No Middle Ground in Rivalry : Bruins: It’s either the thrill of victory or heartache of defeat against USC, Donahue says.

Terry Donahue has participated in the UCLA-USC football series for 21 years as a player, assistant coach and head coach.

The cross-town rivalry is an integral, emotional part of his life and he summed it up Monday by saying: “There’s an unbelievable vacuum between the peaks and valleys (of the games). I can remember the games like they were yesterday and the thrill of victory and heartache of defeat are hard to describe. But there is no land in between.”

Donahue conceded that last year’s 10-10 tie with USC might have been the vacuum filler.

In most instances, though, Donahue has run the gamut of emotions in a series that began in 1929, was discontinued from 1931 until 1936 and then resumed until the present.

“The wins are the greatest of the greatest and the losses are the worst of the worst,” said Donahue of his involvement.

So the Trojans and Bruins will battle again Saturday at the Rose Bowl with only pride and city bragging rights at stake.

Washington has already clinched a berth in the Rose Bowl game.

Nonetheless, the importance of the game is not diluted in Donahue’s mind.

“There are a lot of great rivalries in the country,” Donahue said, “but there is no rivalry in the United States where two major institutions share the same city.

“That fuels the competitiveness. We also have the normal factors that go into a fierce rivalry. We also have the additional factors of everybody (alumni) going to work together, sharing the same office building, same car pool rides and going to the same parties.”

Asked what was his most satisfying win in the series, Donahue didn’t hesitate.

“It was 1980,” he said. “It was the first time.”

He was referring to his first victory over USC as a head coach after four straight losses to the Trojans.

Then, he reminisced about some of the games.

“I’ve been fighting this battle for a long time and that’s what makes it unique, too, the struggle and competition,” Donahue said.

“I still have the scar where I hit the locker after the 1977 game (USC won, 29-27, on a late field goal).”

Donahue was on the UCLA scout team in 1964 and didn’t play in the game. However, as an undersized lineman, he vividly remembers the 1965 game that UCLA won, 20-16, on Gary Beban’s late, long touchdown pass to Kurt Altenberg.

“I remember Kareem Abdul-Jabbar jumping up and down on the field, saying, ‘We’re going to the Rose Bowl, we’re going to the Rose Bowl.’ He was only a freshman at the time.”

As for the most disappointing losses, Donahue said it was difficult to single them out.

“As intense as the rivalry is, there is an element of mutual respect, or class,” Donahue said. “I never thought the rivalry was bitter as some other rivalries. I never felt that way about this game.”

His latest involvement was the 10-10 tie last year--and he had mixed emotions.

USC was a 17-point favorite and headed for the Rose Bowl. UCLA had a chance to win on the final play of the game when Alfredo Velasco’s 54-yard field goal try hit the cross bar and bounced back onto the field.

“When that ball hit the crossbar and bounced backward, it just summed up our season,” said Donahue of his team’s 3-7-1 record.

This time, a winning season hangs in the balance Saturday for UCLA with its 5-5 record.

The Bruins are coming off an emotional, 25-22 victory over Washington in Seattle.

“I think the win over Washington does two things psychologically,” Donahue said. “It alerts USC that UCLA is a decent team by beating Washington. And it certainly gives our team confidence that we beat the conference champion and that we’re capable of playing with anyone in the conference.

“One factor is to our disadvantage and the other to our advantage.

“I think it will be a great game. USC has a better record (7-2-1), but we have a chance to win if we play our best game. It’s always an exciting time for the city.”