PULLMAN, Wash. “”mdash; Chane Moline’s voice is slightly squeaky ““ sort of soft, but very kind.
It’s strange to listen to him after watching his big body plow mercilessly through tacklers in the freezing cold.
But despite the layer of snow on the sidelines, Saturday was the senior fullback’s day in the sun.
He was the one reporters crowded around in the locker room, and he answered question after question, even a few that got repeated, with a huge grin on his face.
“It’s definitely a special game,” Moline said. “I will remember this for a long time.”
The guy who has been largely lost in the Bruins’ overcrowded backfield loaded with young talent had a career day on Saturday with 25 yards rushing, a team-leading seven receptions for 60 yards and a career high three touchdowns.
Moline scored the game-winning touchdown in the first quarter on a hard two-yard burst into the end zone that deflated the Cougar faithful. His second score came from seven yards out, with Moline as the running back in the Wildcat formation, executing a play he had never run before, even in practice.
But perhaps his final touchdown meant the most. The bruising back took the handoff from 16 yards out and got around the corner to score what Moline thinks is the longest touchdown of his UCLA career.
In between the touchdown runs, Moline became a reliable third option as a receiver, constantly open in the flat, where redshirt freshman quarterback Kevin Prince could dump the ball to him and expect several yards after the catch.
“He’s a great pass catcher, and he’s tough to bring down,” Prince said. “I feel like he’s had the ability all along, he’s just getting more chances to show what he can do.”
Unlike Prince, Moline only has two games left as a Bruin, which made Saturday’s performance all the more memorable. He knows his time is drawing to a close, and he certainly wants to go out with a bang.
“My games are limited here,” he said. “So I’m just trying to do the best I can to help this team out.”
Changing positions?
In the course of UCLA’s 43-7 throttling of Washington State, Prince managed his third 300-yard passing game of the season.
But Prince also did something he hasn’t done yet in his career: He led the team in rushing.
The redshirt freshman ran for 76 yards on only five carries and had one impressive touchdown. Early in the second quarter with the game still statistically close, Prince dropped back and rolled left out of the pocket and, as has become routine this season, took off when he saw open field.
Sixty-eight yards and one missed tackle later, Prince was in the end zone with the longest play, running or passing, of his career.
“I didn’t see anything open (in man coverage) so I saw an open lane, and tried to get as much as I could which turned out to be touchdown,” he said. “It was a big momentum builder for us.”
Prince got a lot of help on the play from his senior receiver Terrence Austin, who played a decoy to keep his defender away from Prince. Cougar Myron Beck seemed to be fully unaware that Prince had broken containment and was heading his way, focused completely on Austin who just kept running his route.
Prince, who has gotten injured twice this season because he has chosen to slide head-first on running plays, was thinking about what to do if a collision was coming.
“I remember No. 13 running with Terrence, and I remember thinking, “˜If he turns around I’m sliding.’ I think I got a little lucky there.”
Quick Hits:
Midway through the third quarter redshirt senior tight end Logan Paulsen walked off under his own power after suffering from cramping in his calf. He is expected to play next week … Freshman quarterback Richard Brehaut and redshirt freshman quarterback Nick Crissman both saw one series of action in the fourth quarter … Redshirt junior punter Danny Rees recorded the first punt of his career in the fourth quarter ““ a 37-yard punt that was downed at the two-yard line.