UCLA Is Sent to Boot Hill

The kick was straight and true, a direct hit. Unfortunately for UCLA, it wasn’t a football that was sent flying.

Sprinting toward the Rose Bowl tunnel the moment the game ended, Bruin cornerback Ricky Manning ripped into a red pylon with his right foot.

It was an act of supreme frustration. And it was about the only kick that went well for UCLA all day.

Chris Griffith had an extra-point try blocked in the third quarter and missed a 46-yard field-goal attempt with 1:54 to play, allowing Oregon to escape with a 31-30 victory Saturday before 68,882 in a game that had more footnotes than a doctoral dissertation.

The ending was eerily similar to last season’s 21-20 Oregon victory, when Griffith missed a 50-yarder on the last play. The difference this time was that UCLA rolled up 477 yards and had numerous chances to win.

Afterward, the Bruins felt like kicking themselves.

Of course, had they tried ...

“We missed our chance,” Manning said. “We not only missed the last kick, we missed a lot of other opportunities. There’s no way we should have lost that game. They were not the better team.”

Maybe not. Maybe they are lucky Ducks. But it was the 11th consecutive victory for No. 7 Oregon (6-0), which is 2-0 in its quest to win a third consecutive Pacific 10 Conference championship.

Despite the feats of Craig Bragg (nine catches for 230 yards and three touchdowns), Tab Perry (seven catches, 126 years, one touchdown) and Tyler Ebell (119 yards rushing), UCLA (4-2, 1-1) allowed victory to slip from its fingers--or more appropriately, its toes.

“I’m disappointed in several aspects of the kicking game,” said Bruin Coach Bob Toledo, who made several questionable decisions involving special teams.

The margin of victory was the blocked PAT kick following a touchdown that enabled UCLA to bounce back to take a 30-24 lead.

Griffith, a senior, had not missed a PAT in more than two years, making 80 in a row, but this one was so low that Oregon lineman Haloti Ngata blocked it without jumping or penetrating into the backfield.

“I was surprised it was blocked,” Bruin guard Eyoseph Efseaff said. “He went straight up and swatted it.”

UCLA drove to the Oregon 28 on its next possession, and Griffith--who had made a 37-yard field goal early in the third quarter--lined up for a 45-yarder on fourth and 15 that could have extended the Bruin lead to nine points.

Toledo called a fake, however, and holder Garrett Lepisto rolled right and completed a pass to Marcedes Lewis -- for eight yards, allowing Oregon to take over on downs.

“I thought he could make it,” Toledo said. “If they don’t cover [Lewis], he doesn’t get tackled.”

The Bruin defense held and it appeared Oregon would have to punt. But a third-down incomplete pass was nullified because officials ruled the third quarter ended before the snap.

The Ducks turned in the other direction, replayed the down and scored on a 75-yard pass play from Jason Fife to Keenan Howry for a 31-30 lead.

“What a fluke play,” Bruin defensive coordinator Phil Snow said. “[Manning] jammed Howry, then Fife bounced outside and Howry kicked away and got open.”

On its next possession, UCLA drove from its 20 to the Oregon 27 but quarterback Cory Paus, who was sacked four times and threw three interceptions, was called for intentional grounding, moving the ball back to the 35 and out of Griffith’s range.

Nate Fikse attempted a pooch punt, but the ball rolled into the end zone. It wasn’t the only errant kick by Fikse, who was under orders to punt away from Howry. But into Howry’s hands the ball went midway through the second quarter, and into the open field he ran, sprinting untouched 79 yards to the end zone.

That wasn’t even the most frustrating play for UCLA in the half. On the last play Oregon’s Jared Siegel kicked a 59-yard field goal--equaling the longest ever in a Pac-10 game.

UCLA defenders were so surprised the Ducks elected to try the field goal that they appeared frozen in place, not applying a rush and allowing the low-trajectory kick to clear the line of scrimmage and send Oregon to the locker room ahead, 24-21.

“We thought they were coming out in their offense,” Manning said. “Then when their field-goal unit came out, we were worried about a fake.”

The third quarter was UCLA’s chance to seize control. Perry opened the period with a 38-yard kick return and the Bruins drove to the Oregon 14 before settling for Griffith’s field goal.

Four minutes later Bragg made asensational one-handed grab of a middle screen in full stride and raced 46 yards for a touchdown that put UCLA ahead, 30-24. But Griffith missed the extra point and every opportunity thereafter was squandered.

The UCLA defense played well, shrugging off the absence of injured tackle Rodney Leisle. The Bruins drummed Fife, sacking the junior quarterback four times and forcing him to scramble repeatedly.

Oregon tailback Onterrio Smith rushed for 152 yards in 25 carries for his sixth consecutive 100-yard effort, but he never scored and seemed to tire in the second half.

The Bruins came out strong, scoring on their first offensive play, a 55-yard bomb from Paus to Perry. Oregon answered with a 17-yard pass from Fife to tight end George Wrighster, but UCLA made another big play before the first quarter ended, scoring on a 53-yard pass from receiver Jon Dubravac to Bragg.

And in the third quarter Paus, who passed for 316 yards, connected with Bragg for a 71-yard touchdown

“We made enough plays to win but we beat ourselves,” Manning said. “When we lined up for that last field goal, I thought, ‘He’s going to nail it. This is cake.’ ”

Instead, it was deja vu. Comparisons to last year’s game were inevitable.

“This feels even worse,” said Bragg, who became only the second UCLA player with 200 yards receiving in a game.

“If they’d have blown us out it wouldn’t feel this bad. But we made plays, a lot of plays. We needed to make one more.”

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KEYS TO THE GAME

Steve Henson’s keys to the game and how the Bruins measured up:

1. The depleted Bruin defensive line must contain Duck tailback Onterrio Smith. Freshman tackle C.J. Niusulu, making his first start, and end Asi Faoa, making his first start in three years, did not hurt the Bruins. Smith rushed for 154 yards but did not score. He did most of his damage in the first half.

2. Quarterback Cory Paus must not aggravate his bruised right shoulder and must exploit inexperienced Duck cornerbacks by hitting Craig Bragg and Tab Perry deep. Paus remained healthy and indeed connected with Bragg and Perry, who combined for 356 yards receiving and four touchdowns. However, Paus had three passes intercepted in the first half and never found tight end Mike Seidman.

3. If history holds, the outcome will be determined in the fourth quarter. The Bruins must make plays down the stretch. UCLA outplayed Oregon for most of the second half but on its last possession failed to penetrate deeply enough to give Chris Griffith an easy field-goal try. Tyler Ebell, who ran well all day, lost two yards in his last two carries and Paus missed on a pass to Bragg on third down, leaving Griffith with a 46-yard attempt that he missed.