Johnson Starts Fast, but Fades : UCLA: Quarterback completes 10 of 11 passes in the first half, but he throws two interceptions in the third quarter that lead to Oregon touchdowns.

Quarterback Bret Johnson of UCLA had a forlorn look as he stood on the sidelines, arms folded across his chest. Johnson had been pulled after throwing two interceptions in the third quarter of a game against Oregon Saturday at the Rose Bowl.

“I don’t know what happened,” Johnson said. “I just threw a couple of interceptions. And it came at a bad time.”

It couldn’t have come at a worse time.

In the first half, Johnson completed 10 of 11 passes for 119 yards and one touchdown as the Bruins took a 20-14 lead.

“He played great in the first half. He ate us alive,” Oregon Coach Rich Brooks said. “He scrambled and he threw the ball well.”

But Johnson wasn’t as sharp in the second half, completing only three of nine passes for 34 yards as the Ducks rallied to win, 38-20. Johnson didn’t have as much time to pass in the second half because Oregon’s aggressive pass rush forced him from the pocket.

Jim Bonds replaced Johnson at the start of the fourth quarter after Johnson threw the interceptions that led to two Oregon touchdowns.

Although Johnson appeared downcast on the sideline, he didn’t appear that way in an interview room after the game. As he sat to face the media, he put a bag of ice on the table. He placed his left arm on the ice bag to prevent swelling in his bruised forearm, which he hurt when he was hit after throwing an incomplete pass.

“Both interceptions were my fault, but both could have gone either way,” Johnson said. “They were bad interceptions. There’s no such thing as a good interception and that’s why I got taken out.”

How did Johnson feel after being benched?

“I’m not happy, but it happens,” Johnson said. “I had two interceptions and I guess I wasn’t getting anything done.”

UCLA Coach Terry Donahue said that Johnson wasn’t responsible for both interceptions, one of which resulted from a receiver running the wrong route. Johnson overthrew a receiver on the other interception.

“Bret played a marvelous first half,” Donahue said. “But you can’t go forever turning the football over. Our quarterback had just thrown back-to-back picks. In the second half, we weren’t playing as well, we weren’t moving the ball with opportunities to score.

“In the fourth quarter I thought Jim Bonds might come off the bench to ignite us.”

Bonds didn’t ignite UCLA.

Bonds struggled after replacing Johnson for the third time in the last four games, completing three of seven passes for 50 yards. He was also sacked three times for 21 yards.

Bonds said it was difficult to come in cold.

“The last three times I’ve gone in the game, we’ve been down a touchdown at least and that’s the time where a quarterback wants to be playing, but it’s hard when you haven’t got a feel for the game or the other team’s defense,” Bonds said. “I was a little rusty when I came in and things didn’t go the way I wish they would have.”

Did Bonds think he should have been inserted earlier in the game?

“Coach Donahue had said that he wanted to play both of us and he wanted to get a look at me before next spring in a game situation, so I expected to go in earlier,” Bonds said. “But Bret was having such a good game in the first half that I wasn’t sure I was going to play at all.

“I wish I would have had a chance to start a game where both teams started off 0-0. I wish I could go from there. But I haven’t had that opportunity and it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen this year.”

Despite being benched, Johnson will probably start for UCLA in next week’s season finale against USC at the Coliseum.

Johnson started off well, completing his first nine passes. Johnson and wide receiver Mike Farr combined on a 72-yard touchdown pass play in the third quarter, but the play was nullified by a pass interference penalty on tight end Randy Austin.

Johnson had a bad feeling when he saw an official drop the flag.

“Sometimes you know when the flag goes down that you can just start running to the end zone and celebrating a touchdown,” Johnson said. “This year I just looked at the flag and I saw the official and I knew it was going to be something on us. It was just one of those years.”

Rick Neuheisel, UCLA quarterback coach, remains confident in Johnson despite his poor showing in the second half.

“I thought he played real well,” Neuheisel said. “There are things people forget when you’re playing at this level of football, that he’s 19 years old and there’s lot of things he hasn’t learned yet and he will learn.

“In no way are we disappointed in his play. I think in the long run Bret’s going to be a really good quarterback. In no way is UCLA down on him.”