2008 UCLA Bruins football team
Encyclopedia
The UCLA Bruins football
team (Motto: Then ... Now ... Forever) opened the 2008 campaign by playing its first game at home against Tennessee under new head coach Rick Neuheisel
, at 5:00 p.m. at the Rose Bowl stadium
in Pasadena, California
. The Bruins played six of the Top 25 teams in the 2007 final Associated Press rankings, with eight opponents played in last season's bowl games. More than half of the opponents had won nine or more games during the 2007 season.
The Bruins had seven home games and five away games this season, UCLA's 90th season in college football and 27th season at the Rose Bowl. Since moving to the Rose Bowl, the Bruins had a 109-46-2 record, winning 70% (prior to this season).
On Monday, August 19, Neuheisel named Kevin Craft
(#3) as starting quarterback for the first game of the season. Both Ben Olson
(#7) and Patrick Cowan
(#12) were injured in pre-season practices. Other available quarterbacks were Chris Forcier (#8), Osaar Rasshan (#11), and Nick Crissman (#18).
Alterraun Verner and Aaron Perez were named to the 2008 Pacific-10 Conference All-Academic football team. Verner majors in mathematics and Perez is a sociology major. Sophomore place kicker Kai Forbath was named to Associated Press' All-America third team.
Other members of the coaching staff include: Wayne Moses, Running Backs coach; Bob Palcic, Offensive Line coach; Reggie Moore, Wide Receivers coach; Todd Howard, Defensive Line coach; Chuck Bullough, Linebackers coach; Tim Hauck, Secondary Coach; Frank Gansz, Jr., Special Teams.
{| style="w>dth:100%"
|+
| align="left" |
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! SE
|-
| Dominique Johnson (19)
|-
| Taylor Embree (82)
|}
|
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! LT !! LG
!! C
!! RG
!! RT
|-
| Micah Kia (73) Nick Ekbatani (75)
Micah Reed (58)
Sonny Tevaga (55)
>-
| Brandon Bennett (69) Darius Savage (77)
Jake Dean (57)
Scott Glicksberg (66)
SPECIALISTS: PK - Kai Forbath (25), Jeff Locke (49); KO - Jimmy Rotstein (37); P - Aaron Perez (17), 39 Danny Reese (39); LS - Christian Yount (52); H - 17 Aaron Perez (17); PR - Terrence Austin (4), Ryan Graves (2); KOR 4 Terrence Austin (4), Raymond Carter (20).
UCLA and the University of Tennessee agreed to move up their football game to Labor Day
in order to have the game nationally televised on ESPN
as one of only two football games played on the final day of college football opening weekend. The game was originally scheduled for September 6. The game kicked off from the Rose Bowl at 5 p.m. Pacific Time in the ESPN Monday Night Football
time slot, which for the rest of the season was devoted to NFL professional football. The moving of the game altered the schedules of the two teams. Tennessee was scheduled to begin the season on August 30 against the University of Alabama-Birmingham, but that game was moved to September 13. UCLA changed the September 6 slot to be an open date.
UCLA went ahead in the first quarter when Sean Westgate returned a blocked-punt for a 17-yard touchdown. After throwing four interceptions in the first half, Kevin Craft
threw a 3-yard pass to Ryan Moya in a 70-yard drive that gave UCLA the lead late in the fourth quarter. Then Tennessee's Daniel Lincoln's 47 yard field goal tied the game with no time in regulation. But Kai Forbath kicked a 42-yard field goal to give the Bruins a 27-24 lead in overtime. The Volunteers were unable to match the Bruins in overtime when Lincoln's field goal attempt went wide left.
The win made Rick Neuheisel
, a former UCLA quarterback who was the 1984 Rose Bowl MVP, only the third head coach to win in the first game. The win also marked the first win as a Bruin offensive coordinator for Norm Chow
.
Tennessee Head Coach Phil Fulmer has a season opener record of 14-3, with all three losses coming to teams in California: a 25-23 loss to UCLA at the Rose Bowl in 1994, a 45-31 loss to California in 2007, and this game.
