Williams’ Big Game Doesn’t Get Him Job : UCLA: Despite rushing for 132 yards against BYU, the Bruin junior will still be part of a rotation. At least for now.

Even though Kevin Williams gained a career-high 132 yards against Brigham Young on Saturday night, UCLA Coach Terry Donahue said Monday that he will continue rotating his running backs.

“We’re not going to promote someone on the basis of one game,” Donahue said. “It’s not advisable to do that.”

Williams, a junior, has been bothered by injuries during his UCLA career, and at the start of fall practice, Donahue characterized him as a player simply trying to make the team.

A former sprinter on the track team, Williams was injury free in practice this fall, worked hard and earned playing time in UCLA’s season-opening, 27-23 victory over BYU at the Rose Bowl.

But for now, it will be running back by committee when UCLA plays Tennessee Saturday at Knoxville, Tenn. Ricky Davis, Shawn Wills and Williams are the tailbacks, with Kevin Smith, Kaleaph Carter and Wills running at fullback.

“Kevin Williams got more playing time than we anticipated Saturday night because, at halftime, he had seven carries for 61 yards, while Ricky Davis had four carries for 17 yards,” Donahue said. “There was disparity there. So we said let’s give (Williams) the ball a few more times and see what happens. It turned out good. He played hard and made some people miss him.”

Williams averaged 10.2 yards a carry, scored on a short-yardage play in the fourth quarter and broke away later on a 55-yard run.

Asked if it’s frustrating as a coach when he sees flashes of greatness in Williams, Donahue said: “I think it’s frustrating as a coach and very frustrating for Kevin. I think any youngster who comes to this program wants to be successful. He has two more years left to be successful. Up until now, he has been unsuccessful.

“But on behalf of Kevin Williams throughout the difficult time he’s had here, he has been a real pleasure to be around, and he has been popular with the coaches and his teammates. But he’s had a very disappointing career up until now.”

Williams, a much-acclaimed high school running back from Spring, Tex., had a decent season in 1989, even though he missed one game and parts of others because of injuries.

Even so, he averaged 4.5 yards a carry and ranked fifth in the Pacific 10 in kickoff returns. The previous spring, he won the 100 meters at the conference track meet.

Last year, bothered by ankle and back problems, Williams carried in only three games and had 112 yards in 27 carries.

“A lot of people counted me out after the last two years,” Williams said after the BYU game. “This (his performance) makes me feel real good, considering what I’ve been through.”

It was UCLA’s first season-opening victory since 1988, but Donahue said he and his team can’t savor it for long.

Tennessee, the nation’s 11th-ranked team, was impressive in its 28-11 season-opening victory over Louisville Thursday night.

The Volunteers, two-time defending Southeastern Conference champions, have 15 starters back, 11 on defense. Among them are standout wide receiver Carl Pickens and free safety Dale Carter, who led the nation in kickoff returns in 1990 with a 29.8-yard average.

Donahue noted that the Bruins encountered a top-flight offensive team in BYU with its Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Ty Detmer.

“Now we face a top flight defensive team in Tennessee,” he said. “We’ll know a lot (more) about our team Saturday. We’ll know whether it’s a porch dog, or a hunting dog.”