Leisle’s Split Game: From Prowl to Pow

The way Rodney Leisle prowled the sideline during the first half, anyone would have kept his distance.

“I was like a caged animal, just waiting to get out,” Leisle said.

UCLA’s other starting tackle, Ryan Boschetti, took note.

“He never stopped moving the whole time,” Boschetti said.

Suspended for the first half of UCLA’s game against No. 18 Washington as an automatic penalty for throwing a retaliatory punch against a San Diego State player last week, Leisle had to watch -- and seethe -- as the Bruins fell behind.

Then he entered the game and took over.

“I hate sitting out,” Leisle said. “I was rooting for my teammates, but there’s not much you can do -- just wait for the second half, then explode.”

On the first play Leisle was on the field, defensive end Dave Ball came from the outside to hit Washington quarterback Cody Pickett in the end zone and knock the ball free.

Leisle pounced on it.

Touchdown, UCLA, only 13 seconds into the second half.

Before the third quarter was over, Leisle had wreaked havoc again, intercepting a deflected pass to set up a field goal as UCLA’s offense came alive in the second half of the Bruins’ 46-16 victory.

“We were behind. You’ve got to change the mentality of the whole team,” Leisle said.

“It was something for the defense to feed off of. Touchdown, interception, interception. The offense started to feed off it too.”

Tailback Tyler Ebell agreed.

“I knew he had a lot of stuff built up and would be ready to go in the second half,” said Ebell, who knows Leisle looks more ferocious than he is, at least to teammates.

“I’m not scared of Rodney,” Ebell said, flashing a grin, “unlike most people.”

Leisle is 6 feet 3 and 294 pounds of muscle, packed tightly into his tattooed skin.

He is intense and emotional, enough so that he was upset because he felt neither his teammates nor Coach Karl Dorrell “had my back” after the San Diego State situation.

“That’s behind,” Leisle said. “Coach Dorrell, he’s got my back 100%.”

Leisle’s two monster plays broke the Huskies’ backs. “Pretty much after that, the game was over,” Washington Coach Keith Gilbertson said.

The touchdown was the first of Leisle’s four-year career. The interception was his second, the first coming against Arizona during the 2000 season.

Leisle gave Ball -- who had a monster game of his own -- much of the credit for the touchdown. “He knocked the ball out. He did all the work. I just topped it off, the icing on the cake,” Leisle said.

Ball gave Leisle plenty of credit too.

“He’s an NFL type of guy,” Ball said. “He’s going to take up two guys on each play. That eases the burden on everyone else.”

Leisle’s interception came after Pickett’s pass deflected off fullback Zach Tuiasosopo’s hands.

“I just saw it bobbling and tried to grab it,” Leisle said. “I turned around and it was in the air, and I thought, ‘Aw man, I’ve got to get that.’ ”

He had something else to catch after the game: a ride.

Boschetti, standing near Leisle as reporters crowded in, teasingly called out, “Where’s my limo?”

Leisle was on his way to a 9 p.m. date with his girlfriend of one year for their anniversary dinner.

He was pressed for time, but no matter.

Leisle does late arrivals quite well.