BYU scored first on a Max Hall
pass to Dennis Pitta
for 10 yards for a touchdown; then another Hall pass to Austin Collie
for a two-yard score in the second quarter. UCLA fumbled the ball and the Cougars recovered, which led to Hall's pass to Collie for the third touchdown. The Bruins again fumbled and Hall had his 4th touchdown pass to Michael Reed. Another Bruins' fumble gave Hall his 5th pass touchdown. Before the end of second quarter, Hall threw his 6th pass (2 yards) to Pitta.
In the second half, Max Hall passed to Harvey Unga for a 6-yard touchdown, Mitch Payne kicked a 24-yard field goal and Wayne Latu rushed for a 13-yard touchdown to give BYU the 59-0 win. This was the worst loss the Bruins endured since a 76-0 defeat in the very first UCLA-USC rivalry
football game.
, who had been a thorn to UCLA for the last couple of years, threw 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns to tight end Rob Gronkowski
.
The only touchdown for UCLA came from Korey Bosworth, who recovered a Wildcat fumble and rolled one yard into the end zone for the score. Kai Fobath kicked a 35-yard field goal to cut Arizona's lead to 17-10 at half-time.
No scoring by either team in the third quarter, but Arizona took care of that by scoring two touchdowns with the short fields in the final period. UCLA running back Chane Moline (#42) had 72 yards rushing and Arizona's wide receiver Mike Thomas (#10) caught for 112 yards. Aaron Perez kicked two punts for more than 50 yards for the Bruins and they were downed inside the two-yard line.
A Derrick Coleman fumble in the redzone in the fourth quarter took away the Bruins' hope of keeping the Bulldogs from winning a game in the Rose Bowl stadium. Fresno State won its first game there by five points, taking control of the final 8 minutes and 55 seconds and not allowing a UCLA comeback.
UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft (#3) passed for 224 yards, Derrick Coleman (#33) rushed for 51 yards and Terrence Austin (#4) had 78 yards of receiving in this game. There were no UCLA turnovers for the first time since their game at Arizona on Nov. 3, 2007. With the win, Coach Rick Neuheisel has a 6-0 record on the Washington State Cougars.
The Oregon Ducks handed UCLA a fourth loss for the season by scoring two touchdowns in the first half. In the early third quarter, Derrick Coleman scored a touchdown for UCLA, but the Ducks answered with a LeGarrette Blout touchdown within 90 seconds. Kahlil Bell scored with 27 seconds left in the third quarter to close the gap at 21-14.
Fourth quarter saw both teams scoring a field goal and a touchdown. Jeff Miller caught a touchdown pass for the Bruins and Blount had a touchdown for the Ducks.
and UCLA Band
performed during half time. The Cardinal started the season with a Pac-10 win over the Beavers 36-28 and had a 4-3 (3-1 in Pac-10) record entering the game. In the previous week, the Cardinal beat Arizona 24-23 in an exciting conference game, while the Bruins lost a close game to the Ducks. UCLA had a record of 44-31-3 on the Cardinal going into the game.
With ten seconds left and UCLA behind by four points, quarterback Kevin Craft
passed to freshman Cory Harkey for a 7-yard touchdown in the northeast corner of the Rose Bowl
to stage an upset win, 23-20, over the Stanford Cardinal
. Two turnovers by the Bruins led to the 14 Stanford points in the first half.
In the game, Bruins' Craft had 285 passing yards and Taylor Embree caught 72 yards, while Stanford's Toby Gerhard rushed for 138 yards. Also for UCLA, Terrence Austin scored on a 2-yard pass from Craft and Kai Forbath kicked three field goals (37, 19, and 28 yards). Gerhard scored two touchdowns and Aaron Zagory kicked two field goals (40 and 29 yards) for Stanford.
on September 27. The Bruins took their only lead of the game at the beginning of the second quarter by managing to block a punt attempt by Bryan Anger and recovering the ball in the end zone to go up 7-3. On the ensuing possession Jahvid Best was able to break free for 34 yard run, the only offensive touchdown in the first half for the Bears. Marcus Ezeff then intercepted a pass by Bruins quarterback Kevin Craft
which he was able to return for a 69 yard touchdown. Both teams then traded field goals into the fourth quarter. After getting a stop on a fake Bruins punt attempt which nearly converted a 4th and 23 with a 22 yard pass, Riley hit Nyan Boateng
for a 53 yard touchdown. Michael Mohammed then intercepted a Craft pass for a 19 yard score. Riley threw his second touchdown pass of the game on a ten yard strike to Cameron Morrah. UCLA got in the final score of the game when backup quarterback Chris Forcier threw a nine yard pass to Dominique Johnson, which was set up by a kickoff return by wide receiver Terrence Austin for 81 yards.
