Passing Time

UCLA fifth-year senior quarterbacks who made a mark

JEFF DANKWORTH, 1976

Despite starting only one previous game, the veer option specialist won the job in Coach Terry Donahue’s first season and led the Bruins to a 9-2-1 mark and Liberty Bowl berth, in which they lost to Alabama.

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RICK NEUHEISEL, 1983

Bruins opened 0-2-1 and Donahue benched him. But Neuheisel came back to lead UCLA to a Pacific 10 Conference title and threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns in a 45-9 Rose Bowl victory over Illinois.

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STEVE BONO, 1984

After passing for a then-school record 399 yards in his only full game a season earlier, he made the most of his season as a starter, throwing for 243 yards in a 39-37 victory over Miami in the Fiesta Bowl.

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DAVID NORRIE, 1985

After sitting for four years, he completed 63.4% of his passes and led UCLA to a 9-2-1 mark and the Pac-10 title. However, he was injured in practice and did not play in the 45-28 Rose Bowl victory over Iowa.

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MATT STEVENS, 1986

The fourth fifth-year senior in a row to start, Stevens took over where he left off in the previous season’s Rose Bowl and led UCLA to an 8-3-1 record and a 31-10 victory over Brigham Young in the Freedom Bowl.

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JOHN BARNES, 1992

The fifth-year senior transfer and walk-on rose from fourth string to a starting role and secured his place in Bruin lore by passing for 385 yards and three touchdowns in a season-ending 38-37 victory over USC.