A Rivalry Renewed

It has been 11 seasons since Terry Donahue and John Robinson were on opposing sidelines, but that will change this afternoon at the Coliseum. The two had some memorable meetings from 1976 to 1982, with the Rose Bowl berth on the line for one or both teams in six of the seven games. Here are highlights from those games, and what the coaches said at the time:

*1976--USC 24, UCLA 14

With roses on the line for both rookie coaches, USC defensive back Dennis Thurman picked Theotis Brown’s fumble out of the air and went 47 yards for the first touchdown of the game. The Trojans took a 24-0 lead and hung on. “We’re back where we belong,” Robinson said of the berth in Pasadena. Wonder whatever became of the USC quarterback who had a 35-yard touchdown run, some kid named Vince Evans.

1977--USC 29, UCLA 27

After a controversial pass-interference call against UCLA’s Johnny Lynn with 58 seconds remaining, Frank Jordan kicked a 38-yard field goal with two seconds to play, knocking the Bruins out of the Rose Bowl. “It was a classic USC-UCLA finish,” Robinson said. “The turning point was when the gun went off.” Donahue was asked if there was a tougher way to lose. “What the hell kind of question is that? Ask me something I can answer.”

1978--USC 17, UCLA 10

Once again, the Rose Bowl was on the line for both teams, but the Trojans dominated the line. Charles White rushed for 145 yards to become the conference’s all-time leader. UCLA could gain only 62 yards in 38 attempts. Donahue, on rumors that his job was in jeopardy after a third loss in a row to USC: “I don’t know anything about that. You’d have to ask J.D. (Athletic Director J.D. Morgan).” Fifteen years later, Donahue is still there.

1979--USC 49, UCLA 14

The Trojans, 15-point favorites over a 5-5 UCLA team, rolled to a 35-0 halftime lead. White ran for 194 yards and four touchdowns, three in the second quarter. His backup, Michael Hayes, went 54 yards for the final touchdown, then spiked himself in the end zone with a somersault. “We got licked by a vastly superior team,” Donahue said. “I won’t say this is the best USC team I’ve faced since I’ve been here, because we’ve played many good ones. But this is the weakest UCLA team I ever had going into an SC game.”

1980--UCLA 20, USC 17

Donahue finally got a break--and his first victory over USC. UCLA tailback Freeman McNeil made an acrobatic catch of a tipped pass from Jay Schroeder and went 58 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 2:07 to play. Was a monkey off Donahue’s back? “It wasn’t a spider monkey, it was a gorilla.”

1981--USC 22, UCLA 21

USC went to its DFGB (Designated Field Goal Blocker) and George Achica broke through to block Norm Johnson’s 46-yard field-goal attempt on the final play of the game, again knocking the Bruins out of the Rose Bowl. Marcus Allen rushed for 219 yards and two touchdowns in 40 carries. Robinson was worn out after the game. “We almost drowned in our own mistakes,” he said, “but I don’t know what most of them were now and I don’t care.”

1982--UCLA 20, USC 19

This time the Bruins made the big defensive play at the finish as nose tackle Karl Morgan bulled his way through the line to sack Scott Tinsley on a two-point conversion. “If you’re going to lose, that’s the way to lose it,” Robinson said. Epilogue I: Arizona would upset Arizona State the next week, sending UCLA to the Rose Bowl. Epilogue II: Robinson would step down as coach, then take over with the Rams. Epilogue III: This wasn’t the most memorable game played that day. Something about a lot of Cal laterals and the Stanford band.