Pickin' Splinters » Terry Donahue

This Date in College Football Belt History – September 14

Casey — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 16:01:17 +0000

September 14, 1985

UCLA at Tennessee

The 10^th ranked, 1-0 UCLA Bruins with coach Terry Donahue traveled to Knoxville to renew their rivalry with the Tennessee Volunteers coached by Johnny Majors in their season opener. UCLA’s back-up QB David Norrie led 2 touchdown drives, with each ending in a successful 2-point conversion, in the final 5 minutes as the Bruins tied the Volunteers 26-26 but UCLA retained The Belt (“To Be The Man, You Have To Beat The Man”). The Bruins looked like the dominant team early as RB Gaston Green took the handoff on the third play of the game & raced 72 yards for a touchdown. UCLA’s All-American PK John Lee made the score 10-0 when he hit a 39-yard field goal. Tennessee got on the board in the 2^nd quarter when All-SEC PK Carlos Reveiz kicked a 49-yard field goal & the Volunteers tied the game at 10-10 when QB Tony Robinson hit TE Tim Hendrix for a 4-yard touchdown pass. Tennessee’s All-SEC S Chris White intercepted UCLA’s QB Matt Stevens before the Volunteers got a 33-yard field goal from Reveiz. White intercepted Stevens a second time as the half ended with Tennessee leading 13-10. On the third play of the 2^nd half, Robinson connected with WR Joey Clinkscales for a 68-yard touchdown pass and the Volunteers pushed the lead to 20-10. On the first play of the 4^th quarter, Raveiz made a 31-yard field goal & 3 minutes later kicked a 40-yard field goal making the score 26-10. Norrie took over for the ineffective Stevens & White made his third interception of the day to end the UCLA drive. The Bruins got the ball back at their own 3-yard line & faced a 3^rd & 10 when Norrie found WR Mike Sherrard for a 44-yard gain that changed the momentum of the game. Norrie finished the 8-play, 97-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to WR Al Wilson with 4:46 left in the game. The 2-point conversion pass to TE Jeff Nowinski made the score Tennessee 26 UCLA 18. UCLA got the ball back at their own 27-yard line with 1:43 left & only 1 timeout available. The Bruins drove the 73 yards in 9 plays with Norrie throwing to WR Willie “Flipper” Anderson for a 25-yard touchdown pass with just 0:37 left to play. Green carried around right end for the 2-point conversion that tied the game. Norrie threw for 138 yards with 2 touchdowns, Green added 194 yards rushing to his touchdown, & Sherrard had 7 catches for 170 yards. Robinson threw for a Tennessee school-record 387 yards with 2 touchdowns, All-American WR Tim McGee had 5 catches for 142 yards, & Clinkscales had 4 catches for 106 yards with his touchdown. UCLA finished the season 9-2-1; Pac-10 Champions & ranked 7^th nationally while the Volunteers finished 9-1-2, SEC Champions & ranked 4^th nationally. Tennessee would play for The Belt again in 1986.

