COLLEGE FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : UCLA : Bruins Giving Away Points

In losing its last three games, UCLA has given away 11 turnovers that opponents have converted into five touchdowns, a field goal and a safety.

Quarterbacks Rob Walker, Ryan Fien and John Barnes have combined to throw six interceptions and the Bruins have lost five fumbles.

“We’re killing ourselves,” UCLA Coach Terry Donahue said. “We’ve got to find a way to eliminate (turnovers). It’s easy to say, but it’s much more difficult to do because of the way you’ve got to play.

“You couldn’t just run up the middle on third and eight every time. I guess it would be socially unacceptable. It’d be like walking around without any clothes on.

“But the reality of the situation is that if you just did that and just punted the ball, with our (defense), we probably would have won last Saturday or it would have been a close game.”

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UCLA, which is in last place in the Pac-10, hasn’t finished last in the conference since 1971, when the Bruins finished eighth in the Pac-8. . . . Deron Pointer’s 98-yard kickoff return against the Bruins last week was the first kickoff return for a touchdown that UCLA has given up since 1976, when Washington’s Joe Steele returned a kickoff 89 yards for a score. . . . Bruin punter Darren Schager is second in the Pac-10 with an average of 43.1 yards per punt. . . . UCLA will honor its 1992 Olympians at halftime of Saturday night’s game.