Donahue Would Sooner Forget ’86 Loss to Oklahoma

Yes, UCLA Coach Terry Donahue remembers the game his team played against Oklahoma four years ago. No, he doesn’t enjoy the memories.

Coming off a national championship season, the Sooners demolished the Bruins, 38-3, at Norman, Okla., in the first game of the 1986 season for both teams. It was also the first game between the schools.

“That was a very lopsided contest, and I’m really not sure the score could have been worse had Oklahoma chosen to make it worse,” Donahue recalled Tuesday at his first weekly meeting with reporters. “That game hurt our football team for three or four weeks; we had a lot of injuries.”

The teams will meet for the second time Saturday at the Rose Bowl in the first game for both this season.

“This is 1990, different teams and different coaching staffs,” Donahue said. “I certainly hope there will be a different outcome. That game (in 1986) was not one I reflect back on with any pleasant memories. I’m not going to talk about it again.”

Both the Bruins and Sooners are coming off uncharacteristic seasons, although as Donahue said: “They were off the mark a little bit; we were off the mark a lot.”

That’s putting it pretty accurately. Under first-year head coach Gary Gibbs, Oklahoma went 7-4 last season after going 42-6 the previous four years.

Meanwhile, UCLA had a 3-7-1 record in Donahue’s 14th season as the Bruins’ head coach.

In Donahue’s first 13 seasons, the Bruins were 108-38-7 and won an NCAA-record seven straight bowl games.

“I don’t think there’s any question we’re going to be a better team this year,” Donahue said. “There’s no doubt in my mind.”

UCLA and Oklahoma enter the season with one thing in common--they are the only members of the preseason Top 25 that were not ranked at the end of the 1989 season. The Bruins are ranked 19th and the Sooners 23rd.

Donahue responded with a frown to the first question asked of him Tuesday. It concerned the team’s physical well-being.

“I don’t want to elaborate much on the injury report,” he said. “Suffice it to say I expect our football team to be a lot healthier four weeks from today than we are today.”

At least four key Bruins--wide receiver Scott Miller, linebacker Rocen Keeton, cornerback Al Jordan and tight end Corwin Anthony--definitely will not play against Oklahoma because of injuries.

Among other players who might not go are starting tailback Kevin Williams, who has a sprained ankle, and starting safety Eric Turner, who has an injured toe.