The College Football Belt

This Date in College Football Belt History – January 1

Casey — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 15:52:21 +0000

January 1, 1985 -For the first time in Belt history, the Fiesta Bowl was the site of The Belt championship battle. Coach Terry Donahue & the 14^th ranked UCLA Bruins at 8-3 met the 13^th ranked, 8-4 Miami Hurricanes of coach Jimmy Johnson. Miami had held The Belt earlier in the season having defeated Auburn in the opener but lost the title at Michigan two weeks later. This game featured 7 lead changes as both teams apparently left their defenses at home. UCLA’s RB Gaston Green, making his first career start, ran for 144 yards with 2 touchdowns while QB Steve Bono threw for 2 touchdowns & All-Pac 10 PK John Lee kicked 3 field goals including a 22-yarder with 0:51 to play in a 39-37 UCLA win. Green opened the scoring with a 6-yard touchdown run but the Hurricanes responded with a 34-yard touchdown run by RB Darryl Oliver & a 68-yard punt return by All-American WR Eddie Brown. When Miami’s QB Bernie Kosar found WR Brian Blades for a 48-yard touchdown pass it looked like the Hurricanes had the momentum with a 21-7 lead. Green broke loose for a 72-yard touchdown run & UCLA’s S Josh Shinnick tackled Miami’s P Rick Tuten in the end zone for a safety. Lee then hit field goals from 51 & 33 yards giving the Bruins a 22-21 halftime lead. In the 3^rd quarter, the Hurricanes got the lead back when PK Greg Cox hit a 31-yard field goal but UCLA retook the lead with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Bono to WR Mike Sherrard for the 29-24 Bruin advantage. In the 4^th quarter, a 33-yard touchdown pass from Bono to WR Mike Young pushed the lead to 36-24 but the Hurricanes were ready to rally. Miami’s RB Melvin Bratton got loose for a 19-yard touchdown run with 2:58 left & the Hurricanes defense held on the next UCLA possession. Kosar drove Miami 79 yards finding Bratton for the 3-yard touchdown pass giving the Hurricanes a 37-36 lead. With just 2:07 to play, Bono drove the Bruins 61 yards to the Miami 7-yard line setting up Lee’s field goal attempt. The drive was highlighted by Sherrard’s 28-yard reception to the Miami 11-yard line that replays showed should have been ruled out-of-bounds. Lee’s 22-yard field goal with 0:51 to play appeared to be the clincher but Kosar was not done. After completing two passes to the Miami 48-yard line, Kosar fumbled as UCLA’s NG Terry Tumey sacked him; Bruins LB Eric Smith recovered & UCLA ran out the clock. Bono finished with 243 yards passing with his 2 touchdowns while Kosar had 294 yards passing & Brown was held to just 4 catches for 54 yards, all in the 4^th quarter, for the Hurricanes. UCLA finished the season 9-3; ranked 9^th nationally while the Hurricanes finished 8-5 & ranked 18^th nationally in Johnson’s first season. Miami would play for The Belt again in 1987.

The College Football Belt

This Date in College Football Belt History – November 4

Casey — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:38:01 +0000

The 22^nd ranked, 6-2 UCLA Bruins of coach Terry Donahue traveled to Tempe to meet the 4-4 Arizona State Sun Devils of coach Bruce Snyder. The Bruins planned to reclaim The Belt led by All-American OT Jonathan Ogden as well as All-Pac 10 players RB Karim Abdul-Jabbar & C Mike Flanagan but the Sun Devils had other ideas. The Bruins led 27-10 at the half but 4 fumbles & 7 penalties gave the Sun Devils all the chances they needed for a comeback. Arizona State’s All-Pac 10 QB Jake Plummer threw for 312 yards with 2 touchdowns leading the Sun Devils to a 37-33 victory to retain The Belt. UCLA took a 3-0 lead when PK Bjorn Merten hit a 39-yard field goal & when CB Paul Guidry returned a punt 70 yards for a touchdown, the Bruins had a 10-0 lead. The Sun Devils responded with a 16-play, 89-yard drive capped by a 3-yard touchdown run by RB Michael Martin. Merten connected from 22 yards as UCLA pushed the lead to 13-7 before Arizona State’s PK Robert Nycz hit from 26 yards to get the Sun Devils within 3 points at 13-10. UCLA then put together an 11-play, 80-yard drive with Abdul-Jabbar scoring on a 1-yard run for a 20-10 advantage. UCLA’s QB Cade McNown scored on a 4-yard touchdown run with 0:06 left in the half as the Bruins took the 27-10 halftime lead. The Sun Devils scored on a 9-yard touchdown run by All-Pac 10 WR Keith Poole on their opening drive of the 3^rd quarter & Plummer connected with RB Ricky Boyer to get the Sun Devils close at 27-24. The next 4 UCLA possessions resulted in a safety & 3 fumbles. The Bruins tried a reverse handoff on a punt return but Arizona State’s CB Lamont Morgan tackled UCLA’s WR Derek Ayers in the end zone for a safety. After a Sun Devils’ punt, Arizona State’s S Traivon Johnson recovered an Abdul-Jabbar fumble & on the next play, Plummer found WR Kenny Mitchell for a 27-yard touchdown pass giving Arizona State a 34-27 lead after Plummer scored on the 2-point conversion. UCLA drove to the Arizona State 9-yard line on their next possession but McNown fumbled & Johnson was there to recover again. The Sun Devils could not score on that turnover but McNown fumbled again on the next Bruins’ drive & LB Derek Smith recovered for Arizona State. Nycz hit a 36-yard field goal giving the Sun Devils a 37-27 lead with 8:51 to play. UCLA drove 80 yards in 11 plays with McNown scoring on a 5-yard touchdown run but the Sun Devils were able to run off the last 5 minutes without incident. Poole finished with 9 catches for 167 yards with his rushing touchdown for Arizona State while Abdul-Jabbar finished with 207 yards rushing with a touchdown but the critical fumble. McNown threw for 289 yards but 2 fumbles that thwarted drives for UCLA. Arizona State finished the season 6-5 while the Bruins finished 7-5 in Donahue’s final season. UCLA would play for The Belt again in 2004.

