UCLA Football Under Terry Donahue – 1996-2015

2001

The 2001 Bruins start off 6-0, earning a #4 ranking, and looking for all the world like a team on the cusp of a repeat title run. This includes wins over four ranked opponents: Alabama, Kansas, Oregon State, and #10 Washington. The defense is playing at a level unseen by Bruin fans since the mid-’50s, highlighted by a 13-6 smothering of Ohio State.

A road game against #20 Stanford sees everything break the Cardinal’s way, and the Bruins suffer their first loss of the season. After bouncing back on the road against #16 Washington State, the #9 Bruins drop a marquee game at home to #7 Oregon, playing themselves out of the title picture. The hangover persists into the next week, as UCLA loses for the first time in ten years to USC, now coached by Pete Carroll.

Despite the loss, the Bruins celebrate the program’s second ever Heisman Award winner: DeShaun Foster, whose 1900+ yards from scrimmage and 24 touchdowns edge him past Eric Crouch and Rex Grossman. The #16 Bruins beat Purdue in the Sun Bowl to finish 9-3 on the year.

Next: 2002-2004