Washington State Cougars	UCLA Bruins ©
Played October 16, 1976 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, California

  

 

Teams' Belt Records

 

Team	Belt Reigns	Overall Record				Home Record				Away Record				Neutral Record
		W	L	T	PCT	W	L	T	PCT	W	L	T	PCT	W	L	T	PCT
Washington State	0	0	1	0	.000					0	1	0	.000
UCLA ©	3	8	2	2	.750	4	2	0	.667	3	0	2	.800	1	0	0	1.000

 

                          Previous Belt Meetings:       None

 

 

Jackie Sherrill’s one season as Washington State head coach included this Belt game.  The Cougars came into the game 1-4 with the win coming over Idaho.  The UCLA Bruins of coach Terry Donahue entered the game 4-0-1 ranked 4^th nationally.  Cougars’ All-Pac 8 QB Jack Thompson, “The Throwin’ Samoan” lead the offense but in his sophomore year he still needed to develop into the All-American.  UCLA's QB Jeff Dankworth threw for 2 touchdowns as well as running for 2 scores as Washington State was no match for the Bruins who posted a 62-3 win in what was the largest blowout to date in Belt history.  UCLA put the game out of reach in the 1^st quarter scoring 4 touchdowns in less than 5 minutes as Dankworth scored on a 4-yard touchdown run giving UCLA a 7-0 lead.  Following an interception thrown by Thompson, Dankworth threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to WR Wally Henry.  Less than a minute later, UCLA's All-American LB Jerry Robinson intercepted a Thompson pass & returned it 72 yards for another Bruins' touchdown.  UCLA finished the 1^st quarter scoring eruption with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Dankworth to WR Don Pederson giving the Bruins a 28-0 lead with 3:42 still left in the 1^st quarter.  Midway through the 2^nd quarter, Dankworth scored his second rushing touchdown on a 6-yard run before Washington State got their only points of the day on a 38-yard field goal from PK Chuck Diedrick but the Cougars still trailed 35-3 at the intermission.  The 3^rd quarter started much the same way as the rest of the game had gone as UCLA's RB Wendell Tyler scored 2 touchdowns in 0:15.  The first came on a 6-yard touchdown run while the second came after another of Thompson’s fourth interception with Tyler scoring on an 18-yard touchdown run.  UCLA's QB Steve Bukich scored on a 9-yard touchdown run on the first play of the 4^th quarter & late in the quarter, QB Rick Bashore hit WR Homer Butler on a 16-yard touchdown pass to finish the rout.  Dankworth finished with 77 yards passing with 2 touchdowns as well as his 2 rushing scores while Tyler added 106 yards rushing to his 2 scores.  Thompson threw for 128 yards with 4 interceptions as the UCLA defense held the Cougars to 23 yards rushing & forced 7 turnovers in the loss.  UCLA finished the season 9-2-1; ranked 15^th nationally while the Cougars finished 3-8.  Washington State would play for The Belt again in 1977.