Bruins Facing a Major Road Test at Tucson

If tailback Shawn Wills hadn’t fumbled late in the fourth quarter last month, opening the way for Michigan to overcome an eight-point deficit in the last 95 seconds of a 24-23 victory at the Rose Bowl, UCLA would be 4-1 and probably ranked among the nation’s top 10.

The Bruins, however, might also be complacent, Coach Terry Donahue said.

In other words, they wouldn’t still be trying to prove themselves as they prepare to play Arizona today in a regionally televised Pacific 10 Conference game at Arizona Stadium.

So, at this point in the season, Donahue seems almost grateful that Wills dropped the ball.

Silver linings, obviously, can be found anywhere you look. So can motivational tools.

Donahue believes that UCLA may need a psychological edge against a team that is only 3-2, but is 3-0 at home, including a 6-3 victory last month over 15th-ranked Oklahoma.

Arizona, 2-1 in the conference, faces elimination from the Rose Bowl race. The Wildcats have had two weeks to prepare for the Bruins, who are 3-2 overall.

“This will be a big-time test for our team,” said Donahue, whose Bruins played four of their first five games at the Rose Bowl, venturing out of the Arroyo Seco only for a come-from-behind 28-25 victory over San Diego State. “We’ll find out how we handle pressure and how we handle (hostile) crowds and how we handle a good team.”

In the first five weeks of the season, UCLA handled one good team, shutting down Michigan before giving the game away, and was manhandled by another, losing to Tennessee, 24-6.

The Bruins are 2-0 in the Pac-10, tied with USC for the conference lead, but their victories were over California and Arizona State, neither of which is expected to figure in the Rose Bowl race.

Arizona, coached by former UCLA assistant Dick Tomey, has the Pac-10’s third-best record for the last five seasons, but that’s a lot like finishing as an also-ran in a beauty contest.

Who remembers?

Since beating UCLA on Nov. 12, 1983, the Wildcats are 25-6-3 against the rest of the Pac-10 but 0-8 against the Bruins and Trojans.

“Obviously, if you want to do well in this league, you’ve got to beat one or both of the Los Angeles schools, and we haven’t gotten that done,” Tomey said.

They might do that today.

Much depends on their offense, which has struggled behind quarterback Ronald Veal, who has completed only 39.1% of his passes and ranks 10th in the Pac-10 in passing efficiency.

Arizona has generated only 246.6 yards a game, ranks last in the Pac-10 in passing offense and total offense and has scored as many as two touchdowns in a game only twice.

The Wildcats rank second in the conference in rushing offense, but today they’ll be up against a defense that, since Tennessee ran through it for 247 yards, has allowed only 90.7 yards a game on the ground and only 2.9 yards a carry, not including a 73-yard run out of punt formation by San Diego State’s John Wesselman.

Tomey, citing the quality of the opposition, said the Wildcats’ offensive statistics are misleading.

“The Oklahoma game was a knock-down, drag-out defensive battle,” he said.

Still, Tomey admitted: “We’re very concerned because we have not moved the ball well enough, with the exception of maybe the Stanford and Washington games, to beat a good team.

“If we can’t move the ball a ton better, we don’t have much of an opportunity (to beat) UCLA.”

Defensively, Arizona ranks fourth in the conference and has given up only 63 points in five games. Only USC, among Pac-10 teams, has given up fewer points.

Texas Tech, however, ran for 367 yards in a 24-14 victory over Arizona.

But, coming off a bye, the Wildcats will be more formidable than usual, Donahue said.

“Defense is recognition and reaction, and they’ve had two weeks to look at our offense and get ready for our plays and react to our blocking schemes,” Donahue said.

They have also had two weeks to stew over a 16-10 loss to Oregon, which left them in a must-win situation today. Veal completed only three of 16 passes for 24 yards against the Ducks, and the Wildcats were limited to 161 total yards.

“You’re only as good as your last game, which doesn’t make us very good,” Tomey said.

A victory over UCLA, of course, would greatly alter his assessment.

Bruin Notes

Bruin defensive tackle Bryan Wilcox will miss his third consecutive game after suffering a concussion last month against Michigan. . . . Strong safety Matt Darby, who pinched a nerve in his neck two weeks ago, and cornerback Randy Beverly, who broke a toe last month, are listed as doubtful, but both made the trip.

Linebacker Meech Shaw, who pinched a nerve in his neck this week in practice, did not make the trip and will be replaced in the starting lineup by Stacy Argo. . . . UCLA, which is 6-2-1 against Arizona since the Wildcats joined the Pac-10 in 1978, is a slight favorite.