UCLA Out to Show It’s Worthy of Bowl

With a John Hancock Bowl bid apparently secured, UCLA will try to finish the regular season in a manner that would justify their selection.

The Bruins have two regular-season games remaining, against Oregon today at the Rose Bowl and against USC next Saturday at the Coliseum.

The Bruins (6-3 overall and 4-2 in the Pacific 10 Conference) would like to go into their bowl matchup against Illinois on Dec. 31 in El Paso with an 8-3 record, at least no worse than 7-4.

The Bruins are ensured of a winning season after losing years in 1989 and ’90. And the bowl game is a reward for their improvement.

Oregon, which played in bowl games the last two seasons, figured at the outset of this season to be playing in another. Coach Rich Brooks had eight defensive starters returning from a team that was 8-4 in 1990.

But the Ducks (3-6, 1-5) have been plagued by injuries. Only seven players have started every game this season for Oregon, and the problem continues to get worse.

Thirteen players sat out the first two days of practice this week because of injuries suffered in last Saturday night’s 24-21 loss to Arizona State.

Among them was Bob Brothers, who was the fifth Oregon player to start at quarterback in as many games.

“The quarterback situation is up in the air,” Brooks said. Brothers has a calf injury, and Brooks said it would not be known until today whether he can play.

If Brothers cannot play, Brett Salisbury, the younger brother of former USC quarterback Sean Salisbury, will start at quarterback.

Salisbury has been inactive because of an abdominal hernia and a strained shoulder. Two other quarterbacks, Danny O’Neil and Doug Musgrave, are apparently sidelined for the rest of the season because of injuries.

Tailback Sean Burwell, Oregon’s leading rusher last season with 969 yards, is sidelined because of an ankle injury; linebackers Andy Conner and Joe Farwell are also doubtful because of injuries--and that is merely a partial list.

“We’re a beat-up football team,” Brooks said, “and it’s hard to improve dramatically when you have players who can’t practice.”

Oregon has lost four in a row, scoring only one touchdown against a first-team defense in the last three games.

Two of the Ducks’ touchdowns against Arizona State came on a pass interception and a blocked punt.

UCLA has some injuries, but not to the extent of Oregon’s.

Quarterback Tommy Maddox, who suffered a concussion during last Saturday night’s 27-10 loss to Stanford in Palo Alto, has been practicing and will play.

Reserve quarterback Jim Bonds might get some work because of Maddox’s condition and Oregon’s injury problems. Bonds has completed 11 of 17 passes for 205 yards and one touchdown this season.

Even though Brooks is concerned with his problems, he is nevertheless pleased that UCLA has recovered from its losing slump of the past two years.

Brooks and UCLA Coach Terry Donahue are friends. Brooks was on Donahue’s first coaching staff at UCLA in 1976, the year before he was hired as Oregon’s coach.

“I’ve suffered with him the last two years when (the Bruins) finished below .500,” Brooks said. “I kind of joked with him and said, ‘Now you know how I felt all those years.’ Now he’s bowl-bound again, and I’m back where I used to be.”

Bruin Notes

UCLA is a 19 1/2-point favorite. . . . Kevin Williams will start at tailback for the Bruins for the first time this season. He will be backed by Ricky Davis and Kevin Smith, who is also a reserve fullback. Tailback Shawn Wills is unable to play because of a sprained knee. . . . Strong safety Matt Darby is questionable because of a toe injury, but wide receivers Michael Moore and Bryan Adams, who have knee and hamstring injuries, respectively, are expected to play.