The College Football Belt

This Date in College Football Belt History – October 30

Casey — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:04:28 +0000

The 3^rd ranked, 6-0-1 UCLA Bruins of coach Terry Donahue traveled to Seattle to battle Don James’ 4-3 Washington Huskies. QB Warren Moon lead the Washington offense in the Huskies first ever Belt game. UCLA’s All-Pac 8 RB Theotis Brown rushed for a school-record 220 yards & scored 3 touchdowns as the Bruins defeated the Huskies for the first time in Seattle since 1958 to retain The Belt with a 30-21 victory. The Bruins opened with a punishing 72-yard drive with Brown scoring the touchdown on a 29-yard run. Washington responded with a 31-yard field goal from PK Steve Robbins that cut the UCLA lead to 7-3 before the Bruins came back with a 9-play, 80-yard drive with Brown carrying in from 15 yards giving UCLA a 14-3 2^nd quarter lead. Just as it seemed the Bruins had taken control of the game, Washington’s RB Joe Steele took the ensuing kick-off & returned it 89 yards for a touchdown. Robbins’ 31-yard field goal kept the Huskies in the game as the trailed just 14-13 at the half. Defense for both teams dominated the 3^rd quarter with the only points coming on a 25-yard field goal from UCLA’s All-Pac 8 PK Frank Corral. The most critical outcome of the 3^rd quarter may have been Washington’s loss of All-Pac 8 NG Charles Jackson to injury. UCLA’s RB James Owens’ 34-yard touchdown run early in the 4^th quarter again seemed to leave the Bruins in total control with a 24-13 lead but Moon had still had hopes of leading a comeback. Washington traveled 80 yards for their touchdown with Moon throwing a 28-yard touchdown pass to TE Scott Greenwood that got the Huskies within 5 points at 24-19 & when Moon connected with RB Ronnie Rowland on the 2-point conversion, the Huskies were within a field goal at 24-21. Brown’s third touchdown came midway through the 4^th quarter through a hole that might have been occupied by Washington’s injured nose guard. Brown finished the 85-yard drive when he broke through the line & ran 51 yards untouched for the clinching score. UCLA’s QB Jeff Dankworth threw for just 69 yards but Brown’s school-rushing record & Owens’ 123 yards rushing with his score helped the Bruins amassed 451 yards rushing for the game. Moon threw for 132 yards with a touchdown in the loss. UCLA finished the season 9-2-1; ranked 15^th nationally while the Huskies finished 5-6. Washington would play for The Belt again in 1978.

The College Football Belt

This Date in College Football Belt History – October 16

Casey — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 02:45:39 +0000

The 12^th ranked, 4-1 Washington Huskies of first-year coach Jim Lambright traveled to Pasadena to meet the 22^nd ranked, 3-2 UCLA Bruins of coach Terry Donahue. UCLA’s All-American WR J.J. Stokes caught four touchdown passes as the Bruins rallied from a 15-0 1^st quarter deficit to record a 39-25 upset win & claim their 9^th Belt reign. Washington took a 7-0 lead in the opening quarter when All-Pac 10 RB Napoleon Kaufman capped a 51-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run. The Huskies took a 9-0 lead after recording a safety when UCLA’s QB Wayne Cook fumbled a snap & when Kaufman scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, the lead was 15-0. On the last play of the 1^st quarter, Cook hit Stokes for a quick gain but the receiver was able to break two tackles & when two of the Huskies ran into each other, Stokes had a 95-yard touchdown reception. Washington got a 43-yard field goal from PK Travis Hanson giving the Huskies an 18-7 lead. Late in the quarter, Stokes scored his second touchdown on a diving 18-yard reception & the teams went to halftime with the score Washington 18 UCLA 14. In the 3^rd quarter the Bruins drove 99 yards in 9 plays with Cook again finding Stokes open on the 22-yard touchdown pass giving UCLA 21-18 advantage. Early in the 4^th quarter, the Bruins’ All-American PK Bjorn Merten hit a 24-yard field goal as UCLA pushed the lead to 24-18. With 8:42 left, Stokes made his fourth touchdown reception, this one coming on a 6-yard pass, & when Cook ran in for the 2-point conversion, the Bruins had a 32-18 lead. Washington’s DE Jamal Fontaine recovered another fumble by Cook & the Huskies had the ball at the UCLA 12-yard line. Four plays later, Washington’s QB Eric Bjornson fired to WR D.J. McCarthy for an 8-yard touchdown pass making the score UCLA 32 Washington 25. The Huskies had a final chance to tie the game with 0:56 to play but Bjornson’s pass was intercepted by Bruins’ CB Teddy Lawrence who returned it 36 yards for the final points. Cook finished with 294 yards passing with 4 touchdowns as well as 2 interceptions & Stokes added 10 catches for 190 yards to his 4 touchdown receptions. Washington’s QB Damon Huard threw for 161 yards with an interception before being replaced by Bjornson. The Huskies finished the season 7-4 while the Bruins finished 8-4, Pac 10 Co-Champs, ranked 18^th nationally. Washington would play for The Belt again in 1997.

