Bruins play it close again in win over Memphis

UCLA’s Pac-12 Conference title hopes still smolder. A chance for a prominent bowl game may still be a reasonable suggestion. Even a spot as one of four teams in the new college playoffs could happen.

All that, though, will require the Bruins to take large steps after being stuck inside the Rose Bowl with the Memphis blues over and over again Saturday.

Sure, the Bruins managed to scrap out a 42-35 victory. But it came against a little-regarded Memphis team that won 12 games over the previous five seasons.

The UCLA offense looked fine a week after a lethargic performance in Virginia. The UCLA defense was shoddy a week after scoring three touchdowns. And the Bruins fans, cranky from witnessing a tribute to UCLA’s 1998 no-defense season, hurled boos at the offense in the fourth quarter.

The result was that the Bruins -- ranked seventh when the season began and 11th last week -- will be 2-0 and likely drop in the polls for a second consecutive week.

“I think these things are good,” receiver Jordan Payton said. “I think you need to go through tough times.”

The Bruins have. Last week it was a by-the-skin-of-our-teeth, 28-20 victory over Virginia. This week, the Bruins again trudged off the field.

It will be three weeks before the Bruins return to the Rose Bowl. This nerve-wracking effort precedes road games at Texas next Saturday and a key Pac-12 game at Arizona State on Sept. 25.

Asked about overlooking Texas, Coach Jim Mora said, “I don’t think you have to worry about that.”

Mora added, “We’re happy to get a win, but there is no satisfaction in the way we’re playing. Obviously, there is a lot of work left to do.”

Twice the Bruins seemed to distance themselves against Memphis by taking 14-point leads. Both times the Tigers fought back. When Fritz Etienne returned an interception 17 yards for the touchdown, the score was tied, 35-35, with 13 minutes left.

“They played the best defensive play that they could on that call,” quarterback Brett Hundley said. “The safety made a great play. You can’t let it get to you. You have to come back and lead your team to a touchdown.”

Hundley did. He tossed a 33-yard touchdown pass to Thomas Duarte.

Still, the Bruins could not breathe easy until the Tigers (1-1) ran out of time with the ball on the UCLA 41.

During the game, Hundley had time to throw and performed surgery on a Memphis secondary. Paul Perkins slashed his way to yards. Linebacker Myles Jack even made an appearance at running back, scoring on a four-yard, bull-like charge.

“Last week we got too tight,” Hundley said. “We came out played our game and had some fun out there.”

Hundley may not have pushed his name up the Heisman Trophy list, but he did prevent disaster with one of his best games. He completed 33 of 44 passes for 396 yards and three touchdowns.

He spread the wealth. Duarte had four receptions for 110 yards, including touchdowns covering 33 and 14 yards. Kevin Fuller had nine receptions for 58 yards. Jordan Payton finished with seven receptions for 104 yards.

Perkins’ meat-grinder approach netted him 98 yards, including touchdown runs of 17 and four yards. UCLA had 540 total yards.

The key, all said, was improvement on the offensive line, which received a boost from the return of center Jake Brendel.

“We told those guys we needed them to be a nickel and not five pennies,” offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone said. “Having Jake in there helps. He’s our most experienced guy. I think he calms Brett down when he’s out there.”

The Bruins needed every bit of that offensive surge.

“They threw the kitchen sink at us,” defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said of Memphis. “We had a simple game plan. Maybe it was too simple.”

By the end of the game it was up for debate whether UCLA had more missed tackles than actual tackles. There were times when the Bruins appeared to find misdirection a new concept. In the end, they may have made Paxton Lynch, a heretofore unknown quarterback, at least the American Athletic Conference player of the week.

Lynch threw for 305 yards and one touchdown. Memphis finished with 469 yards.

“We have to stay in our gaps and trust our technique,” nose tackle Kenny Clark said. “And trust the guy next to you.”

Twitter: @cfosterlatimes