Craft passed for 206 yards and was picked off four times, two coming off tipped balls. Wide receiver Taylor Embree had 90 yards receiving. The Bears held the Bruins to 16 yards rushing, while Jahvid Best ran for 115 and Shane Vereen had 99. Riley passed for 153 yards and two touchdowns, although he was sacked three times. The victory continued Cal's win streak against UCLA at Memorial Stadium, having not lost to the Bruins at home since 1998.
The Oregon State Beavers took the game away from the Bruins in the second half by scoring 14 points after half-time in the third quarter and allowing only a field goal to UCLA. Kevin Craft was intercepted twice in the fourth quarter to dash any hope of a come back. Highlights for the Bruins included a 67-yard punt by Aaron Perez, Taylor Embree's five receptions for 64 yards and Reggie Carter's 10 tackles.
already had been fired from his position. On October 27, 2008, the University of Washington announced that he will not be retained as head coach after the completion of Washington's 2008 football season. Willingham became the third Washington coach to be fired (out of the last four) since Hall of Fame coach Don James resigned in 1993 because of pending NCAA
and Pac-10 sanctions against his team where his players were determined to have "accepted substantial and illegal benefits under James, likely with his knowledge" .
UCLA coach Neuheisel had been fired in the summer of 2003 from the University of Washington
in relation to his participation in a neighborhood pool for the 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
and lies he told about his actions. The University of Washington had its probation extended for failing to monitor its football program. This was Neuheisel's first return to Husky Stadium
following the firing. There was some booing, but not a significant amount. The Huskies had been on a winless streak all season, and were at 0-9.
The day was sunny and dry, so weather was not a factor as can often be the case in Seattle in November. Under the direction of quarterback Kevin Craft, the Bruins drove 80 yards in 12 plays. Running back Derrick Coleman rushed for a touchdown in the first half. In the second half, the Bruins launched a ninety-two yard drive. Backed up against the goal line, running back Kahlil Bell ran four straight times, and Craft followed with several key pass completions. UCLA finally scored on a run by Bell, taking the 24-7 lead.
The Sun Devils ended UCLA's hope of postseason play with a 34-9 victory over the Bruins. Kai Forbath kicked three field goals, including a 53-yarder, for all of the Bruins' points. ASU had four defensive touchdowns, including a 100-yard interception touchdown.
In the game, Marcus Everett caught eight passes for 75 yards, Michael Norris had six tackles, and Korey Bosworth tallied two sacks during the game for UCLA. A school record was set when Aaron Perez punted eight times for a total career punt yards mark and Terrence Austin ran for 188 all purpose yards, 131 yards in kickoff returns.
would perform in his battle to gain supremacy in Los Angeles. Both schools wore their home colorful uniforms, the first time since 1982.
A fumble recovery turned into a pass reception touchdown by Kahlil Bell in the beginning of the game was all the scoring by the Bruins in this the latest cross-town rivalry game. Quarterback Kevin Craft
completed 11 out of 28 passes for a total of 89 yards and had one pass intercepted. He finished the season with 232 completions, second place in history. Terrence Austin
set a new school record with 1,878 all-purpose yards, surpassing Maurice Jones Drew, who had 1,863 yards in 2005.
Joe McKnight
(12-yard run), Damian Williams
(12-yard pass from Mark Sanchez
), Stafon Johnson
(2-yard run) and Patrick Turner (18-yard pass from Sanchez) accounted for the Trojans' scores. Sanchez passed for 269 yards, McKnight ran for 99 yards and Turner caught for 81 yards.
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
team (Motto: Then ... Now ... Forever) opened the 2008 campaign by playing its first game at home against Tennessee under new head coach Rick Neuheisel
Rick Neuheisel
Richard Gerald "Rick" Neuheisel, Jr. , is an American football coach, former player, and attorney. He was most recently the head football coach at University of California, Los Angeles, a position he held from 2008 to 2011...
