KEEPING TABS

At times during the season, it seemed unlikely that either London Woodfin or Travis Collier would be playing for UCLA against cross-town rival USC.

Woodfin, a sophomore defensive end from Sylmar High, had been playing more as teammates fell to injuries. But Woodfin himself suffered a broken hand against Oregon State on Nov. 7 and missed last Saturday’s 9-6 victory over Oregon.

Collier, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound junior strong safety from Palmdale, had taken a leave of absence from the team two days before the season began.

Both are expected to play Saturday at the Rose Bowl against USC. The Bruins (5-5) need an upset over the 15th-ranked Trojans (6-2-1) to avoid their third losing season in four years.

Collier, who started five games during his first two seasons at UCLA and was named to the Pacific 10 Conference all-academic team as a sophomore, returned in early October after “getting things sorted with myself and my family.” He saw his first action of the season against Oregon, on special teams.

Collier reported a positive reaction to his return. “Everybody was glad to see me back,” he said. “I felt the love of my teammates. No grudges were held against me.”

Woodfin (6-1, 270) was injured when teammate Cory Wayland stepped on his hand after he had fallen.

“It still is a little bit sore but feels better than last week,” Woodfin said. “The pain is virtually gone, but sometimes when it gets hit the wrong way it starts to hurt. (The doctors and trainers) think they’re going to do something about it so it won’t hurt and I’ll be ready.”

Add injuries: Jimmy Magallanes, another player from the region who will suit up this week with a broken hand, enjoys college competition.

“I like (Ivy League football) a lot,” said Magallanes, a junior strong safety at Pennsylvania who played for Thousand Oaks High. “It’s a jump up from high school, but not a Miami or Notre Dame where I would get lost.”

Magallanes had 15 tackles and an interception during a 36-17 loss to Dartmouth on Sept. 19 and was named the team’s defensive player of the week. He is third on the team with 77 tackles.

Magallanes suffered a broken left hand against Yale and has played the last two games wearing a cast.

“This year has been really fun because we’ve been winning,” Magallanes said. Pennsylvania, 2-8 a season ago, is 6-3 entering the final game against Cornell.

“For a while, we had the No. 7 defense in (Division) I-AA. Just being a part of it has been really great,” he said.

Strong finish: LaKarlos Townsend, a 1992 graduate of San Fernando, finished his freshman year at Ohio by scoring his first two collegiate touchdowns during the Bobcats’ 35-24 loss to Colorado State. And Townsend, who gained 58 yards in 18 carries, played against 1991 San Fernando graduate Leonice Brown, who gained 160 yards in 18 carries and scored on a 48-yard run.

“I was excited (to play against Brown),” Townsend said. “He was shocked at how well I ran. He thought I was going to go in tip-toeing.”

Townsend impressed many observers in Ohio, who saw him as one of the few positives in a dismal 1-10 season. Townsend finished with 241 yards in 59 carries but believes he should have carried the ball more. Ohio Coach Tom Lichtenberg chose not to redshirt Townsend, who carried twice for 29 yards in the first five games.

Defensive back Brian Brison, another 1992 San Fernando graduate, was redshirted by Ohio.

Fourteen to go: Last Saturday against Arizona State, Russell White of California figured to become only the third player in Pac-10 history to reach the 1,000-yard mark in rushing in each of three seasons.

The former Crespi running back began the game with 959 yards but still is waiting to join his uncle, Charles White, and Anthony Davis in that select group after being held to 27 yards in 15 carries in the Bears’ 28-12 loss to the Sun Devils.

White will have a final chance Saturday when he concludes his collegiate career against No. 14 Stanford.

Despite his poor outing, White remains the conference per-game rushing leader.

White, who missed one game because of an ankle injury, is averaging 109.5 yards.