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UCLA football bowl history: Every bowl game the Bruins have played in

By Josh Yourish

Terry Donahue, Head Coach for the University of California, Los Angeles UCLA Bruins talks to his quarterback #19 John Barnes during the NCAA Pac-10 college football game against the University of California, Berkeley Golden Bears on 31st October 1992 at the California Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, California, United States. The Bears won the game 48 - 12. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr /Allsport/Getty Images)
Terry Donahue, Head Coach for the University of California, Los Angeles UCLA Bruins talks to his quarterback #19 John Barnes during the NCAA Pac-10 college football game against the University of California, Berkeley Golden Bears on 31st October 1992 at the California Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, California, United States. The Bears won the game 48 - 12. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr /Allsport/Getty Images) /
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Dec 31, 2013; El Paso, TX, USA; The UCLA Bruins logo Mandatory Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2013; El Paso, TX, USA; The UCLA Bruins logo Mandatory Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports /

1981 Bluebonnet Bowl: Knocking on the door

The Bluebonnet Bowl doesn’t quite have the same history and prestige as the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, or even the Liberty Bowl, but in 1981 it certainly featured two historically relevant programs with UCLA against Michigan at the Houston Astrodome.

The Bruins fell to the Wolverines 33-14 to finish the 1981 campaign at 7-4-1 but were still ranked No. 5 in the country. This dropped UCLA’s record in bowl games to 2-7-1 and its record in bowl games under Donahue to 0-2-1.

This season, UCLA had a chance to make it back to the Rose Bowl with a win over USC, but they fell 21-20 to their crosstown rivals. Donahue had his program knocking on the door and they were about to go on an impressive run starting the very next season.

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