, at 5:00 p.m. at the Rose Bowl stadium
Rose Bowl (stadium)
The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12...
in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
. The Bruins played six of the Top 25 teams in the 2007 final Associated Press rankings, with eight opponents played in last season's bowl games. More than half of the opponents had won nine or more games during the 2007 season.
The Bruins had seven home games and five away games this season, UCLA's 90th season in college football and 27th season at the Rose Bowl. Since moving to the Rose Bowl, the Bruins had a 109-46-2 record, winning 70% (prior to this season).
On Monday, August 19, Neuheisel named Kevin Craft
Kevin Craft
Kevin Craft is a former college football quarterback at UCLA, who played for the Cougars de Saint-Ouen l'Aumône, France in France.-High school years:...
(#3) as starting quarterback for the first game of the season. Both Ben Olson
Ben Olson
Benjamen James Olson is an American football quarterback. He played for the UCLA Bruins football team. He excelled in football at Thousand Oaks High School, earning high school All-American honors in 2001....
(#7) and Patrick Cowan
Patrick Cowan
Patrick Edmund Cowan is a free agent American football quarterback. He was previously the starting quarterback for the UCLA Bruins football team after starter Ben Olson was injured in the middle of the 2006 season. Cowan was a redshirt sophomore...
(#12) were injured in pre-season practices. Other available quarterbacks were Chris Forcier (#8), Osaar Rasshan (#11), and Nick Crissman (#18).
Alterraun Verner and Aaron Perez were named to the 2008 Pacific-10 Conference All-Academic football team. Verner majors in mathematics and Perez is a sociology major. Sophomore place kicker Kai Forbath was named to Associated Press' All-America third team.
Schedule
Coaching staff
Rick Neuheisel
- MVP, 1984 Rose Bowl game
- Played for USFL San Antonio Gunslingers
- Assistant UCLA football coach
- Played for NFL San Diego Chargers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Head Coach, Colorado & Washington
- Quarterback Coach and Offensive Coordinator for NFL Baltimore Ravens
DeWayne Walker
- Defensive Coordinator Walker's defensive unit ranked best in each of his first two seasons.
- UCLA ranked 14th in rushing defense (109.2 yds/game) and 29th in total defense (343.23) in 2007.
- The Bruins also ranked second in tackles for loss per game (8.7), third in thirddown conversion defense (29.1%), tied for 15th in sacks per game (3.0) and tied for 17th in fumbles caused (14).
- The Bruins ranked tied for ninth in the nation in rushing defense (91.08) and ranked fifth in third-down conversion defense (28.4%) in 2006.
Norm Chow
- Offensive Coordinator Chow has worked with several of the NCAA’s all-time career pass efficiency leaders.
- He has mentored six quarterbacks selected in the first-round of the NFL draft (Carson PalmerCarson PalmerCarson Palmer is an American professional football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals first overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the University of Southern California and won the Heisman Trophy in 2002...
, Matt LeinartMatt LeinartMatthew Stephen Leinart , is an American professional football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League...
, Philip RiversPhilip RiversPhilip Rivers is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League . He was one half of the Manning-Rivers draft trade which sent him to San Diego and the 1st overall pick, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, to the New York Giants. Rivers played college...
, Steve Young, Jim McMahonJim McMahonJames Robert "Jim" McMahon, Jr. is a former American football player. He played college football at Brigham Young University, where he was a two-time All-American and later in the professional ranks with the Chicago Bears, San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona...
, Marc Wilson).
Other members of the coaching staff include: Wayne Moses, Running Backs coach; Bob Palcic, Offensive Line coach; Reggie Moore, Wide Receivers coach; Todd Howard, Defensive Line coach; Chuck Bullough, Linebackers coach; Tim Hauck, Secondary Coach; Frank Gansz, Jr., Special Teams.
Depth chart
Reggie Carter (51) | >- | Steve Sloan (43) | Brian Price Brian Price (American football) Brian Larisso Price is an American football defensive tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played his collegiate football at the University of California, Los Angeles.-High school career:... (92) |
Brigham Harwell (93) | >- | Jerzy Siewierski (90) | Chase Moline (50) |
{| style="w>dth:100%"
|+
| align="left" |
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! SE
|-
| Dominique Johnson (19)
|-
| Taylor Embree (82)
|}
|
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! LT !! LG
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
!! C
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
!! RG
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
!! RT
|-
| Micah Kia (73)
| Brandon Bennett (69)
SPECIALISTS: PK - Kai Forbath (25), Jeff Locke (49); KO - Jimmy Rotstein (37); P - Aaron Perez (17), 39 Danny Reese (39); LS - Christian Yount (52); H - 17 Aaron Perez (17); PR - Terrence Austin (4), Ryan Graves (2); KOR 4 Terrence Austin (4), Raymond Carter (20).
