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

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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Jul 26, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Roses on The Leishman Trophy for the Rose Bowl champion Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports /

1986 Rose Bowl: Bruins’ big win over Iowa

After missing out on the Rose Bowl in their home stadium the year before, the Bruins got back on New Year’s Day in 1986 and they made it four straight bowl game victories under Terry Donahue. Running back Eric Ball led UCLA to a 45-28 win over Iowa that capped off a 9-2-1 season.

Donahue would coach for 10 more years at UCLA and make it back to the Rose Bowl twice more, but this was his last Rose Bowl victory with the Bruins. UCLA nearly lost out on a trip to this game with a loss to 4-5 USC in the final week of the regular season, but Washington also lost to Washington State, so the Bruins got the bid. This was Iowa’s only loss of the year and cost them a National Championship which went to Oklahoma.

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