UCLA Defense Cuts BYU Off at Pass

The obvious mistake was probably dismissed as a technical malfunction when the update flashed on college scoreboards Saturday.

Brigham Young down, 10-0, at halftime? At home?

Impossible, unless someone kidnaped the first unit.

Turned out UCLA kidnaped the first unit.

Thumbing their noses at history, the Bruins somehow shut down production at America’s quarterback factory.

UCLA escaped with a 17-10 victory because of its defense, which taunted and tormented two BYU quarterbacks on the sacred grounds where Detmer and Bosco once roamed.

The Cougars had not been held scoreless at home in a half in 40 previous games. No one could remember when BYU had been so bruised and confused.

John Walsh started at quarterback but barely lasted into the second quarter before being replaced by backup Steve Clements, a concession rarely seen in these parts.

Walsh returned for the second half but was again forced from the game after he separated his shoulder after being sacked for the third time.

Walsh completed only 12 of 28 passes for 175 yards. Clements was worse, completing two of 10 attempts for 59.

“This is not BYU football,” receiver Eric Drage lamented later.

No, this was Bruin ball.

You haven’t heard much about the UCLA defense until now.

But with redshirt freshman Rob Walker now at quarterback, the UCLA defense understands it must pick up the slack.

“We told ourselves, ever since Tommy (Maddox) left, that there may be times when the offense doesn’t score many points,” cornerback Carlton Gray said. “We told ourself we had to take our game to another level. To hold that team to 10 points, that says something about our defense. Now maybe people will take notice.”

“We were pests, basically,” Bruin defensive end Mike Chalenski said.

The Bruin defense wilted a bit in the second half, succumbing to the heat and altitude, but somehow came up with one valiant stand after another.

The Bruin effort culminated with safety Marvin Goodwin’s game-saving interception in the end zone with 1:13 remaining after the Cougars had raced down field in one last effort to redeem themselves.

You wondered how many times the Bruins could turn the Cougars away. But every time it mattered, they did.

Trailing 17-3 in the third quarter, a Cougar drive was halted on third and goal when a blitzing Bruin safety, Tommy Bennett, tipped a pass by Walsh into the waiting hands of teammate Michael Williams.

The Cougars cut the lead to 17-10 and were driving in the fourth quarter when Gray intercepted a pass by Walsh intended for tight end Byron Rex.

The UCLA defense was on the field for 25 plays in the third quarter as it desperately attempted to keep up with BYU’s no-huddle offense.

With 9:32 left, the defense earned a well-deserved rest after Jamil Miller sacked Walsh for a seven-yard loss on third down.

On the ensuing punt, though, UCLA’s Carrick O’Quinn was called for a personal foul, which awarded the ball back to BYU with a first down at its 40.

The defense, dead-tired, was forced back onto the field.

“I’ll tell you what,” Chalenski said. “I needed oxygen. The altitude (nearly 5,000 feet) did make a difference toward the end. But we had to suck it up and do it.”

Instead of caving in, the Bruin defense answered with its most impressive stand of the game.

On first down, Nkosi Littleton and Chalenski knocked Walsh out of the game after combining on a tackle. A holding penalty pushed BYU into a first-and-20 situation.

Clements replaced Walsh, but linebacker Arnold Ale sacked him for a five-yard loss. On second and 25, Miller and Ale dropped Clements for a 10-yard loss. On third and 35, a pass by Clements was deflected incomplete by Miller.

The Cougars got the ball back late and made a last-minute charge, fooling the Bruin defense with a flurry of draw plays.

But in the end, in the end zone, Marvin Goodwin was waiting.

“I guess that’s what great defenses do,” he said. “Step up and accept the challenge, play after play, no matter what happens.”