Saturday’s game stirred up many bad memories from UCLA’s five-game losing streak.
UCLA starting quarterback Kevin Prince got smashed in a helmet-to-helmet collision and had to leave the game.
Backup quarterback Richard Brehaut came in for one series and fumbled the ball on his only passing attempt.
Third-string quarterback Kevin Craft threw a costly interception on an overthrown ball.
The Bruins turned the ball more than five times, fumbled six times and threw two interceptions.
They had costly “stupid penalties,” including an illegal shift by Brehaut and multiple personal fouls.
They allowed an opposing running back to amass 132 yards on the ground.
But this time around, UCLA (4-5, 1-5 Pac-10) did just enough right to escape the Rose Bowl with its first conference victory, a 24-23 nail-biter over Washington (3-6, 2-4).
“We’re going to enjoy it for today, and then we are going to look and see how we made all those mistakes and survived,” coach Rick Neuheisel said.
Perhaps the biggest difference against Washington was that on Saturday, UCLA made plays and got lucky at the most critical points.
The clincher came with less than a minute remaining ““ UCLA clinging to its one-point lead while Jake Locker drove his Huskies downfield to the UCLA 46.
Locker threw deep to the sideline, picking on the true freshman corner back Sheldon Price in one-on-one coverage. But Price was able to tip the ball into the air, giving it just enough hang time so that sophomore free safety Rahim Moore could race over and intercept it on its way down. The pick halted the Huskies’ drive and sealed the huge win for the Bruins.
“If I’m the quarterback, I’d throw (at Price),” Moore said. “He’s a freshman. So I disguised a little bit, knowing that Jake Locker, where he looks, that’s where he throws. So I said, “˜I’m going to take a chance. It’s on the line.’ When he threw it, I was already over there.
“When Sheldon tipped it, I just went and stole it. I had to make a play for the team, man. That’s it.”
On the offensive side, the Bruins threw for a combined 371 yards, the most since 2005. And unlike in weeks past, UCLA scored three touchdowns and kicked only one field goal in five trips to the red zone, executing for the most part when it mattered.
But the Bruins also had a few balls bounce (and fly) their way.
Husky kicker Erik Folk shanked a 38-yard field goal very wide left ““ points that would have given Washington the lead with 10:41 remaining.
UCLA’s only touchdown of the second half came thanks to what was either a miraculous circus catch by senior receiver Terrence Austin ““ or an incomplete pass.
Redshirt senior Craft overthrew Austin, who was streaking and wide open down the middle seam of the field, but the receiver laid out to make a diving catch. Upon hitting the ground, the ball appeared to get jarred loose ““ and may have hit the ground ““ but wound up in the air. Austin’s momentum kept him rolling forward in an almost cartwheel-like fashion, and the ball plopped into his hands in the end zone.
“It gets the whole team’s confidence up that we can make these plays,” said sophomore receiver Nelson Rosario, who led the Bruins with another 100-plus-yard performance. “It snowballs.”
Craft found himself yet again in the game despite taking virtually no reps in practice because Prince suffered a jarring blow in the second quarter.
On fire through the air and having completed 13-of-17 passes just prior to the injury, Prince rolled out of the pocket, and seeing expansive open field in front of him, ran for at least 10 yards.
But he didn’t slide feet first.
Instead, he ducked his head and slid headfirst, bracing for the impact of a hit ““ and the hit came. Hard.
About four minutes later he was walking slowly, dazed, off to the sideline.
“I probably should have slid,” Prince said. “I was trying to get the extra yards, and I just dove. I guess I got hit helmet-to-helmet or something. (I was knocked out) just for a second or two. I feel fine now. They said it was a minor concussion. I should be good to go for next week.”
Craft was able to do just enough to guide the Bruins to a win. The much-maligned quarterback finished 10-for-14 with 159 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
It was Craft ““ the quarterback who many thought wouldn’t see the field again ““ who was standing at midfield after the game accepting congratulatory pats on the back and waiting to do a television interview.
“It’s awesome,” he said. “It feels good to win again. We needed to feel that again.”