Offense Report
The Good: Redshirt junior running back Damien Thigpen had his best game as a Bruin, amassing 89 yards on nine carries, good for 9.9 yards per carry. Redshirt freshman Steven Manfro F receiver continues to improve with each game. He had seven receptions for 78 yards and ran the ball in for a 14-yard touchdown.
The Bad: The numbers lie a bit with redshirt freshman quarterback Brett Hundley. Although he put up 320 yards in the air, he missed some open receivers down field and threw two picks while recording -2 rushing yards.
The Verdict:The Bruins put up video game numbers ““ 567 yards of total offense ““ yet still have room to improve. If Hundley and Franklin were on par with their performances from their first two games, the Bruins could have put even bigger numbers.
Defense Report
The Good: The secondary could not be penetrated. Despite Houston’s quarterback David Piland throwing 60 times, the Cougars were only able to get 249 yards in the air. Three different Bruins recorded picks tonight for a total of five ““ with senior Sheldon Price tying the single game record for interceptions for UCLA with three.
The Bad: Not much. The Bruin defense got burned on an 86-yard run by Piland, but prior to that the Bruins had the Cougars laying a goose egg.
The Verdict: The UCLA defense had its best game of the season so far. A mere 16 seconds after kickoff, the Bruins forced a fumble, which they recovered for a touchdown, setting the tone for the rest of the game.
Best of the Bruins
Senior cornerback Sheldon Price tied a school record with three interceptions in the game. The feat has only been matched by former teammate Rahim Moore and current teammate redshirt sophomore free safety Tevin McDonald.
Sights & Sounds
““ Former UCLA lineman Nick Ekbatani was the honorary captain for Saturday’s game. Ekbatani was recently in a motorcycle accident in which part of his leg had to be amputated.
““ Perhaps the loudest roar of the game from the UCLA crowd came when the USC v. Stanford score was announced.
Online
““ For full coverage of Saturday’s game, visit dailybruin.com/sports or our sports blog Bruin Sights at dailybruin.com/bruinsights
““ Follow @DBSports on Twitter for live updates during game time.
““ Download the Bruin Football app from the App Store for all the latest news and updates on UCLA football.