TUCSON, Ariz. “”mdash; In last week’s loss to California, it was the UCLA defense that received the brunt of the criticism for the Bruin defeat.
On Saturday against Arizona, it was the offense’s turn.
A defense that caused five turnovers and scored the UCLA football team’s lone touchdown received little help from a woefully inept offense in a 27-13 loss to the No. 22 Wildcats (5-2, 3-1 Pac-10) in front of 51,440 at Arizona Stadium.
In the corner of a stadium that had only a few straggling fans left in it, UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel met with reporters, searching for the reason behind the Bruins’ (3-4, 0-4) fourth consecutive loss.
“Disappointing game because we made enough plays on defense to be in the game, and it was a poor, poor effort on offense,” Neuheisel said. “We just did not execute well enough to win a Pac-10 game, and I can’t explain why. We thought we had a good week of practice, but we are not throwing the ball well enough to compete in the Pac-10.”
Quarterback Kevin Prince started his third consecutive game since returning from a fractured jaw, yet didn’t play the whole game as he was pulled in the third quarter for Kevin Craft.
In the time in which he played, the redshirt freshman Prince, completed just 7-of-15 passes for 60 yards and was unable to direct the Bruins on efficient drives. One week after posting 26 points and 448 yards, the Bruins generated just six offensive points and 211 yards.
“Really what it all starts with is the quarterback play, and the first half I was in there I wasn’t getting the ball to the right people,” Prince said. “It all starts with me. I handle the ball every play, and I got to protect the ball better and just get the ball out and make better decisions, better throws.”
The series that signaled the end for Prince came at the start of third quarter. Trailing 13-3, the Bruin defense forced its fourth turnover of the night, a fumble by Arizona running back Greg Nwoko. Handed the ball at Arizona’s 17-yard line, Prince and the Bruins were in an excellent position to make it a one-possession game. Yet in three plays the Bruins moved the ball just two yards, forced to settle for a field goal that cut the Wildcat lead to 13-6.
For Neuheisel, that was enough for Prince.
“I just said there’s too many guys out here working hard, and it’s not because I think Kevin Prince won’t be a good quarterback some day,” Neuheisel said. “But if he’s not on, just like a pitcher isn’t on, we’ve got to give another guy a chance to play.”
It did not get much better for the Bruins once Craft entered the game. Craft, the redshirt senior, finished with 75 yards on 6-of-17 passing and was unable to lead the Bruins on any scoring drives.
It was a bittersweet day for the Bruin defense, as it was able to rebound from a discouraging performance from a week ago, yet still had to go through the pain of a loss.
“It was good, but it wasn’t good enough,” said safety Rahim Moore, who had two interceptions against Arizona to bring his season total to seven.
At the start of the game it looked as if it might be another long day for the defense as the Wildcats, under the direction of sophomore quarterback Nick Foles, drove to UCLA’s 26-yard line. Yet Moore caught a pass that deflected off the hands of Arizona’s David Douglas for his first interception of the day.
However, the Wildcats forced the Bruins to punt, and three plays later Foles found a wide-open Juron Criner for a 41-yard touchdown and an early 7-0 lead.
“We could have the best offense; we just have to execute,” said redshirt freshman running back Johnathan Franklin, who finished with 36 yards on nine carries. “We make too many mental mistakes.”
The only touchdown the Bruins were able to score came on a defensive play. On a 1st-and-10 from Arizona’s own 43-yard line, Foles dropped back and fired a quick lateral to the near side of the field. Reading the play all the way was linebacker Akeem Ayers, who stepped in front of the pass and nearly had an interception yet could not control it, letting the ball fall to the ground.
Realizing that Foles’ pass was thrown behind the line of scrimmage and the ball was still alive, UCLA safety Tony Dye picked the ball up and ran to the end zone to cut the lead to 20-13.
After a review, the play was upheld, and the Bruins had their lone touchdown of the night.
“When I hit the end zone it was so quiet in the stadium I wasn’t sure, was the play dead or anything, but then he raised his hands,” Dye said. “Burst of happiness.”
Yet neither that exhilarating play or any of the other four turnovers proved enough to overcome the offensive issues the Bruins struggled through throughout the course of the game.
“It’s not even so much as we did, so much how come we didn’t win?” Dye said. “It’s just after a while, this is our fourth loss now, when’s it going to come? We’re working because the effort’s there. We’re working our (tails) off in practice and games we’re flying around. It’s just, like, what do we have to do?”