Media
In addition to the games on TV, the football games were broadcasted on the UCLA ISP Sports Network (AM570 Sports, in Los Angeles), with Chris Roberts, Matt Stevens and Wayne Cook. 2008 marked the 17th year of the voice of the Bruins for Roberts, 12th season for Stevens, and 7th year for Cook. Both Stevens and Cook are former quarterbacks for UCLA.Tennessee (#18)
This was the season-opening game for both teams. Tennessee held a 7-4-2 record on the Bruins before game time. Only San Diego State had more games with the Bruins in a non-conference series history. The 1996 game against Tennessee set an attendance record with a crowd of 106,297 at Neyland Stadium.UCLA and the University of Tennessee agreed to move up their football game to Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
in order to have the game nationally televised on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
as one of only two football games played on the final day of college football opening weekend. The game was originally scheduled for September 6. The game kicked off from the Rose Bowl at 5 p.m. Pacific Time in the ESPN Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
time slot, which for the rest of the season was devoted to NFL professional football. The moving of the game altered the schedules of the two teams. Tennessee was scheduled to begin the season on August 30 against the University of Alabama-Birmingham, but that game was moved to September 13. UCLA changed the September 6 slot to be an open date.
UCLA went ahead in the first quarter when Sean Westgate returned a blocked-punt for a 17-yard touchdown. After throwing four interceptions in the first half, Kevin Craft
Kevin Craft
Kevin Craft is a former college football quarterback at UCLA, who played for the Cougars de Saint-Ouen l'Aumône, France in France.-High school years:...
threw a 3-yard pass to Ryan Moya in a 70-yard drive that gave UCLA the lead late in the fourth quarter. Then Tennessee's Daniel Lincoln's 47 yard field goal tied the game with no time in regulation. But Kai Forbath kicked a 42-yard field goal to give the Bruins a 27-24 lead in overtime. The Volunteers were unable to match the Bruins in overtime when Lincoln's field goal attempt went wide left.
The win made Rick Neuheisel
Rick Neuheisel
Richard Gerald "Rick" Neuheisel, Jr. , is an American football coach, former player, and attorney. He was most recently the head football coach at University of California, Los Angeles, a position he held from 2008 to 2011...
, a former UCLA quarterback who was the 1984 Rose Bowl MVP, only the third head coach to win in the first game. The win also marked the first win as a Bruin offensive coordinator for Norm Chow
Norm Chow
Norman Chow is the offensive coordinator for the Utah Utes, a position he started on January 22, 2011. He previously held the same position with UCLA, the NFL's Tennessee Titans, USC, North Carolina State, and Brigham Young University....
.
Tennessee Head Coach Phil Fulmer has a season opener record of 14-3, with all three losses coming to teams in California: a 25-23 loss to UCLA at the Rose Bowl in 1994, a 45-31 loss to California in 2007, and this game.
BYU
It was a homecoming for Norman Chow, who was an assistant coach at BYU for many years. Dewayne Walker also coached the Cougars as defensive coordinator. The Bruins held a 7-2 record on the Cougars prior to the game. BYU was ranked No. 18 in the AP Top 25 poll and No. 15 in the USA Today/Coaches Poll. Former BYU quarterback Ben Olson did not play due to injuries. In his first career start at San Diego State, Kevin Craft completed 20 of 32 passes for 216 yards against BYU.BYU scored first on a Max Hall
Max Hall
Max Hall is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at BYU.-Early years:...
pass to Dennis Pitta
Dennis Pitta
-Baltimore Ravens:Pitta was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was signed to a three-year contract on June 21, 2010.-External links:**...
for 10 yards for a touchdown; then another Hall pass to Austin Collie
Austin Collie
Austin Kirk Collie is a Canadian-American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Colts in the fourth round in the 2009 NFL Draft...
for a two-yard score in the second quarter. UCLA fumbled the ball and the Cougars recovered, which led to Hall's pass to Collie for the third touchdown. The Bruins again fumbled and Hall had his 4th touchdown pass to Michael Reed. Another Bruins' fumble gave Hall his 5th pass touchdown. Before the end of second quarter, Hall threw his 6th pass (2 yards) to Pitta.
