The original headline accompanying this article and the original version of the article contained multiple errors and has been changed. See the bottom of the article for additional information.
When redshirt senior wide receiver Shaquelle Evans tore open for 15 yards on a fourth-and-5 to bring the Bruins five yards across midfield, completion of a furious rally appeared to be within UCLA’s grasp.
A visit to the end zone would erase a 22-point deficit and make for a four-to-none touchdown second-half run for the Bruins. But consecutive holding penalties on freshmen linemen essentially capped off a night in which the Sun Devils gave the Bruins all they could handle. Faced with a first-and-30, UCLA (8-3, 5-3) would not convert another first down in the twilight seconds of its 38-33 loss to Arizona State (9-2, 7-1) on Saturday night at the Rose Bowl.
“We got ourselves into a hole in the first half and were not able to recover. … It was just a little too much to overcome,” said coach Jim Mora, following Arizona State’s clinching of a conference title game berth. “The loss is bitterly disappointing.”
In reinforcing a trend dating back to its season opener against Nevada, UCLA failed to put together two complete halves of football. Unlike many games leading to Saturday night, neither the offense nor the defense clicked in a first half that saw UCLA dig itself into a 35-13 hole, the second-largest deficit the team has encountered all season.
Excluding a 42-yard strike from redshirt sophomore quarterback Brett Hundley to Devin Lucien in the end zone, Hundley owned two completions for 23 yards in the first half. The signal caller also handed the Sun Devils a touchdown in the second quarter, throwing a soft pass intended for a short route into the arms of a rushing Arizona State linebacker who scored from 18 yards out to put Arizona State up 21-10. Arizona State went on to become the first team to score 30 points against UCLA in a half this season, taking all of 40 seconds to set up a 19-yard touchdown pass right before halftime for a 35-13 lead.
Despite the rough first half on both sides of the ball, Hundley remained undeterred in approaching the game on a play-by-play basis.
“(There are) a lot of things in this game where you can look back. … There were critical moments in the game, but that’s like every game. … We’ve got to learn to … win the down,” Hundley said.
While Hundley struggled through the first two quarters, Arizona State redshirt junior counterpart Taylor Kelly flourished. Kelly repeatedly gashing the Bruins on scrambles and read-option keeps in picking up 84 of his career-high 99 rushing yards in the first half. The 106 ground yards of Nevada junior quarterback Cody Fajardo represents the only quarterback who has enjoyed more rushing success against UCLA this season.
“He kept drives alive, he frustrated us … we couldn’t find the ball. We got caught out of position on some things. That’s what was frustrating to me, not being able to the handle the quarterback defensively,” Mora said. The coach was impressed enough with Kelly to the point of seeking out the quarterback to shake his hand after the game, an act Mora said he does not often perform.
After intermission, Hundley awakened to finish with 253 yards on 18 completions. A 27-yard catch and run from Hundley to Evans supplied the game’s final points at 38-33 early in the fourth quarter.
UCLA assembled a 79-yard drive to open the second act, and a botched punt snap recovered by senior outside linebacker Anthony Barr set the Bruins up on the Sun Devils’ 20-yard line during another touchdown drive. UCLA’s penultimate drive saw the team come within 6 yards of the end zone, down by 5.
“Playing from behind, even at home, when the momentum’s not on your side, it’s rough to … build something out of nothing. We fought back and just didn’t make enough plays,” said freshman linebacker Myles Jack, who saw a paltry amount of downs on defense, as a result of the team giving him 16 carries as the team’s starting running back.
According to Mora, the team’s decision to play in its five-defensive back nickel defense was conducive to relieving Jack of nearly all his defensive responsibilities. UCLA’s defense didn’t appear to miss Jack much in the second half in battening down the hatches to bottle up the Sun Devils to just 15 net ground yards in the second half.
Jack said he didn’t believe that he’d be of much help if the coaches decided to insert him into his primary linebacking role in the second half. The freshman did not practice defense during the week and said UCLA defenses are tailored specifically to a given week’s opponent.
With the loss guaranteeing UCLA will not reach its third-consecutive Pac-12 title game, Mora remained proud of the development shown by a program nearing the end of its second year under him.
“When you think of their year and … what they’ve overcome … there’s something growing around here that’s going to be special,” Mora said. “It’s not there yet, but it’s growing.”
Correction: The headline mistakenly indicated UCLA lost the Pac-12 title. In losing to Arizona State University, UCLA lost its chance to win the Pac-12 title. Arizona State is the first team to score 30 points against UCLA in a half this season. Nevada junior quarterback Cody Fajardo is the only quarterback with more than 100 ground yards of rushing success against UCLA this season. The Sun Devils took 15 net ground yards in the second half against UCLA’s defense.