Johnathan Franklin, defense lead UCLA to first victory

Hold the autopsy. There’s a pulse.

Through the season’s first two weeks, UCLA was battered by fans, media and casual observers almost as much as opposing teams had hammered on the Bruins.

That came to an end, at least for one week, with a 31-13 UCLA victory over No. 23-ranked Houston at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.

Two games, it seems, was too soon to stick a fork in the Bruins, who picked up their first victory of the season. All week, UCLA players had pitched a better-days-ahead philosophy. It was a tough sell after a 35-0 loss to Stanford last week.

“All of us had a chip on the shoulder coming into this game,” said running back Johnathan Franklin, who gained a career-high 158 yards and scored three touchdowns. “We need to keep that chip on our shoulder. We haven’t done anything yet.

“We were 0-2 and 4-8 [in 2008] and 7-6 [in 2009]. We haven’t done anything as the UCLA Bruins.”

A week from now, they will have a chance to do something when they face sixth-ranked Texas.

“They are an undefeated team with a great tradition,” Coach Rick Neuheisel said. “We have to make sure that we’re not caught looking at all the people wearing burnt orange. We understand the challenge of going to play a top 10 team.”

The challenge Saturday was a little different: showing they could win one game.

True, the Cougars (2-1) are merely a Conference USA team, but they came to town with a national ranking and toting along quarterback Case Keenum’s Heisman Trophy campaign.

The top-25 ranking and the trophy chase might be over.

By halftime, UCLA (1-2) led, 21-3, and was cruising, while Keenum was out of the game, injured while trying to make a tackle after an intercepted pass for the second time in as many weeks. He completed 10 of 18 passes for 83 yards and was intercepted twice, the second by linebacker Akeem Ayers on the goal line.

“From the first time on defense, I saw in everybody’s eyes that they were ready to fly around,” Ayers said.

The Bruins’ defense, run over in the first two games, found a passing team more to its liking.

“We’ve got to get that bright-eyed look out of our system,” defensive tackle David Carter said during the week.

Keenum has been rapidly climbing the NCAA all-time passing list. But the Cougars’ longest pass play Saturday was a reverse pass by wide receiver Tyron Carrier that went for 48 yards and set up a 29-yard field goal by Matt Hogan.

Houston was up, 3-0, but that was the Cougars’ last lead of the day.

UCLA’s defense produced interceptions by llinebacker Akeem Ayers and safeety Rahim Moore, the 14th of his career. The Bruins put pressure on Keenum and his successors, and rediscovered the art of the tackle, with linebacker Patrick Larimore forcing a second-half fumble.

Quarterback Kevin Prince, maligned the first two weeks while battling back and shoulder problems, put some powder in the “pistol” offense. He was more gritty than flashy, taking the Bruins on efficient scoring drives. He threw for only 99 yards, but rushed for 60, which included bulling over cornerback Jamal Robinson at the goal line on a two-yard touchdown run.

Backing Prince was Franklin, who was a shifty and elusive runner.

The Bruins have had a running back go over 100 yards rushing only three times in Coach Rick Neuheisel’s two-plus seasons. Each time it has been Franklin. He scored on runs of 11, two and 12 yards as UCLA rushed for 266 yards.

His last touchdown gave the Bruins a 31-3 lead with 5:41 left in the third quarter.

“It was the offensive line that did it for me,” Franklin said, though he added, “I only need a hole for about two seconds.”

Said Guard Eddie Williams: “He sees everything so well. He gets through the hole and doesn’t hesitate much. If you miss him, he’s gone.”

The Bruins scored on three consecutive drives in the first half to take a 21-3 lead.

Prince kick-started the offense with a 24-yard run on UCLA’s first snap after Houston went up 3-0. The drive ended when Franklin gave a hip shake on an 11-yard touchdown run.

After Prince scored on his run, Moore intercepted a Keenum pass. That led to Franklin’s two-yard touchdown run and the Bruins were in charge.

“It’s exciting to sit here with a victory,” said Neuheisel, who was booed as he addressed the crowd after a 35-0 loss to Stanford last week. “But I’m going to wake up tomorrow knowing there is a lot to get done before our next game.”

chris.foster@latimes.com

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