Donahue: It’s Still Early in the Race : UCLA: There is a lot of football to be played, the coach says. This week’s results will tell more.

Midway through the Pacific 10 Conference football season, five teams have been virtually eliminated from championship contention.

With two defeats, Arizona, Oregon, Arizona State, Stanford and Washington State can only hope to play in a bowl game other than the Rose Bowl.

Still alive are Washington, the only unbeaten team at 3-0; UCLA, California and USC, all with 2-1 records, and, if you can believe it, Oregon State at 1-1.

The list of contenders could be pared to three teams this weekend, depending on the outcomes of UCLA’s game against Cal Saturday at Berkeley, and the USC-Arizona and Oregon State-Washington State games.

“If you subscribe to the theory that two losses is the kiss of death, then it’s an elimination tournament,” UCLA Coach Terry Donahue said Monday. “I don’t know, though, that this year that will necessarily be the case.

“The conference is awful tough from top to bottom and hard to read. There’s a lot of football left in five weeks. A lot of people want to predetermine the championship early. But a lot of things can happen.”

The rest of the Bruins’ schedule is demanding, but also presents opportunities--games against California, Oregon State, Oregon, Washington and USC.

Asked to evaluate his team, which is 3-3 overall at the midway point of the season, Donahue said:

“I wish this was the beginning of the year. And what I mean by that is that we know more about our team. The quarterback position is established (with Tommy Maddox), (fullback) Kevin Smith has emerged, (tailback) Brian Brown has come on and (flanker) Scott Miller is back in the lineup.

“I think we’re in a developmental process. We have some powerful people who can impact a game, and then we have some other personnel deficiencies that makes us vulnerable.

“I don’t think we’re a great team by any stretch of the imagination, or a bad team. I think were kind of in the middle.”

UCLA’s offense is flourishing, averaging 26.2 points a game. But the defense has given up an average of 30.3 points.

“I don’t think our defense is as bad as it appears statistically when we’re healthy,” Donahue said. “Unfortunately, our defensive team is very thin and, when we lose a starting player, it’s just has an unbelievable rippling impact on us. We can’t replace players like we once could.”

Defensive lineman Siitupe Tuala is the latest addition to the Bruin injury list. He suffered torn ligaments in his right knee on the last play of the game against San Diego State Saturday night and is lost for the season. Surgery is pending.

Linebacker Roman Phifer has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury. Linebacker Rocen Keeton missed the first three games after having had arthroscopic knee surgery.

Others who have been inactive for one to three games with injuries are defensive tackle Brian Kelly, safety Matt Darby, defensive end Mike Chalenski, and cornerbacks Dion Lambert, Michael Williams and Damion Lyons.

UCLA center Lance Zeno was unable to play against San Diego State because of sprained ligaments in his foot. His backup, John Zilinskas, injured his ankle in the game and may be inactive for several weeks. Aron Gideon, a walk-on, finished the game at center.

California is 4-2 overall, having won its past three games.

Donahue said the big difference in the Bears from others years is their running game. Cal hasn’t had an outstanding running back since Chuck Muncie in the mid-1970s.

Now the Bears apparently have accomplished players in tailbacks Anthony Wallace and Russell White. Wallace is averaging 4.7 yards a carry, White is at 5.2 and has scored 10 touchdowns, seven rushing.

“White is extremely fast for a big running back (6 feet, 200 pounds),” Donahue said of the former Encino Crespi High star. “He breaks a lot of tackles and makes people miss him. Wallace is also a fine player in his own right.”