COLLEGE FOOTBALL / WEEK 3 : UCLA GAME REPORT : FIVE KEY MOMENTS

1 Ohio State was unable to get beyond the UCLA 40 in its two drives of the first quarter. But then Austin Moherman connected with fullback Matt Keller over the middle and everything opened up. That play was worth 23 yards and became a spark to the Buckeyes scoring on three consecutive possessions and turning a 10-0 deficit into a 21-10 lead.

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2 Among Drew Bennett’s shortcomings, poor hands was never one of them. But when UCLA was down only 21-17 late in the third quarter and on its own 42, Bennett rolled right with linebacker Jason Ott in pursuit and looked downfield for Danny Farmer and a possible big gain. Before Bennett even raised his arm to throw, the ball popped out of his right hand. The Buckeyes recovered at the Bruin 30 and needed only three plays to go in for the 28-17 lead that sealed the win.

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3 It had already been a tough week for UCLA safety Jason Stephens. He did not play well against Boise State, earning the wrath of Coach Bob Toledo, and then, three days later, earning a spot on the bench as Julius Williams was named starter. To really get Toledo angry, though, Stephens committed a dead-ball personal foul that advanced the ball to the Bruin seven in the second quarter. Stephens was immediately pulled and was met at the sidelines by Toledo for a brief talk. Two plays later, Ohio State scored to make it 21-10.

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4 UCLA’s Matt Stanley, who lived in Columbus for six years, became a hero in the strangest of ways early in his highly anticipated return. Bennett’s short pass to the left side was intended for Freddie Mitchell, but was tipped by one Ohio State player, batted by another before dropping. When the ball landed on Mitchell’s back, not the turf, Stanley picked it up and raced for what was officially a 67-yard touchdown reception that got the Bruins off to a good start.

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5 Ohio State changed quarterbacks just after its first touchdown. It could have broken the Buckeyes’ roll. But when backup Steve Bellisari found split end Reggie Germany on the left side and delivered for a 39-yard gain, the momentum was intact. That moved the ball to the UCLA seven and set up the go-ahead score two plays later.