In the second half, Max Hall passed to Harvey Unga for a 6-yard touchdown, Mitch Payne kicked a 24-yard field goal and Wayne Latu rushed for a 13-yard touchdown to give BYU the 59-0 win. This was the worst loss the Bruins endured since a 76-0 defeat in the very first UCLA-USC rivalry
UCLA-USC rivalry
The UCLA–USC rivalry is the American college rivalry between the UCLA Bruins sports teams of the University of California, Los Angeles and the USC Trojans sports teams of the University of Southern California ....
football game.
Arizona
The Bruins held a 19-11-2 record on the Wildcats at game time. On a day when the Bruins were woeful in punt coverage and bad in third down conversions, the Arizona Wildcats won 31-10 in the Rose Bowl. Arizona quarterback Willie TuitamaWillie Tuitama
Willie Coonley Savea Tuitama is an American football quarterback for the Nebraska Danger of the Indoor Football League.-Early life:...
, who had been a thorn to UCLA for the last couple of years, threw 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns to tight end Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski is an American football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
.
The only touchdown for UCLA came from Korey Bosworth, who recovered a Wildcat fumble and rolled one yard into the end zone for the score. Kai Fobath kicked a 35-yard field goal to cut Arizona's lead to 17-10 at half-time.
No scoring by either team in the third quarter, but Arizona took care of that by scoring two touchdowns with the short fields in the final period. UCLA running back Chane Moline (#42) had 72 yards rushing and Arizona's wide receiver Mike Thomas (#10) caught for 112 yards. Aaron Perez kicked two punts for more than 50 yards for the Bruins and they were downed inside the two-yard line.
Fresno State
Before the game, the Bruins held a 6-1 record on the Bulldogs. The game was a public safety appreciation game. Because of a knee injury, Fresno State's top defense lineman Jon Monga did not play.A Derrick Coleman fumble in the redzone in the fourth quarter took away the Bruins' hope of keeping the Bulldogs from winning a game in the Rose Bowl stadium. Fresno State won its first game there by five points, taking control of the final 8 minutes and 55 seconds and not allowing a UCLA comeback.
Washington State
The Bruins had a 35-18-1 record on the Cougars. UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame Ceremony was held during half-time. The game was the conference opener for both teams.UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft (#3) passed for 224 yards, Derrick Coleman (#33) rushed for 51 yards and Terrence Austin (#4) had 78 yards of receiving in this game. There were no UCLA turnovers for the first time since their game at Arizona on Nov. 3, 2007. With the win, Coach Rick Neuheisel has a 6-0 record on the Washington State Cougars.
Oregon
The Ducks beat the Washington Huskies 44-10 in the first game of the season. UCLA led the series with a 39-22 record on Oregon.The Oregon Ducks handed UCLA a fourth loss for the season by scoring two touchdowns in the first half. In the early third quarter, Derrick Coleman scored a touchdown for UCLA, but the Ducks answered with a LeGarrette Blout touchdown within 90 seconds. Kahlil Bell scored with 27 seconds left in the third quarter to close the gap at 21-14.
Fourth quarter saw both teams scoring a field goal and a touchdown. Jeff Miller caught a touchdown pass for the Bruins and Blount had a touchdown for the Ducks.
Stanford
It was Homecoming, parent's weekend and high school band day at the Rose Bowl for the Bruins. High school bands, along with Stanford BandStanford Band
The Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band is the student marching band of Stanford University. Billing itself as "The World's Largest Rock and Roll Band", the Stanford Band performs at sporting events, student activities, and other functions...
and UCLA Band
UCLA Band
The 270 member UCLA Bruin Marching Band, known as The Solid Gold Sound, represents the University at major athletic and extracurricular events. During the fall marching season, the Band performs at the Rose Bowl for UCLA Bruin home football games...
performed during half time. The Cardinal started the season with a Pac-10 win over the Beavers 36-28 and had a 4-3 (3-1 in Pac-10) record entering the game. In the previous week, the Cardinal beat Arizona 24-23 in an exciting conference game, while the Bruins lost a close game to the Ducks. UCLA had a record of 44-31-3 on the Cardinal going into the game.