The College Football Belt

This Date in College Football Belt History – September 4

Casey — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:08:34 +0000

The UCLA Bruins of coach Terry Donahue opened the season against the California Golden Bears of coach Keith Gilbertson. California’s QB Dave Barr threw 3 touchdown passes but it was two failed 2-point conversion attempts by UCLA that spelled the difference in a 27-25 Golden Bear victory to claim The Belt. The win gave the Golden Bears The Belt for the second time & first since 1990. The Golden Bears got on the board after S Matt Clizbe returned a Bruins’ punt 33 yards to the UCLA 38-yard line &, 2 plays later, Barr found WR Mike Caldwell open for a 40-yard touchdown pass. On Clizbe’s next punt return he fumbled with UCLA’s S Travis Collier recovering at the California 24-yard line. The turnover set-up a 36-yard field goal by All-American PK Bjorn Merten but the Bruins still trailed 7-3. The Golden Bears then put together a 6-play, 63-yard drive with Barr connecting with Caldwell from 36 yards for a 14-3 advantage heading into the 2^nd quarter. Another field goal by Merten, this on from 30 yards, opened the 2^nd quarter but California countered with a 27-yard field goal from PK Doug Brien for a 17-6 lead. The Bruins finally got into the end zone on their next drive, an 8-play, 76-yard effort with RB Daron Washington scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run with just 2:26 left in the half. California was not done as they drove 76 yards in 2:14 with Barr hitting TE Brian Remington for a 6-yard touchdown giving the Golden Bears a 24-13 lead at intermission. The only points of the 3^rd quarter came with just 0:20 left when UCLA’s QB Wayne Cook threw to All-American WR J.J. Stokes for a 5-yard touchdown pass on a drive helped by an excessive celebration penalty against California when the defense thought they had stopped a third down play. The Bruins tried for a 2-point conversion after the touchdown but, in spite of a diving attempt, Stokes was unable to hold on to Cook’s pass & UCLA still trailed 24-19. Brien’s 23-yard field goal pushed the California lead back to 8 points at 27-19 with 5:48 left in the game but kept the Bruins with hopes of a tie. UCLA drove 80 yards in 7 plays with RB Skip Hicks breaking loose on his second carry as a collegian for a 40-yard touchdown run. Again, the Bruins tried for the 2-point conversion but Cook’s pass to Stokes this time was over his head & the Golden Bears led 27-25 with 3:05 to play. UCLA had a last chance with the ball at their own 17-yard line with 1:36 to play & no timeouts. The Bruins drove to the California 20-yard line before the Golden Bears’ All-Pac 10 S Eric Zomalt intercepted a Cook pass with just 0:15 left. Barr finished with 213 yards passing with 3 touchdowns while RB Lindsey Chapman added 160 yards rushing. For UCLA, Cook threw for 230 yards with a touchdown while Stokes had 7 catches for 106 yards with his touchdown. The Bruins finished the season 8-4; Pac 10 Co-Champs, ranked 18^th nationally while the Golden Bears finished 9-4 & ranked 25^th nationally. UCLA would play for The Belt again in 6 weeks.

The College Football Belt