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Since Terry Donahue retired in 1995, UCLA soccer coaches have completed one thing actually particular, what, just a few instances a decade?
That 20-game profitable streak underneath Bob Toledo certified, the Bruins whirling towards a berth within the first-ever Bowl Championship Collection title sport on the finish of the 1998 season till getting spun away because of that dreadful Hurricane Bowl loss to Miami.
A 6-0 begin underneath Toledo in 2001 was a lot of enjoyable, the Bruins rising as excessive as No. 4 within the rankings earlier than a loss to Stanford and that extra-benefits SUV controversy involving a star working again named DeShaun Foster.
For all his shortcomings, Karl Dorrell produced a 10-win season in 2005 and a victory over second-ranked USC a yr later.
Jim Mora actually had issues rolling his first three seasons, the Rose Bowl full of sufficient followers to maintain UCLA directors from considering the abandonment of the longtime lease at their residence stadium.
Chip Kelly and Foster . . . properly, let’s transfer on.
That brings us to the endearing Tim Skipper, who has an opportunity Saturday to do one thing that no UCLA coach has pulled off since Dick Vermeil in his closing sport with the Bruins — beat a No. 1 workforce.
That’s proper, it’s been practically 50 years since UCLA topped a workforce atop the polls.
Vermeil and the No. 11 Bruins did it within the 1976 Rose Bowl, upsetting No. 1 Ohio State thanks to 2 landing passes by quarterback John Sciarra and a memorable 54-yard landing run by Wendell Tyler that clinched his workforce’s 23-10 victory.
The end result precipitated Vermeil’s departure for the Philadelphia Eagles and marked Buckeyes coach Woody Hayes’ closing look within the Rose Bowl. The Official Ohio State Soccer Encyclopedia — wait, it’s not referred to as The Official The Ohio State Soccer Encyclopedia? — would checklist the loss as probably the most devastating at school historical past.
Can UCLA, as a 31.5-point underdog, hand the top-ranked Buckeyes an much more unsettling setback? Listed below are 5 issues to look at when the Bruins (3-6 general, 3-3 Huge Ten) face the Buckeyes (9-0, 6-0) at 4:30 p.m. PST Saturday at Ohio Stadium: