Walker Joins a Long List of Beat-Up Bruins

If Terry Donahue’s worry lines looked deeper than usual Monday, it wasn’t an optical illusion.

Donahue, whose UCLA football team has already lost seven starters, might be without quarterback Rob Walker for Saturday’s game against No. 22 Washington State at Pullman, Wash.

Walker suffered a sprained left ankle during Saturday’s 19-7 defeat by No. 8 Stanford and will be held out of practice until later this week.

Walker, whose ankle was heavily taped when he arrived for an interview Monday morning, said he will play Saturday.

“I see myself as a warrior,” Walker said. “I’ve just got to get back up and live to fight again.”

Sacked six times by Stanford, Walker left the game with two minutes to play after suffering a slight concussion when he was sacked for a safety by linebacker Ron George.

“I never saw him coming,” Walker said. “I watched the films twice and it was a lot like a stunt that (New York Giant linebacker) Lawrence Taylor runs, where he lines up outside and comes back through the center and nobody picks him up. The impact of the blow knocked the air out of me, and when my head hit the ground that (left) me dazed and stunned.

“I took a real beating. That’s by far the worst beating I’ve ever taken. I think those guys didn’t like me a lot, and they tried to punish me, and they did it. But it’s an occupational hazard that goes along with playing quarterback. I have no fear of being gun-shy.”

If Walker is unable to play against Washington State, senior John Barnes, who transferred to UCLA after UC Santa Barbara dropped football last spring, will start at quarterback. Barnes replaced Walker for one play against Stanford and fumbled the center snap.

Although the Bruins have two highly touted freshman quarterbacks in Ryan Fien of Royal High in Simi Valley and Scott Fitterer of Kennedy High in Seattle, Donahue says they aren’t ready to play. They have alternated trips and Fitterer is scheduled to travel to Pullman, Wash., so his parents can see him if he plays.

“The freshmen really don’t know the system,” Donahue said. “Barnes has had spring practice and he’s played in college games. He’s our best bet. The two freshmen will have a hard time learning the system. The system we’re in, you’ve got to protect yourself pass protection-wise or you’ll get killed. People blitz you from both sides, and you’ve got to be able to move your backs and line or you can get really hurt.”

The Bruins have been devastated by injuries in losing their last two games and dropping out of the polls.

“The stars of our team are gone,” Donahue said. “But we’ve got to figure out a way to take the players we have and mold them into a good competitive team.”

Linebacker Jamir Miller, UCLA’s best pass rusher, will sit out Saturday’s game because of a sprained left ankle, and defensive end Mike Chalenski will probably sit out after undergoing surgery to repair a torn tendon in his left thumb.

Donahue is not sure whether tailback Kevin Williams, who sat out the Stanford game because of a hamstring injury, and wide receiver Sean LaChapelle, who sat out the second half of last week’s game because of a cracked rib, will play against Washington State.

“I’m going to give it my best shot,” LaChapelle said. “I’ve got to go out there and help the team out. If that just means being out there and letting them see my face, I’ll do it.”

Defensive tackle Matt Werner, who suffered a broken toe on his left foot against Stanford, is expected to play against Washington State.

The injuries have taken a toll on the Bruin offense.

After averaging 29.3 points in winning their first three games, UCLA has averaged five points in its last two. UCLA’s rushing game, which averaged 231.3 yards in the first three games, had 36 against Arizona and Stanford held the Bruins to minus-four yards rushing.