AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, TEAMMATES.

Byline: TOM HOFFARTH

Terry Donahue and JohnRobinson seem to be OK with the fact that their Rose Bowl seats for Saturday's UCLA-USC football game will only be inches apart.

If the assumption that the only way the former UCLA coach would agree to sit next to the former USC coach for the entire afternoon is if someone paid them, then you're getting warmer.

Donahue and Robinson have been paired -- not necessarily kicking and screaming -- for the first time as co-analysts on the Sports USA Radio Network's broadcast of Saturday's annual rivalry game. Unfortunately, they'll probably provide the most interesting commentary of the game that no one in L.A. will be able to hear.

Because of contractual rights issues, this nationally syndicated broadcast can't air in the same market against the home team's radio broadcast, which, in this case, is UCLA's 570-AM coverage. Otherwise, it'll be dispersed among the network's 250-plus affiliates nationwide for displaced Bruins and Trojans fans to enjoy.

It's not as if after all these years, Donahue and Robinson don't get along. They're more than fine. It's just that imagining the two together is kind of like watching former presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush team up for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

Both Donahue and Robinson started their coaching careers at UCLA and USC in 1976. Donahue stayed for 20 years before leaving to join CBS' college football coverage in 1995; Robinson left in '82 to coach the NFL's Los Angeles Rams, then returned for five more seasons at USC from '93 to '97. He also has worked as an NFL analyst for CBS.

In their 10 head-to-head battles, Robinson and Donahue had five wins each. Robinson won the first four. Donahue won the last three, which were part of UCLA's eight wins in a row over the Trojans during the 1990s.

Donahue was 10-9-1 overall in his 20 years vs. USC; Robinson ended up 5-2 against UCLA in his first tenure and 0-5 in his second.

``I'd describe our relationship over the years as very competitive,'' said the 62-year-old Donahue, who lives in Newport Beach and started his football career as a scrappy linebacker at Notre Dame High of Sherman Oaks in the early '60s. ``Certainly there's mutual respect. We competed for so long and survived all those battles for the same recruits and hiring assistant coaches, but we kept our relationship very professional and amicable. Maybe over the years, as both of us have left the schools, it's easier to let our friendship grow stronger. And maybe because we're both older, that cools you down a bit. Even though we won't admit it.''

The 71-year-old Robinson, who splits time living in Chandler, Ariz., and SanDiego, says he thinks the reason they've been able to stay more than just civil the past few years is because ``we both tried to maintain a sense of dignity about the rivalry.

``Rivalries can get nasty if you don't treat them with respect. Terry had a lot of dignity in how he conducted himself, and I don't think either of us wanted it to be a mean-spirited rivalry. The worst thing any rivalry can have is a nastiness about it.''

Larry Kahn, the USC football radio play-by-play man from 1995 to '97 who launched Sports USA Radio in '98, wanted to do Saturday's broadcast with Robinson and Donahue after arranging the pairing, but weeks ago he committed to meeting clients and covering Sunday's Minnesota-Chicago NFL game for the network. Tom Dillon, the former Arizona State and Arizona Cardinals broadcaster, will do the play-by-play instead, with former USC defensive back Troy West on the sidelines.

When Kahn took a leap of faith and launched his network, Robinson was one of his first game analysts. Twoyears ago, Robinson encouraged Kahn to add Donahue as soon after he'd left as the San Francisco 49ers' general manager.

Donahue focused broadcasting this year on Fox's NFL regional telecasts with play-by-play man Ron Pitts -- a former UCLA defensive back who Donahue recruited -- but he asked Fox to not schedule him this weekend so that he'd be free to do USC-UCLA.

Donahue, who on Jan 2 will be part of Fox's Orange Bowl TV coverage, says he finds more enjoyment doing radio over TV because ``there are fewer moving parts. Radio is more fun. You can wear jeans to the game, and your words just go out there into space and no one hears 'em again. It's just more conversation, and that's what John and I want to do Saturday.''

Robinson, who has done a half-dozen college games with Kahn on radio this season, including Michigan-Ohio State, hasn't seen USC in person. He says just talking about what's happening on the field ``and not so much who a player's kid sister is or stuff like that'' is the approach he most enjoys taking now.

``It'll be easy,'' Donahue said of working with Robinson. ``We've done enough banquets and luncheons together in the past. I know we won't be uptight just watching and making observations.''

More coverage: Brent Musburger and Bob Davie are in the ABC-TV (Channel 7) booth Saturday. Kirk Herbstreit, usually the third man in on this broadcast team, will be with ESPN's ``College GameDay'' crew back in the Bristol, Conn., studios.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- 2) John Robinson, left, and Terry Donahue split their 10head-to-head meetings in the USC-UCLA rivalry.

Daily News File Photos

Box:

(1) WHAT SMOKES

(2) WHAT CHOKES