Getting Things Back to Normal in Norman : Oklahoma: UCLA’s opponent, in second year of its three-year probation, is taking a low-key approach these days.

Terry Donahue says he doesn’t care to reflect on UCLA’s only previous meeting with Oklahoma. The Bruins opened the 1986 season at Norman, Okla., and were routed, 38-3.

“It was a lopsided contest,” the UCLA coach said. “I’m not sure, (but) the score could have been considerably worse had Oklahoma wished it to be.

“That game hurt our team for three to four weeks. We had a number of serious injuries. It wasn’t just that we lost the game, we also lost a lot of good players for considerable amounts of time.”

Not only were the Bruins bruised on the field, they were also ridiculed after the game by Brian Bosworth, Oklahoma’s outspoken All-American linebacker. While holding court in the locker room, Bosworth said: “Last year, we opened with a semi-doormat (Minnesota), and this year, we opened with a legitimate doormat.”

Then he went on to demean the color of UCLA’s jerseys and its offensive concept. “I wouldn’t wear pastel blue. I’d transfer,” he said. “As for their finesse offense, that’s girls’ football.”

Bosworth is out of football after a short, undistinguished pro career with the Seattle Seahawks. His remarks linger, though, and might be revived by UCLA coaches as an added incentive, if any is needed, for Saturday’s game against the Sooners at the Rose Bowl.

Much has changed at Norman since the Boz was swaggering there with his Mohawk haircut and shoot-from-the hip remarks. Oklahoma is trying to maintain a low profile. The Sooners are in the second year of a three-year NCAA probation, allowing them to be on television this season, but not play in a bowl game.

The probation, however, is not the darkest cloud hanging over the school’s football program. Oklahoma is still trying to live down its unsavory past under former coach Barry Switzer, when it made more news off the field than on. Consider:

--There’s the haunting picture of handcuffed Oklahoma quarterback Charles Thompson on the cover of Sports Illustrated in February of 1989. He was arrested and later jailed for selling cocaine.

--Two Oklahoma players, Bernard Hall and Nigel Clay, were sentenced to prison for raping an Oklahoma City woman.

--In another incident, lineman Zarak Peters was shot by a teammate, Jerry Parks, in the apparently unsupervised, out-of-control athletic dormitory, Bud (Wilkinson) Hall.

And there were other excesses in the winter of 1989 as detailed by Thompson in the current issue of Penthouse magazine.

In an excerpt from his book, “Down and Dirty: the Life and Crimes of Oklahoma Football,” Thompson tells of players with guns in their rooms and says drug dealing was a common practice in Bud Hall.

This comes at a time when Oklahoma Coach Gary Gibbs, Switzer’s successor, and his players are quietly trying to alter the image of the football program.

Thompson, in his book, doesn’t spare anyone, saying: “ . . . Bud Hall was a 24-hour revolving door of girls, students and strangers. Nobody checked on us--in fact, none of the players thought it necessary to hide their guns. They hid their alcohol and drugs only because they didn’t want them stolen.”

Gibbs, who had a 7-4 record last season with a team beset by injuries, is trying to restore some stability and respectability.

Asked how probation has affected his job as coach, Gibbs said: “Obviously, the probation (no bowl games, no TV last season) takes away away from your program. We were fortunate, though, to have a good recruiting class last year.

“There are still a lot of questions, such as the lack of numbers due in some extent to probation. We have 80 players on scholarship, and the NCAA allows 95. Our numbers are a major concern and will be for a couple of years because of the probation.”

As part of the NCAA sanctions, Oklahoma was deprived of seven scholarships in 1989 and ’90.

Nonetheless, Oklahoma has improved defensively, especially the linebacking corps of Joe Bowden and Chris Wilson in the 5-2-4 alignment.

Scott Evans, a defensive tackle, was an all-Big Eight selection last year, and the secondary has been upgraded with some junior college transfers, notably cornerback Darnell Walker of Coffeyville, Kan.

Quarterback Steve Collins, who missed five games and part of another in 1989 because of a broken finger, operates out of Oklahoma’s option I offense. The traditional wishbone offense was discarded last year in favor of a more balanced attack.

Gibbs said the Sooners will throw more this year, perhaps 10 to 15 times a game. Collins, who was recruited as a wishbone quarterback, has a strong arm, but not necessarily an accurate one. He completed 36.7% of his passes last season.

Freshman Cale Gundy, a fine passer and a highly regarded high school player from Midwest City, Okla., could be the starter before the season ends.

Gibbs lost his best running back, Mike Gaddis, who suffered a knee injury last year and isn’t expected to play this season. Dewell Brewer is regarded as a dependable tailback with average speed. Ike Lewis has more speed but is bothered by a hamstring injury.

Split end Arthur Guess is the only proven wide receiver, and the offensive line is merely adequate, without much depth.

Bruin Notes

UCLA will operate a free shuttle service from the Parsons Engineering building, located at Fair Oaks and Walnut in Pasadena, to the Rose Bowl. The shuttle buses have an unobstructed route to and from the stadium. Shuttle service begins two hours before kickoff, and return service begins at the start of the third quarter, continuing until everyone has been returned.