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American college football season
The 1976 UCLA Bruins football team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 1976 NCAA Division I football season . Ranked at 17th in the pre-season AP Poll, former UCLA player Terry Donahue took over as the head coach. The Bruins were 9–2–1 for the season and second in the Pacific-8 Conference . UCLA lost 36–6 in the Liberty Bowl to Alabama .[ 1]
Date Opponent Rank Site Result Attendance Source at No. 3 Arizona State * No. 17 W 28–1050,876 [ 2]
September 18 Arizona * No. 5 W 37–941,651 [ 3]
September 25 Air Force * No. 5 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA W 40–737,302 [ 4]
October 2 at No. 8 Ohio State * No. 4 T 10–1087,969 [ 5]
October 9 Stanford No. 5 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA W 38–2050,894 [ 6]
October 16 Washington State No. 4 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA W 62–335,508 [ 7]
October 23 at California No. 4 W 35–1962,228 [ 8]
October 30 at Washington No. 3 W 30–2147,719 [ 9]
November 6 Oregon No. 3 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA W 46–032,158 [ 10]
November 13 at Oregon State No. 2 W 45–1422,151 [ 11]
November 20 No. 3 USC No. 2 L 14–2490,519 [ 12]
vs. No. 16 Alabama * No. 7 L 6–3652,736 [ 13] [ 14]
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
[ 15]
1976 UCLA Bruins football team roster
Players
Coaches
Offense
Pos.
#
Name
Class
QB
Jeff Dankworth
WR
Wally Henry
RB
Wendell Tyler
Defense
Special teams
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
Injured
Redshirt
Team
1
2 3 4 Total
• UCLA
14
0 7 14
35
California
0
13 0 6
19
Scoring summary Q1 UCLA Dankworth 18 yard run (kick good) UCLA 7–0
Q1 UCLA Henry 27 yard pass from Dankworth (kick good) UCLA 14–0
Q2 CAL Bresna 1 yard run (Breech kick) UCLA 14–7
Q2 CAL Breech 41 yard field goal UCLA 14–10
Q2 CAL Breech 41 yard field goal UCLA 14–13
Q3 UCLA Touchdown UCLA 21–13
Q4 UCLA Tyler 33 yard run (kick good) UCLA 28–13
Q4 UCLA Tyler 13 yard run (kick good) UCLA 35–13
QB Jeff Dankworth sat out the second quarter with a bruised hip; returned in the third
[ 16]
Alabama (Liberty Bowl)[ edit ]
Total
Alabama
17
7
3
9
36
UCLA
0
0
0
6
6
1st quarter scoring: Alabama – Bucky Berrey 37-yard field goal; Alabama – Barry Krauss 44-yard interception return (Bucky Berrey kick); Alabama – Johnny Davis 2-yard run (Bucky Berrey kick)
2nd quarter scoring: Alabama – Jack O'Rear 20-yard pass from Tony Nathan (Bucky Berrey kick)
3rd quarter scoring: Alabama – Bucky Berrey 25-yard field goal
4th quarter scoring: Alabama – Bucky Berrey 28-yard field goal; UCLA – Jim Brown 61-yard run (Kick failed); Alabama – Rick Watson 1-yard run (2-point pass failed)
^ 2014 UCLA Media Guide, UCLA Athletics Department, 2014
^ "Bruins rout Arizona State 28–10" . The Bismarck Tribune . September 10, 1976. Retrieved October 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "UCLA takes care of the rest of Arizona" . The Los Angeles Times . September 19, 1976. Retrieved October 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "UCLA blasts A.F., 40–7; Bucks next" . Long Beach Press-Telegram . September 26, 1976. Retrieved September 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Hayes praises Bruins after tie" . The Bakersfield Californian . October 3, 1976. Retrieved September 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Stanford bombs out" . Progress-Bulletin . October 10, 1976. Retrieved September 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Bruins rout Cougars" . The Spokesman-Review . October 17, 1976. Retrieved September 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Dankworth comes back, and so do the Bruins" . Eugene Register-Guard . October 24, 1976. p. 4B. Retrieved September 14, 2025 – via Google News Archive .
^ "Jinx? Ha! Brown peps UCLA past Washington" . Independnent Press-Telegram . October 31, 1976. Retrieved September 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Bruins shut out Oregon, tie school win record" . The Fresno Bee . November 7, 1976. Retrieved September 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Beaver giveaways help second-rated UCLA" . The Columbian . November 14, 1976. Retrieved September 13, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "USC's power knocks out UCLA" . The Daily Breeze . November 21, 1976. Retrieved September 13, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
^ Martin, Steve (December 21, 1976). "Scoreboard tells Tide story, 36–6" . The Tuscaloosa News . p. A1. Retrieved September 1, 2014 .
^ "Alabama crushes UCLA, 36–6" . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Associated Press. December 21, 1976. p. 14. Retrieved September 1, 2014 .
^ "2015 UCLA Bruins Football Media Guide Year-by-Year Results" (PDF) . Retrieved June 14, 2017 .
^ Ocala Star-Banner. 1976 Oct 24. Retrieved 2018-Oct-28.
Venues Bowls and rivalries Culture and lore People Seasons National championship seasons in bold