UCLA Has Too Little in Reserve : Bruins: Backup quarterbacks Barnes, Fien are dominated by the Washington State defense, 30-17.

Welcome to college football, Ryan Fien.

Fien, a freshman quarterback playing in his first college game, lost two fumbles to set up two Washington State touchdowns as the No. 22 Cougars handed UCLA its third consecutive loss, 30-17, before 32,208 at Martin Stadium on Saturday.

Thrust into the lineup after the Bruins lost quarterbacks Wayne Cook and Rob Walker to injury, Fien completed only five of 20 passes for 55 yards, with one interception and no touchdowns. He was also sacked four times for 35 yards.

Fien almost connected with wide receiver Avery Anderson on what would have been a 42-yard touchdown pass play in the fourth quarter, but Anderson stopped after beating a defensive back and Fien overthrew him.

A freshman from Royal High in Simi Valley, Fien was expected to redshirt this season, but he had to use his first year of eligibility because the Bruins have lost their top two quarterbacks.

“It’s a lot faster than high school, that’s for sure,” Fien said. “But it’s not a big jump like I thought it’d be. There were certain things I should have executed, which I didn’t. I was prepared, but there were a couple things I made a mistake on.”

UCLA offensive coordinator Homer Smith says Fien has the potential to develop. Fien will remain UCLA’s starting quarterback until Walker’s sprained left ankle heals.

“Potentially, he’s a tremendous college player,” Smith said. “Not many college quarterbacks even try to play in that first year. I think Ryan is a very, very promising player. I hated that he had to go in today without having had more weeks to digest things.”

Fien also impressed Washington State Coach Mike Price, who tried to recruit him.

“I think Ryan Fien’s going to be a great quarterback in this league,” Price said. “. . . He’s going to play a hell of a lot better than he did today.”

Senior John Barnes, who transferred to UCLA last spring after UC Santa Barbara dropped football, started the game because Coach Terry Donahue believed that Fien looked nervous. However, Donahue planned to play Fien most of the game.

Barnes, who did not learn he was starting until after pregame warm-ups, lasted only three series before he was pulled after throwing an interception to linebacker Ron Childs, who returned it 17 yards for a touchdown.

“The ball slipped out of my hands,” Barnes said. “We had a curl route on the outside, and (wide receiver) J.J. Stokes hooked up and I saw him getting pulled and I was trying to recoil and it floated out of my hands.

“A lot of guys in my situation would have killed to have had a start at UCLA, and I got my shot in the spotlight. I thought I did OK. I didn’t hurt anything except for that interception.

“I don’t think that one interception determined my fate as a Division I quarterback. . . . I hope I get another opportunity like this. I’m confident that I can lead this team.’

The Bruin defense did a good job containing quarterback Drew Bledsoe, who leads the Pacific 10 in total offense. Bledsoe completed only nine of 25 passes for 108 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions.

“I got popped on a quarterback sneak and my head hurts,” Bledsoe said. “UCLA played great. You have to give their defense credit, but we shot ourselves in the foot on offense.”

Trailing 6-0, after Childs’ interception, the Bruins took a 7-6 lead when tailback Kevin Williams scored on a 78-yard touchdown run with 2:40 to play in the first quarter. The Bruins caught the Cougars blitzing, and Williams took a pitch and ran untouched into the end zone.

However, with 7:38 remaining in the first half, Fien fumbled a snap from backup center Craig Novitsky, who had moved from tackle to replace starting center Aron Gideon. Childs recovered at the Bruin five, and Bledsoe threw a three-yard touchdown pass to tight end Brett Carolan two plays later. Bledsoe’s pass to wide receiver C.J. Davis for the two-point conversion gave the Cougars a 14-7 lead.

After Fien was sacked by tackle Ray Hall on the next series, the Bruins made the score 14-14 when Michael Williams returned a fumbled punt by Phillip Bobo 37 yards for a touchdown with 4:49 to play in the half.

UCLA took a 17-14 lead when Louis Perez made a 37-yard field goal with nine seconds remaining in the first half to cap a 31-yard, 10-play drive that was kept alive when guard Ron Nielsen gained two yards on fourth and one at the Cougar 39 after he recovered Fien’s fumbled snap.

Washington State (6-0 overall, 3-0 in Pac-10 play) gave up only three first downs and 54 yards in total offense during the second half to UCLA. The Bruins are winless in their first three conference games for the first time since 1943 and are 3-3 overall.

Deron Pointer returned the second half kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown to give the Cougars the lead for good.

Fien set up another Washington State touchdown when he fumbled after he was sacked by end DeWayne Patterson. End Lewis Bush recovered at the Bruin two to set up Bledsoe’s one-yard touchdown run two plays later.

“My father was here for this game and he’s never seen me play live,” Bush said. “So I had a lot of incentive. But basically this was about pay back. UCLA really embarrassed us (44-3) last year, and I remembered that. I just wanted them to go home and be miserable the entire trip.”

Rose Bowl Race PACIFIC 10 Conference

Team W L T Washington 4 0 0 Washington St. 3 0 0 Stanford 2 1 0 USC 2 1 0 Arizona 2 1 1 California 1 2 0 Oregon 1 3 0 Arizona St. 1 2 0 Oregon State 0 3 1 UCLA 0 3 0

PACIFIC 10 Overall

Team W L T Washington 6 0 0 Washington St. 6 0 0 Stanford 5 2 0 USC 3 1 1 Arizona 3 2 1 California 3 3 0 Oregon 3 4 0 Arizona St. 3 3 0 Oregon State 1 5 1 UCLA 3 3 0

BIG TEN Conference

Team W L T Michigan 3 0 0 Wisconsin 2 1 0 Iowa 2 1 0 Michigan St. 2 1 0 Ohio St. 1 2 0 Illinois 1 2 0 Indiana 1 2 0 Purdue 1 2 0 Minnesota 1 2 0 Northwestern 1 2 0

BIG TEN OVERALL

Team W L T Michigan 5 0 1 Wisconsin 4 2 0 Iowa 3 4 0 Michigan St. 2 4 0 Ohio St. 4 2 0 Illinois 3 3 0 Indiana 3 3 0 Purdue 2 4 0 Minnesota 1 5 0 Northwestern 1 5 0