling so far behind. Asking a freshman quarterback to preserve a 13-0 lead--as was the case with Marinovich vs. Illinois--was one thing, but asking him to rally you after spotting the other team 24 points, forget it. The Bruin offense couldn’t hack that.

Johnson and UCLA’s backup quarterback--Bonds . . . Jim Bonds--still have to get the feel of big-college football. You can sparkle in all the scrimmages you want. The game is the real thing. Tennessee’s guys came to play, same as UCLA’s guys did. They didn’t travel all this way to see Universal Studios.

“We were glad we already had a game under our belt before playing UCLA,” said Volunteer Coach Johnny Majors. “Good football teams have to improve from week to week.”

UCLA will, because it must.