Before Bruins Get Giddy, Michigan Is Next : UCLA: Donahue says next move is getting the running game going.

There was a sense of relief Monday at UCLA, what with the Bruins having ended a seven-game winless steak by beating Stanford and the emergence of Tommy Maddox as the quarterback.

As UCLA prepares to play Michigan Saturday at Ann Arbor, Mich., however, Coach Terry Donahue is also aware that his team must improve in other areas, especially the running game.

In two games, UCLA has rushed for only 173 yards and an average of 2.8 a carry, compared to its opponents’ 4.1 average.

A UCLA running back hasn’t gained 100 or more yards in a game since the 1988 season.

“We’ll do better in the running game because we’ll do better in the throwing game, and one feeds off another,” UCLA Coach Terry Donahue said.

“However, all the ills that plague us have not been cured by the performance of one individual player (Maddox). We still have a lot of different problems we have to work through to get where we need to be and where I want us to be.

“One of the major problems is the development of tougher, more durable running backs. I was delighted with the play of (fullback) Kevin Smith Saturday. It’s the first time since he has been at UCLA that he has contributed to a victory in any significant way.

“It was the first time we’ve talked about Kevin’s performance and not his potential.”

Starting for the first time, Smith, a junior, accounted for 75 of UCLA’s 145 yards on the ground.

“But we’ve got to get other running backs to produce for UCLA football,” Donahue said. “I understand that’s intertwined with the action of the offensive line and it’s also intertwined with the action of the quarterback.

“Still, we’ve got to get a back like Michigan has (Jon Vaughn), who zips up there for 200 yards plus (against Notre Dame). I think we’ve made a breakthrough on one front and now we have to make a breakthrough on another front.”

Donahue’s tailbacks are Kevin Williams, Brian Brown and Shawn Wills. Williams played only one down in the opening 34-14 loss to Oklahoma because of an ankle injury. He started Saturday against Stanford, but gained only 30 yards in 10 carries.

Of course, UCLA was playing catch-up against Stanford and was relying on Maddox’s passing in the second half, not the running game as the Bruins won, 32-31, in the final second.

Nonetheless, Donahue has been disturbed about the running game all along and is puzzled that his backs, as a group, haven’t been more productive.

“I still think we have players in our program who can become better running backs, and they need to,” he said.

“Our tailbacks have not been able to develop any durability, or longevity in terms of playing the position. Maybe they will.”

Donahue said that UCLA’s deviation from its standard offense to a one-back system last year was a mistake.

As for Maddox, the redshirt freshman who completed 13 of 20 passes and two touchdowns while playing in the second half against Stanford, Donahue said:

“I think with normal progress he will join the line of great quarterbacks we’ve had at UCLA. We won 10 games back to back (1987 and 1988) with Troy Aikman because time and again he got us off of the hook. Tommy will get us off the hook.

“He’s still a green player. He hasn’t experienced all the blitzes. You saw him against Oklahoma, throwing into coverage twice. Nobody was talking about him being a great player after that game.

“But he certainly wasn’t as green Saturday as I anticipated he might be. He’s growing and he’s going to get better. Is he an exciting player? You better believe it.”

Donahue has said that Maddox is an aware quarterback and he showed his awareness in the third quarter Saturday when UCLA trailed Stanford, 21-7.

On fourth and four from the Cardinal 34-yard line, Maddox threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Reggie Moore. It seemed like a daring play at the time, when the Bruins needed only short yardage for a first down to keep the drive alive.

“We had several different routes, but the major thrust was that we were going to run a (short) route for a first down,” Donahue said. “But Tommy saw an opportunity to throw a deep ball. Touchdown.

“Normally in that situation you’d say get the first down. But he’s green.”

Donahue wasn’t quarreling with the decision, though, and was smiling when he talked of Maddox’s inexperience.

Donahue said Michigan deserved a better fate against Notre Dame, losing, 28-24, even though the Wolverines had 443 yards in total offense to Notre Dame’s 399.

“Michigan is a real strong team,” he said. “They’ve got a powerful offensive line and all the offensive weapons.

“Michigan will try to punch us out of the stadium and dominate us with their running game, and obviously they have enough skill to throw (with quarterback Elvis Grbac).

“And their defensive team is reminiscent of almost every Michigan team I’ve seen, or faced. They have good athletes moving around with some superior athletes in the secondary, like Tripp Welborne.

“It’s a typical Michigan team.”