UCLA falls, 23-20, to Arizona State to move to 3-3 on the season
It was, at one point, a battle of reserve quarterbacks leading two futile offenses. It ended in similar fashion, with Josh Rosen holding his right arm on the sideline and Brady White — who started in place of injured Arizona State starter Manny Wilkins — standing with crutches by the Sun Devils bench.
The game wasn’t kind to quarterbacks or, in the end, the visiting Bruins. UCLA (3-3, 1-2 in Pac-12 play) fell 23-20 to Arizona State (5-1, 2-1) at Sun Devil Stadium on Saturday night. Rosen left the game because of an injury in the second quarter, returned to quarterback the Bruins back into the game, and then left because of another injury before the team’s final possession.
The Bruins had a chance to join Colorado atop the Pac-12 south standings with a win, but now the Sun Devils are in that spot. Arizona State was led by freshman backup quarterback Brady White because Wilkins was sidelined with an injury sustained at USC last week. White was unable to solve the UCLA defense for almost three quarters, but started to move the offense thanks in large part to wide receiver Tim White’s 11 catches for 123 yards.
Rosen was shaken up on a sack at the end of UCLA’s third drive in the first quarter. He was then looked at on the trainer’s table before the next possession, and eventually replaced by backup Mike Fafaul after limping through a few drives. The sophomore then slowly walked to the locker room with 6:09 left in the second quarter, and it seemed unlikely that he would return to the game.
He did anyway, and the Bruins followed him.
The star quarterback finished with 400 yards passing, two touchdowns and one interception, but was on the sideline as a much-needed win slipped away.
Brady White was injured with just under seven minutes left in the game, giving way to Dillon Sterling-Cole, Arizona State’s third-string quarterback. Sterling-Cole, a freshman, threw an interception on the first pass of his college career to give UCLA life.
Rosen drove the team down the field, but an offensive pass interference penalty set up first and 25. A down later, Rosen rolled to his right and was sandwiched by two Arizona State defenders.
He left the game, and the Bruins followed him once again.
Fafaul was sacked on the first play of UCLA’s last drive. Then he was sacked again. Then Fafaul threw a lazy pass that was intercepted as time expired, sealing the Sun Devils victory.
UCLA, trailing 23-20, punts the ball away after Josh Rosen exits for second time
Josh Rosen re-entered the game after a first-quarter injury, but is sidelined once again after being crunched by two Arizona State defenders.
Before he exited for the second time in the game, UCLA faced a third and one early in the drive and Rosen found a wide-open Nate Iese to move the chains.
Two downs later, Rosen lofted a pass to Eldridge Massington, who tapped both feet in-bounds along the sideline. The pass went for 32 yards, gave Rosen 400 yards in the game and put the Bruins on the Sun Devils’ 29-yard line.
An offensive pass interference call then set UCLA back 15 yards, setting up first and 25. On second and 25, Rosen rolled toward the right sideline and was sacked by two Arizona State defenders.
The quarterback rolled onto his back, wincing, but didn’t get up. Trainers rushed to him and after backup Mike Fafaul threw an incomplete pass, UCLA punted the ball with 2:36 left on the game clock.
UCLA, trailing 23-20, takes over after Adarius Pickett interception
Josh Rosen and UCLA offense took over on the Arizona State 20-yard line with 5:35 left in the game. The Bruins trail the Sun Devils, 23-20, and regain possession after an interception by safety Adarius Pickett.
Before Pickett’s pick, Arizona State was driving and draining clock in the process.
Brady White found Tim White on an out route to move the chains, allowing the Sun Devils to let the fourth-quarter clock tick below 10 minutes.
Two players later, Brady White found Tim White again for 20 yards down the left sideline as the clock dipped below eight minutes left.
Two plays after that, Brady White found Tim White again for 12 yards as the clock reached seven minutes.
Arizona State continued to move the chains as UCLA’s comeback window slowly closed. But then Brady White was shaken up on a sack and third-string quarterback Dillon Sterling-Cole entered the game.
On Sterling-Cole’s first college pass, Pickett intercepted the ball in the end zone as White stood on the sideline on crutches.
Slideshow: Photos from the Bruins’ game against the Sun Devils
UCLA trails Arizona State, 23-20, with 11:10 left in the game
Josh Rosen found a successful formula with UCLA clinging to comeback hopes in Tempe: Throw the ball to tight ends.
Rosen punctuated a six-play, 75-yard drive with an 18-yard touchdown pass to tight end Nate Iese. The Bruins now trail Arizona State, 23-20, with 11:10 left in the game.
UCLA faced third and 10 after the first two plays of the drive, and Rosen found tight end Austin Roberts on a crossing route to pick up a much-needed first down.
