Concussion Might Have Slowed Mitchell

UCLA receiver Freddie Mitchell said he played the second half of Saturday’s game despite a mild concussion suffered on a rough collision after a reception in the first half. Mitchell said he expected to be ready to play USC next week.

Mitchell, a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award as the top receiver in college football, had four receptions in the second half and seven overall.

“He is as good as advertised,” Washington Coach Rick Neuheisel said. “But it looked like he was wobbling. You don’t know how that affected him.”

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For the second time this season, Brian Poli-Dixon had more receptions than Mitchell. Poli-Dixon had eight catches, including three in the Bruins’ two-minute drill, and set a career high with 165 receiving yards.

Offensive coordinator Al Borges said quarterback Cory Paus made smart reads of the Washington defense by throwing to Poli-Dixon on several pass plays designed for Mitchell.

“I just happened to get the ball more this game,” Poli-Dixon said. “I think I’m open every game.”

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Washington tight end Jerramy Stevens, who made four catches for 80 yards and a touchdown, couldn’t resist taking a cheap shot at the Bruins, despite their attempt to rally in the final quarter.

“If you get up on UCLA, sometimes they just want to roll over because they are kind of Hollywood,” Stevens told reporters.

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UCLA linebacker Robert Thomas did not play in the fourth quarter after a collision in which he aggravated a stress fracture in his foot. . . . Losses by USC, Arizona and Arizona State on Saturday ensured the Pac-10 would have only five teams eligible for bowl berths. The Bruins will play in the Aloha or Oahu bowls in Honolulu or the Sun Bowl in El Paso. . . . Game time temperature was 40 degrees. Said quarterback Cory Paus: “I’m from Chicago, so it didn’t affect me at all.” . . . The UCLA players autographed a football and presented it to the Huskies for delivery to Curtis Williams, the Washington safety who remains hospitalized after suffering a spinal cord injury two weeks ago against Stanford. The Huskies collected donations from fans at Saturday’s game to help pay for Williams’ medical expenses not covered by insurance, and the Washington women’s soccer players contributed their per-diem money from today’s NCAA tournament game--a total of $800--to the fund.