College football: Washington 24, UCLA 7 (final)
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Jake Locker didn’t have a great game on Senior Night at Washington on Thursday, but for one of the few times in his stellar career, the Huskies didn’t need one to win.
For only the sixth time in his career, Locker didn’t pass for 100 yards in a game, but running backs Chris Polk and Jesse Callier more than made up the slack.
Polk rushed for a career-high 138 yards and Callier added 107 in only 10 carries as Washington kept its bowl hopes alive and dealt a serious blow to UCLA’s postseason hopes.
Washington improved to 4-6 overall and 3-4 in Pacific 10 Conference play. UCLA fell to 4-6, 2-5, and the Bruins now need to win their final regular-season games against Arizona State and USC to become bowl eligible.
Even though Locker passed for only 68 yards and ran for just nine yards, he was by far the most effective quarterback in the game.
UCLA starter Richard Brehaut passed for only 42 yards before he sustained a head injury on a helmet-to-helmet hit midway through the third quarter.
Neither of Brehaut’s replacements had played for the Bruins in their careers. And it showed.
First up was Darius Bell, a City College of San Francisco transfer who went zero for three passing with an interception that was returned 28 yards for a touchdown.
Next was Clayton Tunney, a UC Davis transfer whose third pass was also picked off. He finished one of eight for 13 yards.
Each of UCLA’s three quarterbacks had one pass intercepted, and Washington converted each into touchdowns.
Against a Washington defense that came in giving up 440 yards a game, UCLA managed just 163 yards of offense -- only 71 after Johnathan Franklin completed a 92-yard drive with a 31-yard scoring run in the first quarter. Washington 24, UCLA 7 (late fourth quarter)
UCLA has used three quarterbacks.
Each has had one pass intercepted.
And Washington has converted each turnover into a touchdown.
After Nate Fellner’s interception of a Clayton Tunney pass gave Washington the ball at the UCLA 43, the Huskies took only three plays to score.
Chris Polk’s two-yard run on the play after a 37-yard gain by Jesse Collier has given Washington a 17-point lead.
Washington 17, UCLA 7 (6:22 fourth quarter)
Darius Bell’s third pass as UCLA’s quarterback was picked off by Washington’s Quinton Richardson and returned 28 yards for a touchdown with 6 minutes 22 seconds left in the game.
UCLA Coach Rick Neuheisel’s reaction?
Well, we’re not exactly sure what he yelled at Bell, but he wasn’t happy. And now the Bruins are trying their third quarterback of the game, Clayton Tunney, a redshirt junior transfer from UC Davis.
Like Bell, Tunney hadn’t played before tonight.
Tunney threw on his first three plays in the game. The first was nearly intercepted. The second was dropped. And the third, like Bell’s third, was intercepted.
Washington’s Nate Fellner came up with it this time.
Washington 10, UCLA 7 (early fourth quarter)
The UCLA training staff has confirmed that quarterback Richard Brehaut has a head injury.
Brehaut sustained the injury on a helmet-to-helmet hit by Washington linebacker Nate Williams.
So it looks like Darius Bell will be leading the Bruins offense the rest of the way. He doesn’t look like much of a passer, and Washington’s defense is stacking nine players within five yards of the line of scrimmage, daring him to throw.
He’s passed once so far -- and the ball was dropped by tight end Cory Harkey.
Washington 10, UCLA 7 (midway through third quarter)
Darius Bell, a sophomore transfer from San Francisco City College, is playing quarterback for UCLA -- his first game action of the season.
Bell is supposed to be as much of a running threat as he is to pass.
Starter Richard Brehaut is sitting on the UCLA bench, surrounded by trainers, and gingerly moving his head. It looks as if he might be experiencing some neck discomfort. He’s also been ineffective.
Washington 10, UCLA 7 (11:06, third quarter)
Finally well within his range, Erik Folk has given Washington its first lead.
Folk, who is seven of seven when kicking from inside 40 yards this season, made a 27-yard field goal at the end of the Huskies’ first possession of the second half. He missed from 53 and 56 yards earlier in the game.
Washington’s drive was 68 yards in nine plays -- all runs, as running backs Chris Polk and Jesse Callier alternated picking up big chunks of yardage.
Meantime, UCLA’s offense has bogged down. Johnathan Franklin has minus-4 yards rushing in seven carries since his 31-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
--Mike Hiserman
UCLA 7, Washington 7 (halftime)
There are reasons UCLA and Washington are struggling to reach lower-tier bowl games, and the two teams are showing a national television audience exactly why.
The Bruins and Huskies went into the locker room tied, 7-7, Thursday night at Husky Stadium.
UCLA needs to win two of its last three games to become bowl eligible. Washington has no margin for error, needing to win its final three games.
Neither team seemed that intent on getting there through a lethargic first half.
UCLA methodically went down the field on its second possession, with a 92-yard drive that ended in Johnathan Franklin cutting behind the block of center Ryan Taylor for a 31-yard touchdown run.
UCLA mistakes helped Washington tie the score.
Bruins’ quarterback Richard Brehaut threw into a heavy coverage, with Cort Dennison intercepting the pass. That turnover swayed momentum back to Washington.
Quarterback Jake Locker orchestrated a lurching 61-yard drive that ended in his three-yard touchdown run that tied the score. The drive was aided by a pass interference penalty on cornerback Aaron Hester.
Washington kicker Erik Folk missed field-goal tries of 53 and 56 yards into a stiff wind. UCLA’s Kai Forbath missed a 44-yard field-goal try into the wind.
UCLA 7, Washington 7 (late second quarter)
UCLA mistakes open the door.
Bruins’ quarterback Richard Brehaut threw into a heavy coverage, with Cort Dennison intercepting the pass. That turnover swayed momentum back to Washington.
Quarterback Jake Locker orchestrated a lurching 61-yard drive that ended in his three-yard touchdown run that tied the score. The drive was aided by a pass interference penalty on cornerback Aaron Hester.
UCLA 7, Washington 0 (midway through first quarter)
UCLA methodically went down the field on its second possession, with Johnathan Franklin cutting behind the block of center Ryan Taylor for a 31-yard touchdown run.
The Bruins went 92 yards in 13 plays, getting all but 21 of it on the ground. Franklin had 55 yards rushing on the drive.
Washington ranks 118th out of 120 teams nationally against the run.
--Chris Foster