On the next down, Rosen pumped once before connecting with Roberts over the middle for 42 yards. That put the Bruins on the Arizona State 18-yard line, and Rosen threw one incomplete pass before finding Iese for the touchdown.
UCLA trails Arizona State, 23-13, in the fourth after Josh Rosen throws interception
Josh Rosen threw his fifth interception of the season, and three plays later Zane Gonzalez’s 46-yard field goal stretched Arizona State’s lead to 23-13 in the fourth quarter.
Arizona State’s pass rush flushed Rosen out of the pocket, and the quarterback threw into double coverage looking for tight end Nate Iese. The ball was tipped into the air before it was secured by Sun Devils defensive back Marcus Ball.
That allowed Arizona State to start its drive at the UCLA 27-yard line, and the Sun Devils ran three plays to set up Gonzalez’s 46-yard field goal. Gonzalez is now three for three in the game.
UCLA trails Arizona State, 20-13, after three quarters
Arizona State answered UCLA’s first touchdown of the game with its second, with Brady White finding N’Keal Harry for a 14-yard touchdown pass on the last play of the third quarter.
The score was set up by a bit of trickery, as wide receiver Jalen Harvey caught a screen and then threw a 17-yard pass to Tim White that put the Sun Devils on the Bruins’ 17-yard line.
From there, White scrambled for three yards before threading a pass to Harry between two UCLA defenders.
Josh Rosen, who left the game because of an injury in the second quarter, returned in the third and will lead the Bruins as the fourth quarter begins.
UCLA and Arizona State are tied, 13-13, in the third quarter
Josh Rosen through four straight passes to Jordan Lasley, and the fourth resulted in a 52-yard touchdown with 3:08 left in the third.
UCLA is now tied 13-13 with Arizona State after falling behind by 10 points earlier in the quarter.
The UCLA defense, which has been outside of Arizona State’s lone touchdown drive, forced a three and out to give the ball back to Rosen and Co.
Rosen, on his second series after returning from an injury sustained in the first quarter, found Jordan Lasley on third and five to jumpstart the drive. That came one play after Lasley let a deep throw go through his hands, but Rosen wasn’t deterred from calling the receiver’s number.
Two plays later, Lasley caught a short crossing route from Rosen and took the pass all the way to the end zone for UCLA’s first touchdown of the game.
UCLA trails Arizona State, 13-6, and Josh Rosen is back in the game
Josh Rosen is back in the game, and so is UCLA.
Well, sort of.
The Bruins settled for a chip-shot field goal from J.J. Molson after setting up first and goal from the Arizona State two-yard line. UCLA trails the Sun Devils, 13-6, with 6:02 left in the third.
Rosen, after leaving the game in the middle of the second quarter, walked back onto the field for UCLA’s third drive of the second half.
Mike Fafaul replaced Rosen for the end of the second and beginning of the third quarters, but barely moved the Bruins offense in that stretch.
On Rosen’s third play after returning to the game, running back Soso Jamabo took a check-down pass in the flat 66 yards to one yard short of the goal line.
UCLA couldn’t punch the ball into the end zone, but drew within one score with its starting quarterback back in action.
UCLA trails Arizona State, 13-3, in the third quarter
The Arizona State offense is showing life in the third quarter, as Demario Richard’s five-yard touchdown rush gives the Sun Devils a 13-3 lead with 8:29 left in the third.
Arizona State couldn’t score a touchdown from four yards out on its first drive of the second half, but then started moving the chains before scoring the game’s first touchdown.
The Sun Devils, who are being led by backup quarterback Brady White, gained a first down on a nine-yard pass from White to wide receiver Tim White. Then Richard, who was held in check for the entire first half, ripped off a 17-yard run to move his team to the UCLA 27-yard line.
Two players later, White found Jalen Harvey for 18 yards on a crossing route, and Richard followed with a short run to the five-yard line.
Arizona State dials his number yet again on the next down, and he pin-balled into the end zone to give his team a two-score cushion.
UCLA trails Arizona State, 6-3, in the third quarter
Mike Fafaul led UCLA out of the locker room at halftime, and then threw an interception on the third play of the third quarter.
After a quick three and out, Arizona State kicker Zane Gonzalez made a 23-yard field goal to give the Sun Devils a 6-3 lead with 12:10 left in the third.
De’Chavon Hayes intercepted Fafaul’s airmailed pass and sprinted to the Bruins’ four-yard line before he was knocked out of bounds.
Arizona State’s offense ran three plays before it jogged off the field empty-handed, and Gonzalez knocked in a chip shot to push the Sun Devils ahead.
UCLA and Arizona State are tied, 3-3, at halftime
By the end of the first half, UCLA and Arizona were both being led by backup quarterbacks. It sure looked like it, as both offenses were futile while playing to a 3-3 tie.
