Bruins kick off their ‘new season’ with rout

Don’t throw dirt on UCLA’s football season just yet.

The Bruins played their most complete game in more than a month to defeat Oregon State, 25-7, Saturday in front of 67,532 at the Rose Bowl to end a four-game losing streak and keep alive their hopes for a bowl game bid.

“The big thing Coach [Karl] Dorrell told us is that we had a three-game season left and to forget about our past games,” defensive tackle Brigham Harwell said. “This was the opening game of the new season. That’s how we looked at it.”

Justin Medlock made four field goals and sophomore quarterback Patrick Cowan bounced back from a poor first half with two touchdown passes to receiver Marcus Everett in the third and fourth quarters to lead UCLA, which improved to 5-5 overall and 3-4 in the Pacific 10 Conference.

In ending Oregon State’s four-game winning streak, the Bruins defense -- which struggled to make tackles in recent weeks -- played well in forcing quarterback Matt Moore into three fumbles and limiting the Beavers to 260 yards.

“It was a good team effort, even though it wasn’t the prettiest of wins,” said Dorrell, whose Bruins have won 11 of their last 12 games at the Rose Bowl. “But given the circumstances of where we are, losing four in a row and finally getting a win under our belts, it’s important for us to feel good about this victory.”

UCLA’s revamped offense, which looked good at times in a loss at California a week earlier, sputtered to start the game. The first time the Bruins had the ball, it was three plays and a punt. The next time, it was five plays and a punt and the third time it was three plays and a punt.

“We were just trying to find our rhythm,” tight end Logan Paulsen said. “We know that we were looking a little sloppy out there. We just had to get something here and there to get going.”

Oregon State, which had a 51-yard field-goal try by Alexis Serna blocked by Will Peddie to end its first possession, made the first mistake of the game when Moore fumbled after being hit by safety Dennis Keyes near midfield.

UCLA took advantage of the turnover with a disjointed drive that lasted 11 plays but traveled only 35 yards and ended with a 40-yard field goal by Medlock to give the Bruins a 3-0 lead early in the second quarter.

The Beavers (6-4, 4-3) responded with their best possession of the first half. Moore completed two key third-down passes and Yvenson Bernard capped the 80-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown run to give Oregon State a 7-3 lead.

Late in the second quarter, Moore gave UCLA its second big break when he lost another fumble after being tackled by Harwell. Aided by two penalties, the Bruins drove to the Beavers 24 before they had to settle for a 42-yard field goal by Medlock that cut the Beavers’ lead to 7-6 at halftime.

“The ball just kept squirting out of my hands and that was big in the game,” said Moore, a former standout at Newhall Hart High who played two seasons for UCLA before transferring in 2003. “I really can’t explain it. The ball just came out.”

The turning point in the game came on Oregon State’s first drive of the second half when the Beavers had fourth and one from their 48.

The Bruins got the stop they needed when Harwell broke through the line to tackle Bernard for a loss of three yards to give UCLA the ball.

“I knew that on fourth down they were going to run something up the middle,” Harwell said. “I told myself that I had to have a good jump off the ball. There was no doubt in my mind that I was going to make that play.

“When I punched in and saw the back, I knew he was mine. I ate him up. It was a big play for our defense.”

Then on UCLA’s first play of the second half, Cowan faked a handoff to Chris Markey and completed a pass to Everett, who beat cornerback Brandon Hughes for a 45-yard touchdown to give the Bruins a 13-7 lead.

“I’m just glad that the coaches had confidence to throw a deep ball,” Everett said. “We had practiced on throwing long all week. We kept working on it and working on it. Pat and I got our timing down and we were able to do it in the game.”

UCLA forced another turnover late in the third quarter when safety Chris Horton knocked the ball away from Clinton Polk at the Bruins 43. That set the stage for Cowan, who made a couple of key plays with his legs before completing his second touchdown pass to Everett.

Cowan scrambled three times for 26 yards and then found Everett with a pass in the back of the end zone for a 11-yard touchdown to give the Bruins -- who had a two-point conversion pass fail -- a 19-7 lead.

“I was just trying to make some positive yardage,” Cowan said about his running.

“Coach Dorrell told me that if it was open and I could make a play, to go with it. That’s what I did.”

Cowan, who completed 12 of 23 passes for 126 yards with one interception, made his final big play later in the fourth quarter when he passed 21 yards to Gavin Ketchum on third and 19. Six plays later, Medlock kicked a 25-yard field goal to put the Bruins ahead, 22-7.

Medlock’s final field goal -- from 24 yards -- was set up by Moore’s third fumble, which was forced by end Justin Hickman and recovered by end Bruce Davis deep in Oregon State territory.

lonnie.white@latimes.com