Notes on a Scorecard - Oct. 28, 1993

Arizona plays UCLA in a game with major Pacific 10 Conference title implications Saturday night. What do they think this is, basketball? . . .

Coach Terry Donahue says the Bruins are a good, not great team. However, they lead the nation in one important statistic, turnover margin. They are plus-2.43 a game, having recovered 15 fumbles and intercepted 12 passes, compared to seven and three for their opponents. . . .

The ratio might be even greater, but the Bruins were unable to pick off either pass Oregon State threw last Saturday. . . .

Attendance predictions for one of the most attractive weekends of the local season are 55,000 at the Rose Bowl Saturday and the same number at the Coliseum Sunday for the Raider-Charger game. . . .

Biggest mismatch might be the Raider defensive line against the Charger offensive line. . . .

Least heralded of the ferocious Raider pass rushers is tackle Nolan Harrison, a bargain from Indiana who was drafted in the sixth round in 1991. . . .

Harrison, 6 feet 5 and 290 pounds, was fast enough in high school to earn a letter as a 400-meter runner. . . .

T.J. Rubley won’t be the first quarterback from the University of Tulsa to start for an L.A. pro team. Glenn Dobbs starred for the Dons of the All-America Conference in the 1940s. Another former Golden Hurricane quarterback, Jerry Rhome, was a Ram in 1971. . . .

Pay-back: This year, the Buffalo Bills already have beaten two teams that defeated them in Super Bowls, the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys. Monday night, they get an opportunity to reverse the decision against the Washington Redskins. . . .

The liberalized NFL free-agency rules could make the two new expansion teams competitive quicker than most of their predecessors. . . .

I’m not crazy about the names Carolina or Panthers. . . .

Jake Kelchner, the West Virginia quarterback who has the highest passing-efficiency rating in the nation, considered transferring to USC when he left Notre Dame after spending two years on the Irish bench. . . .

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The record of the four teams that have defeated USC--North Carolina, Penn State, Arizona and Notre Dame--is 27-3. . . .

Rookie trainer Jenine Sahadi, who worked in Hollywood Park’s publicity-marketing department for seven years, will become the fifth female trainer to saddle a horse in the Breeders’ Cup when she sends Creston into the Juvenile on Nov. 6 at Santa Anita. Best finish was sixth by Sherry Noakes’ King Corrie in the Sprint last year. . . .

My favorite action fighter, Michael Carbajal, will defend his light-flyweight championship Saturday night against Domingo Sosa in Phoenix. On the same card, Oscar De La Hoya, fighting Narciso Valenzuela, will seek his 11th consecutive victory and 10th knockout. . . .

Trainer Emanuel Steward on Evander Holyfield: “He’s a multimillionaire, but he’s training for the Riddick Bowe fight like he doesn’t have a dollar in his pocket.” . . .

Former welterweight contender Armando Muniz is teaching mathematics and Spanish at Rubidoux High in Riverside. . . .

The groin injury suffered by Vancouver Canuck center Pavel Bure could affect the NHL Pacific Division race. . . .

Among the managers in the Mexican Pacific Coast Winter League are Manny Mota, Tony Oliva and Aurelio Rodriguez. . . .

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Marge Schott will be eligible to return to baseball Monday. . . .

President Clinton sent a letter to Peter O’Malley thanking the Dodgers for “improving American relations abroad through the wonderful medium of our national pastime.” The Dodgers will begin a five-game goodwill tour Friday in Taipei, Taiwan, against an all-star team from the Chinese professional league. . . .

The Orange County Sports Celebrities will honor Jim Abbott as their sportsman of the year Nov. 13 at the Newport Marriott. Other no-hit pitchers such as Don Larsen, Clyde Wright, Bill Singer and Steve Busby will attend and invitations have been extended to Sandy Koufax and Nolan Ryan. . . .

It was fitting that CBS, which did such a terrible job of promoting baseball, got the lowest ratings for a World Series that wasn’t interrupted by an earthquake. . . .

The Dodger affiliate in Australia is the Adelaide Giants. . . .

Reader Burt Prelutsky suggests that Lenny Dykstra, the new Pete Rose with power, be called Charlie Muscle.