Bruins survive run-in with Buffs, win 35-31

PASADENA – Freshman defensive back Nate Meadors made the play of his career Saturday when he intercepted Colorado quarterback Sefo Liufau’s pass with less than a minute left, preserving UCLA’s 35-31 win.

Cheers echoed around a near-empty Rose Bowl, whose fans had long departed after the Bruins led 28-13 at the end of the third quarter. Meadors’ defensive teammates were jubilant, but subdued, having played more than 110 plays against a Buff offense that controlled about 41 minutes of play.

“That was the best feeling ever, (with) young Nate,” said junior linebacker Jayon Brown, who had 18 tackles on the game. “(But) we celebrated on the inside.”

Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley was forced to execute every contingency plan in his playbook due to injuries and absences, pulling the redshirt of freshman linebacker Josh Woods to plug the holes in his line.

UCLA was dominant early, jumping out to a lead that buffered Colorado’s late run. By the middle of the second quarter, the Bruins led 14-0 following a 96-yard touchdown run by junior cornerback Ishmael Adams off a red-zone interception. The play was indicative of the Bruin offense against the Buffs – limited in possession time but punctuated by big plays.

Extending its first-half lead during its second-period scoring barrage, redshirt junior running back Paul Perkins rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown that put UCLA ahead 21-3 on the first play of its possession. That turnaround gave the Bruin defense 20 seconds of rest, and it wouldn’t see the sideline again until halftime.

Fatigue set in during the second half, where Colorado outscored UCLA 25-14. After the Bruins led comfortably for the majority of the game, the Buffs began to close in during the fourth quarter – pulling ahead 31-28 with 12 minutes remaining. Freshman running back Soso Jamabo dragged the Bruins back ahead with a rushing touchdown that would prove to be the game-winner, making it 35-31 with more than eight minutes left in regulation.

“That was about as gritty a win as I have ever been around,” said coach Jim Mora. “To overcome the things that we overcame in terms of personnel, was staggering. I couldn’t tell you who was there on any given play.”

Colorado was far from finished, however, and determined to make the game as interesting as its double-overtime 40-37 loss to UCLA last season. With less than five minutes remaining on the clock, Liufau launched a touchdown throw to Devin Ross in the left corner of the end zone. The receiver burned his defender, Adams, and elevated as the ball found his hands perfectly before slipping out as he hit the ground.

“We had to take a brave pill on a couple of those (plays),” Bradley said. “The one that was long there toward the end, I thought he had it. That’s when you swallow, your breakfast starts to come up a little bit there.”

The Bruins held on to go 6-2 on the season with only one home game left on their schedule. UCLA hits the road next week to take on Oregon State, before having to face two of its biggest conference threats – Utah and USC – on the road to close out Pac-12 play.