With ten seconds left and UCLA behind by four points, quarterback Kevin Craft
Kevin Craft
Kevin Craft is a former college football quarterback at UCLA, who played for the Cougars de Saint-Ouen l'Aumône, France in France.-High school years:...
passed to freshman Cory Harkey for a 7-yard touchdown in the northeast corner of the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl (stadium)
The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12...
to stage an upset win, 23-20, over the Stanford Cardinal
Stanford Cardinal
The Stanford Cardinal is the nickname of the athletic teams at Stanford University.-Nickname and mascot history:Following its win over Cal in the first-ever Big Game in 1892, the color cardinal was picked as the primary color of Stanford's athletic teams...
. Two turnovers by the Bruins led to the 14 Stanford points in the first half.
In the game, Bruins' Craft had 285 passing yards and Taylor Embree caught 72 yards, while Stanford's Toby Gerhard rushed for 138 yards. Also for UCLA, Terrence Austin scored on a 2-yard pass from Craft and Kai Forbath kicked three field goals (37, 19, and 28 yards). Gerhard scored two touchdowns and Aaron Zagory kicked two field goals (40 and 29 yards) for Stanford.
California
Cal quarterback Kevin Riley started for the Bears, his first since nearly a month before against Colorado State2008 Colorado State Rams football team
The 2008 CSU Rams football team represents Colorado State University in the college football 2008-2009 season. They play their home games at Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium in Fort Collins, CO and were led by first year coach Steve Fairchild...
on September 27. The Bruins took their only lead of the game at the beginning of the second quarter by managing to block a punt attempt by Bryan Anger and recovering the ball in the end zone to go up 7-3. On the ensuing possession Jahvid Best was able to break free for 34 yard run, the only offensive touchdown in the first half for the Bears. Marcus Ezeff then intercepted a pass by Bruins quarterback Kevin Craft
Kevin Craft
Kevin Craft is a former college football quarterback at UCLA, who played for the Cougars de Saint-Ouen l'Aumône, France in France.-High school years:...
which he was able to return for a 69 yard touchdown. Both teams then traded field goals into the fourth quarter. After getting a stop on a fake Bruins punt attempt which nearly converted a 4th and 23 with a 22 yard pass, Riley hit Nyan Boateng
Nyan Boateng
Nyan Boateng, is an American football wide receiver currently a member of the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League. He was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2010...
for a 53 yard touchdown. Michael Mohammed then intercepted a Craft pass for a 19 yard score. Riley threw his second touchdown pass of the game on a ten yard strike to Cameron Morrah. UCLA got in the final score of the game when backup quarterback Chris Forcier threw a nine yard pass to Dominique Johnson, which was set up by a kickoff return by wide receiver Terrence Austin for 81 yards.
Craft passed for 206 yards and was picked off four times, two coming off tipped balls. Wide receiver Taylor Embree had 90 yards receiving. The Bears held the Bruins to 16 yards rushing, while Jahvid Best ran for 115 and Shane Vereen had 99. Riley passed for 153 yards and two touchdowns, although he was sacked three times. The victory continued Cal's win streak against UCLA at Memorial Stadium, having not lost to the Bruins at home since 1998.
Oregon State
Veterans and Armed Forces Appreciation Day at the Rose Bowl, honoring the U.S. service men and women. Flyover by the United States Air Force. UCLA led the series with a 39-13-4 record.The Oregon State Beavers took the game away from the Bruins in the second half by scoring 14 points after half-time in the third quarter and allowing only a field goal to UCLA. Kevin Craft was intercepted twice in the fourth quarter to dash any hope of a come back. Highlights for the Bruins included a 67-yard punt by Aaron Perez, Taylor Embree's five receptions for 64 yards and Reggie Carter's 10 tackles.
