COLLEGE FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : UCLA : Donahue: Week Off Was Productive

A week off did UCLA good, said Coach Terry Donahue, but, then again, it wasn’t really a week off.

The Bruins practiced hard on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, then had a weekend respite before beginning preparations for Saturday’s game against Arizona State at Tempe, Ariz.

“It was a productive week,” Donahue said. “We made some progress in our timing, and it helped get some people ready to play who might not have been able to play if we had had a game.”

Center Mike Flanagan is one, right tackle Chad Overhauser another. Both are nursing leg injuries. Linebacker Rod Smalley and fullbacks Daron Washington and James Milliner profited by a week off to nurse injuries. All are expected to play Saturday night.

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The seasons of Arizona State and UCLA are parallel, and for more reasons than their matching 3-6 records.

Both anticipated being better, but injuries have gotten in the way and neither has stood out on defense.

UCLA is ninth in the Pacific 10 Conference in total defense and Arizona State is last. The Sun Devils have given up an average of 31.1 points, and teams have passed for 2,500 yards against them. UCLA gives up 28.1 points and 223 rushing yards a game.

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The UCLA-USC game of Nov. 19 will be on ABC, with a starting time of 12:30 p.m. Tickets remain at both schools.