PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -UCLA quarterback Ben Olson was shaky and shoddy at times in his first game against BYU, the team where he once redshirted and was pegged as the program’s savior.
But a pair of running backs and two defensive stands got him a win.
Chris Markey ran for a late touchdown, Trey Brown returned an interception 56 yards for an early score and No. 13 UCLA’s defense held off a second-half BYU rally Saturday for a 27-17 victory.
Kahlil Bell also ran for a short touchdown in the first half as the Bruins (2-0) halted an 11-game winning streak by BYU (1-1).
Most of the pre-game attention in both Provo and Pasadena was on Olson, who left BYU to serve a Mormon church mission after redshirting his freshman season in 2002. When he returned, he transferred to UCLA.
Coming off a five-touchdown pass performance against Stanford in the Bruins’ opener, Olson was just 13-for-28 for 126 yards with no touchdowns and an interception.
He had a similarly stellar start last year, then struggled over the next four games before going out with a knee injury.
UCLA coach Karl Dorrell said his 24-year-old – but still largely inexperienced – quarterback is “growing up game by game.”
“As we were walking back to the locker room after the game, Ben Olson said, ‘I could have played a lot better, coach,”’ Dorrell said. “I know Olson is the leader of our team, and I’m pleased with that.”
Down 20-3, BYU opened the second half with a pair of touchdown drives, but the UCLA defense forced a fumble on the ensuing possession and held the Cougars to three-and-out on the next.
“Our defense really dug in their heels,” Dorrell said. “We rose up in the fourth quarter to keep on top.”
UCLA used a methodical 45-yard drive in the final three minutes that included a pass interference penalty on BYU and an Olson completion on third-and-7. Markey’s 3-yard touchdown run with 1:12 remaining sealed the win.
“We had a good score that we came up with when we needed it,” Olson said.
Much of the game, Olson was outplayed by BYU quarterback Max Hall, who also served a mission and came to the starting job last week, after not taking a snap for three years.
A redshirt sophomore who transferred from Arizona State, Hall threw for 380 yards and two touchdowns. He also was intercepted once and lost a fumble.
After BYU was held to a field goal in the first half, Hall opened the second with a pair of touchdown drives. He completed passes of 18 and 23 yards and followed with a 28-yarder to Andrew George that took the Cougars to the UCLA 2.
Two short runs and a false start penalty followed, then Hall threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Austin Collie to pull within 20-10.
Kayle Buchanan intercepted Olson on the next possession. After Harvey Unga broke a pair of tackles for a 24-yard run, Hall threw a 16-yard touchdown pass, laying the ball perfectly into the path of Collie in the back of the end zone.
“I had to grow up a lot in this game,” Hall said. “I think the whole team did, just to fight back and put ourselves in position to win the game. Now I just think the next step is winning it.”
Hall was leading the Cougars on what looked like their third straight scoring drive when he fumbled on a Bruce Davis sack. Tom Blake recovered at the UCLA 19.
UCLA forced a three-and-out on BYU’s next possession.
“They are big, and we heard last week they claimed we are soft,” Davis said. “I think if you ask their quarterback tonight or tomorrow, he knows better than that.”
The Bruins won despite being outgained by the Cougars, 435-236.
Brown picked off a Hall pass across the middle and zig-zagged his way into the end zone to put UCLA up 10-0 with 1:58 remaining in the first quarter. Midway through the second, Brown picked up a Vic So’oto fumble at the UCLA 38 and returned it to the BYU 41 to set up Kai Forbath’s 40-yard field goal that put UCLA ahead 20-0.
BYU had not lost since a 23-20 overtime defeat to Boston College nearly a year ago. The Cougars had won two straight against Pac-10 opponents coming in. They beat Oregon in last year’s Las Vegas Bowl and Arizona to open the season last week.
“We fought back and rallied but, quite frankly, we didn’t play well enough to win in all three phrases of the game to win in this setting against this strong of a team,” Cougar coach Bronco Mendenhall said.
Add A Comment