Beaten 40-3 at the hands of USC last week, Colorado put out a
lost and found bulletin: they were missing a running game that had
been rated as the best in the nation during the preseason and an
offensive line that had dominated the likes of Nebraska and Texas
last season.
The search continued through the first quarter of the game
against UCLA, as the Bruins held Colorado to minus-five rushing
yards.
Then, as suddenly as it had gone astray, Colorado finally found
its running game, exploding for 330 rushing yards in the final
three quarters, pounding the UCLA defense en route to a 31-17
victory.
“It was a real hard-hitting football game,” UCLA
head coach Bob Toledo said. “Colorado did a great job of
controlling both lines of scrimmage. You have to give (them) a lot
of credit. Their backs were against the wall, and they did a good
job of stopping us.”
The Buffaloes rushed for 325 yards, while the Bruins were only
able to muster up a paltry 62 yards. On a hot day during which
temperatures reached 99 degrees, the UCLA defense was on the field
for long stretches of play and seemed to tire. In the second half,
the Buffaloes never had to punt the ball.
“They ran down our throats,” defensive tackle Rodney
Leisle said. “When you get run play after run play after run
play, you get worn down. They just hit the right gaps, then went
outside, then left, then right. They catch you off-balance and
it’s just so hard to defend that.”
Colorado blew open a close game during the third quarter.
Holding a 10-7 lead during halftime, the Buffaloes took the opening
kickoff and marched 57 yards, settling for a field goal and a 13-7
lead. Then, on the next drive, Bruin quarterback Cory Paus threw an
interception, and the Buffaloes quickly scored on running back
Chris Brown’s seven-yard burst up the middle. With 9:04
remaining in the third quarter, UCLA found itself behind, 21-7. It
was a deficit that UCLA could not make up.
“With the interception, you could just see we were just
worn down,” Toledo said. “We were tired, and they had
banged on us pretty good. They were a very physical
team.”
UCLA tried to respond, marching as far as the Colorado 3.
However, their inability to punch it in was indicative of the
entire game; the Bruins just couldn’t seem to come up with
the big play that had been characteristic of their first two
victories this season.
“We didn’t make enough plays,” Paus said.
“I’m not happy with the loss because there were a
couple of spots that we could have turned this game around. We just
couldn’t put it in the endzone.”
As it was, UCLA had to settle for a field goal and a 21-10
deficit. On the ensuing possession, Colorado marched across the
field, running the ball and throwing enough screens and play-action
passes to keep the defense off-balance. Colorado added a field
goal, and then scored another touchdown on their next drive to give
them a comfortable 31-10 lead with 9:16 left in the game. UCLA was
able to tack on another touchdown with 4:12 to play, but it was too
little, too late.
Brown finished with 188 yards on 26 carries and scored three
touchdowns for the Buffaloes, while fellow running back Bobby
Purify had 87 yards with 14 carries. Quarterback Robert Hodge, a
week after completing just one pass and starting off 1-of-7,
finished 11-of-22 with 117 yards.
“Our guys challenged each other,” Colorado head
coach Gary Barnett said. “We all just played with great
heart. That was a Colorado Buffalo team I’m used to seeing
and being around.”
One of the few bright spots was receiver Craig Bragg, who is
quickly becoming a go-to guy for Paus. He caught seven passes for
70 yards and scored both of UCLA’s two touchdowns.
“I was able to get a few plays here and there,”
Bragg said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t get the win. They
played so differently today than they did against USC. They were a
lot better tacklers today and they made their routine plays. When
they did that, it seemed like they controlled the game the whole
time.”
UCLA got out to a good enough start. In the Bruins’ first
two games, opponents jumped out to early 10-0 leads before UCLA was
able to respond. This time, it was UCLA who struck first. On the
first play of the second quarter, Paus handed off to Akil Harris
who countered and handed off to Dubravac. Dubravac then reared back
and threw a rainbow pass to Bragg, for a 33-yard touchdown
pass.
However, the Buffaloes immediately responded, using a trick play
of their own. Colorado wide receiver Derek McCoy took a double
reverse that set up the tying touchdown. Colorado added a field
goal to give the Buffaloes a 10-7 lead entering intermission.
The early loss is a rarity for the Bruins, who are used to fast
starts and slow finishes to their seasons. It was their first loss
in ten non-conference games, and Toledo’s first loss to a Big
12 school as head coach.
Even more so, questions were raised. Last year, entering the
Stanford game holding a 6-0 record, UCLA suffered its first loss.
The Bruins couldn’t stop the bleeding for three more games,
and the losing streak dropped UCLA from being national championship
contenders to out of the bowl picture entirely. This year’s
squad envisions an entirely different response.
“A team that gets their (butt) kicked is likely to come
back hungry,” defensive tackle Ryan Boschetti said.
“We’re going to do the same thing next week.”