Washington
Huskies head coach Tyrone WillinghamTyrone Willingham
Lionel Tyrone "Ty" Willingham is a former American football player and coach. He was the head coach at Stanford University , the University of Notre Dame , and the University of Washington , compiling a career college football record of 76–88–1.-Early career:Willingham attended...
already had been fired from his position. On October 27, 2008, the University of Washington announced that he will not be retained as head coach after the completion of Washington's 2008 football season. Willingham became the third Washington coach to be fired (out of the last four) since Hall of Fame coach Don James resigned in 1993 because of pending NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
and Pac-10 sanctions against his team where his players were determined to have "accepted substantial and illegal benefits under James, likely with his knowledge" .
UCLA coach Neuheisel had been fired in the summer of 2003 from the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in relation to his participation in a neighborhood pool for the 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 2003, and ended with the championship game on April 7 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
and lies he told about his actions. The University of Washington had its probation extended for failing to monitor its football program. This was Neuheisel's first return to Husky Stadium
Husky Stadium
Husky Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the home of the Washington Huskies...
following the firing. There was some booing, but not a significant amount. The Huskies had been on a winless streak all season, and were at 0-9.
The day was sunny and dry, so weather was not a factor as can often be the case in Seattle in November. Under the direction of quarterback Kevin Craft, the Bruins drove 80 yards in 12 plays. Running back Derrick Coleman rushed for a touchdown in the first half. In the second half, the Bruins launched a ninety-two yard drive. Backed up against the goal line, running back Kahlil Bell ran four straight times, and Craft followed with several key pass completions. UCLA finally scored on a run by Bell, taking the 24-7 lead.
Arizona State
UCLA led the series 15-8-1 entering the game, following the Sun Devils' 2007 24-20 win.The Sun Devils ended UCLA's hope of postseason play with a 34-9 victory over the Bruins. Kai Forbath kicked three field goals, including a 53-yarder, for all of the Bruins' points. ASU had four defensive touchdowns, including a 100-yard interception touchdown.
In the game, Marcus Everett caught eight passes for 75 yards, Michael Norris had six tackles, and Korey Bosworth tallied two sacks during the game for UCLA. A school record was set when Aaron Perez punted eight times for a total career punt yards mark and Terrence Austin ran for 188 all purpose yards, 131 yards in kickoff returns.
USC
USC led the series, 42-28-7, but UCLA had an 8-5 record over the Trojans in the Rose Bowl. Rick Neuheisel vs. USC was 1-1. Senior athlete salute. Before the season, this game garnered interest in seeing how coach Rick NeuheiselRick Neuheisel
Richard Gerald "Rick" Neuheisel, Jr. , is an American football coach, former player, and attorney. He was most recently the head football coach at University of California, Los Angeles, a position he held from 2008 to 2011...
would perform in his battle to gain supremacy in Los Angeles. Both schools wore their home colorful uniforms, the first time since 1982.
A fumble recovery turned into a pass reception touchdown by Kahlil Bell in the beginning of the game was all the scoring by the Bruins in this the latest cross-town rivalry game. Quarterback Kevin Craft
Kevin Craft
Kevin Craft is a former college football quarterback at UCLA, who played for the Cougars de Saint-Ouen l'Aumône, France in France.-High school years:...
completed 11 out of 28 passes for a total of 89 yards and had one pass intercepted. He finished the season with 232 completions, second place in history. Terrence Austin
Terrence Austin
Terrence La'Mar Austin is an American football wide receiver for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was selected in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at UCLA.-Washington Redskins:Austin was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the seventh...
set a new school record with 1,878 all-purpose yards, surpassing Maurice Jones Drew, who had 1,863 yards in 2005.
Joe McKnight
Joe McKnight
Joe McKnight is an American football running back for the New York Jets of the National Football League . He was selected in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Jets...
(12-yard run), Damian Williams
Damian Williams (American football)
Damian Williams is a wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans. He played college football at the University of Southern California, where he was an All Pac-10 selection.-High school career:...
(12-yard pass from Mark Sanchez
Mark Sanchez
Mark Travis John Sanchez is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League . He was drafted in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft as the fifth overall selection by the Jets and the second quarterback taken overall...
), Stafon Johnson
Stafon Johnson
Stafon Johnson is a professional American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played football at USC.-Early years:...
(2-yard run) and Patrick Turner (18-yard pass from Sanchez) accounted for the Trojans' scores. Sanchez passed for 269 yards, McKnight ran for 99 yards and Turner caught for 81 yards.
External links
- UCLA Bruins Official site of the UCLA Athletic Department