Surprisingly, UCLA Finds Itself Alone in First Place in Pac-10 : College football: Bruins discover a long-lost running game in Saturday’s 30-20 victory over Washington State.

UCLA was ripped by Oklahoma, 34-14; mauled by Michigan, 38-15, and barely beat Stanford, 32-31.

No matter. The Bruins are all alone in first place in the Pacific 10 Conference with a 2-0 record after their 30-20 victory over Washington State Saturday night in Pullman, Wash.

UCLA Coach Terry Donahue was asked about his team’s lofty position. “It beats the alternative,” he said. “I love it.

“This team has shown early in the season that it doesn’t quit. It’s not the most talented team by a longshot and we’re in the developmental stages of trying to get good.”

The Bruins were good enough to rally from a 20-13 deficit after three quarters to score 17 points in the final quarter against Washington State. UCLA’s defense was so dominant in the second half that Washington State managed only two first downs.

UCLA also rediscovered a running game that had been missing for more than a year.

Tailback Brian Brown gained 125 of UCLA’s 158-yard total in 37 carries. UCLA had averaged only 72.3 yards rushing in three previous games.

Brown, a senior tailback who stands only 5 feet 10 and weighs 186 pounds, had to ask reporters how many times he carried the ball. When told, he said:

“I feel now (physically) that I carried 37 times. I never carried that many times before.”

Anthony Edgar, in a 1979 game against Wisconsin, and Gaston Green, playing against Arizona in 1987, hold the school record for most rushing attempts in a game with 39.

It was the first time a UCLA running back had gained 100 or more yards in a game since Shawn Wills rushed for 120 yards in the 1989 Cotton Bowl against Arkansas.

“I’m happy for him (Brown) and pleased for us. It was such a long drought,” Donahue said. “Brian ran tough and we blocked for him. I felt we matched up good with Washington State physically. They are more like we are quite frankly.”

Quarterback Tommy Maddox threw an interception that was returned 72 yards for a touchdown by free safety John Diggs in the second quarter. But he kept his composure and completed 15 of 28 passes for 273 yards and one touchdown. His 19-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Sean LaChapelle in the corner of the end zone in the fourth quarter was perfectly timed. It was just beyond the reach of Washington State strong safety Alvin Dunn.

The touchdown gave UCLA a 23-20 lead and the scoring drive was sustained by a nifty, 11-yard scramble on third and 10 by Maddox.

“Maddox responded extremely well after that interception,” Donahue said. “It was a real blow. We were dominating the game until that play and then it was 17-7.”

Maddox believed that UCLA benefited to some extent by losing to Oklahoma and Michigan.

“We’re not going to play against a stronger, more physical defense than Oklahoma and Michigan,” he said. “I think it’s going to help us in the long run.”

As for being in first place in the Pac-10, Maddox said: “We kept our eyes on what we had to do. Everybody looked at the Michigan and Oklahoma losses and said, ‘Here they go again.’ But we kept our heads.”

Donahue was asked what he told his team at halftime while trailing, 17-10. “I just told the team we weren’t going home without a win,” he said. “We came here to win and we just couldn’t get on the plane without it.”

UCLA Notes

UCLA used three outside linebackers, previously injured Rocen Keeton, Arnold Ale and Roman Phifer, to offset WSU’s one-back, three wide receiver formation. “They force you to spread out and we felt we needed our three, best linebackers in the game, even though they’re outside linebackers,” said defensive coordinator Bob Field. Said Ale: “We needed to prove we (the defense) weren’t soft. The things that were written about our defense inspired us.”

Terry Donahue noted that UCLA went from last in the Pac-10 in punt return yardage, a minus two yards, to a plus 62 yards against WSU, a figure bolstered by Scott Miller’s 47-yard return to set up a touchdown in the first quarter. . . . UCLA will play Arizona Saturday at the Rose Bowl. The previously unbeaten Wildcats were upset by California, 30-25, Saturday in Tucson. . . . WSU Coach Mike Price on his team’s performance: “We played lousy on offense. We couldn’t block them off the ball.”