UCLA’s Horses Have Been Slow Out of the Gate

Last summer, a national magazine described UCLA’s trio of tailbacks as “the nation’s finest stable of running backs.”

Through four games, they’ve hardly lived up to the billing:

--Junior Brian Brown, who has started all four games, is averaging 52.5 yards a game, three yards a carry.

--Shawn Wills, who averaged 6.6 yards a carry as a freshman last season, is averaging 48 yards a game, four yards a carry.

--Redshirt freshman Kevin Williams, who took longer than anticipated to learn the offense and played only sparingly until the second half last week against California, is averaging 17 yards a game, 3.2 yards a carry.

With four returning starters in the offensive line, that’s not quite the type of production that Coach Terry Donahue expected.

Far from it.

With Bret Johnson, a redshirt freshman, at quarterback, Donahue hoped to rely almost exclusively on his tailbacks as Johnson felt his way.

“I did not anticipate that we’d have this much trouble running the ball,” Donahue said. “I didn’t think that we would put our quarterback in the position of being such a featured performer.

“I thought we would bring our quarterback along slower. I thought that we would try to highlight our tailbacks and our offensive line, but that hasn’t happened. Our quarterback has become a featured performer.”

Indeed, Johnson has exceeded expectations, exhibiting unanticipated poise and composure while completing 63.6% of his passes for 821 yards and seven touchdowns. He ranks 15th in the nation in passing efficiency.

But what has happened to the Bruins’ running attack?

Last season, tailbacks Brown, Wills and Eric Ball averaged 151.3 yards a game and 5.2 yards a carry.

Brown, Wills and Williams are averaging 117.5 and 3.4.

Could it be that UCLA’s offensive line is not all that it’s cracked up to be, despite its experience?

Donahue said he is contemplating changes in the offensive line, but a lack of depth at those positions may limit such moves.

In assessing last Saturday’s 24-6 victory over California, Donahue said that, among the Bruins’ starting offensive linemen, only tackle Bill Paige and guard Lance Zeno played up to their capabilities. Center Frank Cornish was ejected in the second quarter.

Fullback Mark Estwick, used primarily as a blocker in the UCLA offense, also is off to a slow start, Donahue said. He has not played as well as he did last season, when the walk-on from La Canada earned a starting position.

Donahue also is studying the design of the running attack and evaluating the emphasis and attention paid to it in practice.

“I don’t think most problems are one-dimensional,” he said, apparently meaning that the offensive line isn’t entirely at fault for UCLA’s lack of success on the ground. “I think most are multidimensional.”

Some may be caused by the opposition. Opponents are spreading their defenders against the Bruins, in a sense daring UCLA to beat them up the middle or through the air, Donahue said.

“Defenses are playing us very wide so that Bret Johnson can’t get outside and our tailbacks can’t get outside,” he said. “Defenses in general are playing the type of gap-control that makes it more difficult to run.”

Donahue and the Bruins, however, will continue to try.

“We have to be a more effective running team,” he said.

Donahue said that his most pleasant surprise this season has been the punting of Kirk Maggio, who is averaging 44.1 yards a kick.

“He’s done very well and I did not anticipate that he would,” Donahue said of the senior from Glen Arm, Md. “He did not do well in spring practice. He had me gravely concerned about our punting game.”

Why the improvement?

“I don’t know what the difference is, other than I think he thought I was going to strangle him,” Donahue said.

Bruin Notes

After Saturday night’s game at the Rose Bowl against Arizona State, UCLA will play four of its last six games away from home, including the season finale against USC Nov. 18 at the Coliseum. . . . One offensive lineman who earned high marks from Terry Donahue was backup center Aron Gideon, a walk-on redshirt freshman from La Puente Bishop Amat High. He filled in for Frank Cornish last Saturday against California after Cornish was ejected.

Freshman tailback Kevin Williams, in his first extended playing time, ran for 55 yards in 14 carries against Cal. “I’d say in the last 10 days, Kevin Williams has shown some real progress and is starting to bloom a little bit,” Donahue said. “I’m encouraged by his play. I think he’s getting better. He got better as his opportunities increased.” Williams ran for 53 yards in 11 carries in UCLA’s last possession of a 24-6 victory.

Freshman Meech Shaw “has the potential to become our best linebacker,” Donahue said. Shaw suffered a deep leg bruise against Cal, but at first doctors feared that he had broken his leg, Donahue said. . . . Brian Brown is suffering from deep thigh bruises and will not practice for a few days. Donahue said that Shawn Wills may start at tailback against Arizona State, which is 3-1 and is the only team in the Pacific 10 Conference that has yet to play a conference game.

Arizona State and USC are the only Pac-10 teams that will play only seven conference games this season, which gives those teams “a distinct advantage,” Donahue said. “If you go out there eight times, you’ve got one more chance to lose than if you go out there seven times.” Starting in 1991, all Pac-10 teams will be required to play eight conference games.