Josh Rosen was shaken up on a sack on the Bruins’ third possession. He was replaced by Mike Fafaul in the middel of the second quarter. Freshman Brady White started for the Sun Devils after starter Manny Wilkins was injured against USC last week.
Here are some statistics from the first two quarters:
UCLA
-Rosen completed 11 of 18 passes for 115 yards before exiting. Fafaul, who had completed all seven of his career passes before entering the game, completed two of six for 38 yards.
-The UCLA offense was completely ineffective in the first half, rushing for 16 yards in 16 carries. Nate Starks carried the ball 11 times for a meager 29 yards.
-Kenny Walker III and Darren Andrews each caught three passes for UCLA in the first half. The biggest pass play for the Bruins was a 49-yard completion from Rosen to tight end Austin Roberts, but it didn’t lead to any points.
-In total, UCLA gained 169 yards in the first half. The Bruins converted one of 10 times on third down.
Arizona State
-White completed eight of 21passes for 44 yards in the first half. He had one pass intercepted by Fabian Moreau.
-The Sun Devils were equally ineffective on the ground, rushing for 24 yards in 13 attempts. Demario Richard, Arizona State’s feature back, went for just 24 yards in six carries.
-Tim White, a Santa Clarita native, led the Sun Devils with four catches for 24 yards in the first half.
-In total, the Arizona State offense gained just 64 yards in the first half. The Sun Devils also didn’t convert on third down in eight tries.
Mike Fafaul enters the game for UCLA with Josh Rosen injured
With Josh Rosen limping through fruitless drive after fruitless drive, backup quarterback Mike Fafaul jogged onto the field while Rosen sat on the trainer’s table clutching his right leg.
Fafaul, a senior, threw one pass this season before entering Saturday night’s game with the score tied 3-3 in the second quarter. Rosen was injured on a sack in the first quarter, and didn’t look comfortable in the coming drives.
On his first possession of the game, Fafaul has moved UCLA into Arizona State territory with a 25-yard pass to tight end Nate Iese.
UCLA can’t capitalize on turnovers in second quarter
One play after J.J. Molson missed his third field-goal try of the game, Fabian Moreau picked off a pass by Arizona State quarterback Brady White.
The Bruins couldn’t capitalize, going three and out for the second straight possession. It was also the second straight possession in which UCLA couldn’t gain a first down after a turnover.
After throwing way high of tight end Nate Iese, Josh Rosen slammed his helmet into the ground while sitting on the Bruins bench.
UCLA’s defense is coming up with the stops — and the turnovers — while the offense has continually stalled becasue of a lack of a running game and untimely dropped passes.
As the Bruins jogged off the field following Rosen’s incomplete pass, the offense had one rushing yard on seven attempts and was averaging a meager 4.3 yards a play.
UCLA goes three and out after recovering Arizona State fumble
J.J. Molson’s third field-goal attempt of the game, this one from 49 yards, drifted wide of the upright with 13:49 left in the second quarter.
He is now one for three in the game, and UCLA and Arizona State are still tied, 3-3, as Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen plays with a noticeable limp.
UCLA linebacker Kenny Young recovered a botch Sun Devils snap, and it became the Bruins’ chance to capitalize on a turnover.
Rosen, who was shaken up by a sack in the first quarter, threw a perfect strike to Kenneth Walker III on the first play of the ensuing drive. But Walker, like many UCLA receivers have this season, let the pass (and seven points) slip through his hands.
On third down, Rosen was flushed out of the pocket and threw a pass off his back foot to Darren Andrews. The referees initially ruled it a catch just short of the first-down marker, but replays showed that the ball bounced short of Andrew’s outstretched arms.
Molson then jogged onto the field for another field-goal try, and he couldn’t nudge UCLA ahead.
Josh Rosen looks to be in pain against Arizona State
Josh Rosen was sacked on the last play of UCLA’s third drive, and has seemingly been wincing since.
The UCLA quarterback has been laying on the trainer’s table in between drives, and a reporter on the ESPN2 broadcast said backup quarterback Mike Fafaul was told to be ready by Bruins quarterbacks coach Marques Tuiasosopo. It seems that trainers are looking at Rosen’s right leg when he is not on the field.
UCLA ran for negative-three yards in the first quarter, and will need a sharp Rosen to beat an Arizona State defense that thrives against the run.
The Bruins and Sun Devils are tied, 3-3, at the start of the second quarter.
UCLA and Arizona State are tied, 3-3, at the start of the second quarter
After missing from 46 yards in the first quarter, UCLA kicker J.J. Molson connected from 38 yards on the first play of the second quarter.
That tied the game at 3-3, with Arizona State getting a field goal in the first.
Josh Rosen looked shaken up after he was sacked at the end of the Bruins’ first drive, and walked onto the field with a slight limp. He was looked at on the trainer’s table before coming out, and completed two passes to start the series.
