CORVALLIS, Ore. – Clad in camouflage-themed uniforms in honor of Veterans Day, UCLA football continued on its mission to make the Pac-12 Championships by defeating Oregon State 41-0 Saturday afternoon.
UCLA started off inefficiently in the first quarter, failing to reach the red zone and remaining scoreless through the first 15 minutes. After shaking off the slow start, the No. 23 Bruins were dominant across the next three periods, shutting out the unranked Beavers en route to the Bruins’ best win of the season and first road shutout since 1987.
“These last three games (on the schedule) are huge. It’s do or die,” said senior receiver Jordan Payton. “Any win is a big win, especially coming to Corvallis (where) it’s raining. They’re always saying L.A. kids can’t hang in the rain.”
UCLA has a habit of playing down to lower-ranked opponents, as evidenced by the its upset loss to Arizona State and the close call against Colorado last weekend.
The Bruins didn’t do so against the Beavers, owning both sides of the ball. Freshman quarterback Josh Rosen threw 333 yards for two touchdowns to complement a defensive performance that created four turnovers. The freshman completed 22-of-33 in one of his most dynamic performances, scrambling out of situations that would have resulted in sacks or safeties.
“I’d like to think (my composure has improved), but actually a few times I got out a little prematurely,” Rosen said. “I try not to scramble, I try to hit everything from the pocket, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.”
The Bruins outplayed the Beavers with ease, totaling 674 yards of total offense compared to Oregon State’s 246. UCLA was six-for-seven from the red zone with a 61 percent third down conversion rate, much improved from its showing against Colorado, where the Bruins were 7-of-22 on third down conversions.
Not all bad habits were avoided, however, as the Bruins racked up 10 penalties for 71 yards, just shy of UCLA’s game average of 77.9. Even that wasn’t enough to get the Beavers in the game, as Oregon State managed to run just 57 plays compared to UCLA’s 95.
Rosen attributed the Bruins’ high number of miscues on the line of scrimmage to foul play on the part of the Beavers, who were calling cadences in an effort to distract the offense. Making up for the six false start penalties were three interceptions that ignited the UCLA offense and gave the Bruins additional chances to score.
“We definitely put up a lot of points, put up a lot of yards, so I think it’s a good boost for our team,” said redshirt junior running back Paul Perkins, who had 89 rushing yards on the night. “Whenever we get the ball on the 40-yard line or the 50-yard line, we can put up some points (and) that definitely gives us a big morale boost.”
The win moves UCLA to 7-2 on the season with three games remaining on the conference schedule, the first being the Bruins’ final home matchup against the Washington State Cougars next Saturday.