The Bruins, who had negative-12 rushing yards heading into the drive, got a first down on a six-yard run by Soso Jamabo that put them on the Arizona State 30.
Rosen then found Eldrige Massington for his second catch of the drive, and Massington turned and ran to the Sun Devils’ 14. But the offense was set back after Najee Toran was called for a holding penalty, setting up second and 20.
UCLA tried two more plays to Jamabo, first a three-yard run and then a screen for no gain. That set up Molson’s second attempt of the game, and this time the freshman snuck the ball inside the left upright.
UCLA trails Arizona State, 3-0, in the first quarter
Arizona State turned a UCLA turnover into early points, taking a 3-0 lead over the Bruins with a 35-yard field goal by Zane Gonzalez.
On the first play of UCLA’s second possession, Josh Rosen dropped back and started his throwing motion. But the ball slipped out of his hand as he did so, and Arizona State recovered the head-scratching fumble to set up a drive on the Bruins’ 23-yard line.
The Sun Devils ran just three plays before their field-goal unit jogged onto the field, as the UCLA defense held tough after the turnover.
One play later, Gonzalez gave Arizona State a three-point lead with 7:54 left in the first quarter.
J.J. Molson misses 46-yard field-goal attempt after UCLA drive stalls
UCLA had a lot of traction after Josh Rosen found tight end Austin Roberts for a 49-yard gain, but J.J. Molson missed a 46-yard field-goal attempt at the end of a fruitless drive.
After a roughing the passer penalty pushed UCLA away from its own end zone, Rosen lofted a pass to Roberts before he scampered to the Arizona State 21-yard line.
But Nate Starks lost three yards on the Bruins’ first rush of the game a play later, and a false start by center Scott Quessenberry set up third and 18 from the Arizona State 28-yard line.
Rosen threw the ball away to set up a reasonable field-goal try for Molson, but the freshman knocked his attempt wide left. His longest field goal of the season remains at 39 yards, and he is now seven for 11 on the season.
UCLA forces a punt on Arizona State’s first possession
Arizona State backup quarterback Brady White showed some promise on his team’s opening drive, but the Sun Devils ultimately punted the ball away after two first downs.
UCLA kicked off to Arizona State to start the game, and White jogged the offense onto the field for his first opening-game drive of the season.
White started the drive with a screen pass to N’Keal Harry, who ran for 10 yards and a first down. A play later, he found Tim White on an out route to again move the chains.
But the Sun Devils eventually stalled, when White threw an incomplete pass to a stumbling Kody Kohl. The ensuing punt put the UCLA offense on its own 10-yard line, which is where it started its first drive of the contest.
UCLA looks to move up in Pac-12 South Division
With upstart No. 21 Colorado losing to USC on Saturday, UCLA has a chance to climb atop the Pac-12 South standings.
If the Bruins (3-2, 1-1) beat Arizona State at Sun Devil Stadium on Saturday night, they will be tied with Colorado for first place in the division. The Sun Devils (4-1, 1-1) can do the same with a win.
The game presents another “must-win” situation for UCLA. That is, if you ask quarterback Josh Rosen. Before beating Arizona at home last week, Rosen said the Bruins could still make the College Football Playoff by winning out in the regular season and then triumphing in the Pac-12 Conference championship game. That would make this the second of nine straight games UCLA has to win to in order to reach a goal that could be unreachable regardless.
The Sun Devils rely on a big-play offense to support a shaky defense, a good matchup for the Bruins given Rosen’s ability in the passing game.
Rosen was arguably as impressive as he’s been all season against the Wildcats last week, and should be able to exploit an Arizona States secondary that gives up 396 passing yards per game (good for last in the nation).
The Sun Devils will also be without starting quarterback Manny Wilkins, who was injured while scrambling against USC last week. Backup quarterback Brady White, who has thrown just 13 passes this season, will face a UCLA defense that has been solid all season.
With the Pac-12 South race starting to take shape, it’s a good time for the Bruins to find themselves in a favorable situation.
There’s no clash of the clans for these Bruins
The McDermotts and the Fafauls gathered for breakfast Saturday morning thousands of miles from home, which could mean only one thing.
Another UCLA football weekend was under way.
Deborah and Kevin McDermott had flown from Nashville, which didn’t qualify as the most miles traveled to see the Bruins play Arizona State at Sun Devil Stadium. Mike andBarbara Fafaul came all the way from Baltimore.
It was no big deal to them. The McDermotts have missed only a handful of UCLA games, home and away, in the nine seasons sons Kevin and Conor have played for the Bruins. The Fafauls have also been diehards during the five years their son, Mike, has been the backup quarterback.
“We just wouldn’t miss it,” Deborah said. “It’s as much fun for us as it is for the kids.”