No. 12 UCLA stops No. 22 BYU's magic, moves on to Pac-12 play
PASADENA, Calif. — Breaking down No. 12 UCLA's 24-23 win against No. 22 BYU on Saturday:
THE BIG PICTURE: UCLA’s win against Brigham Young (2-1) capped an undefeated run through non-conference play, leaving the Bruins in great position — and an expected position — to take charge in a Pac-12 Conference lacking in clear frontrunners as the calendar turns to league play. While Oregon, Stanford and Southern California have scuffled early, UCLA (3-0) will continue its march toward the College Football Playoff as one of the most under-discussed national-title contenders in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
WHAT WE’LL BE TALKING ABOUT: UCLA survived BYU’s best shot, but a similar performance might not be good enough to win the Pac-12 Conference South Division and compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff. The offense must improve, particularly in locating more balance between the run and the pass.
This marked quarterback Josh Rosen’s first hiccup, as he finished 11-for-23 passing for 106 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. UCLA must go back to the drawing board to make sure its freshman star is put into positions where he can succeed against the high-scoring offenses — and sometimes questionable defenses — seen in the Pac-12.
THE DECIDING PLAY: After BYU kicker Trevor Samson’s field goal pushed the Cougars’ advantage to 23-17 with 5:39 left in the fourth quarter, UCLA embarked on seven-play, 80-yard drive to pull ahead with 3:21 remaining. What was special about this drive? It didn’t feature one pass from Rosen. Instead, UCLA leaned on its underrated ground game to take its first lead of the game.
BREAKOUT PLAYER: Unjustly, UCLA junior Paul Perkins continues to fly under the radar in all discussions about the nation’s best running back. That won’t change after tonight, but his performance showed his importance to the Bruins’ cause: Perkins ran for 219 yards on 26 carries to propel an offense struggling to move the football consistently and effectively through the air. He’s deserving of some attention in the Heisman Trophy race.
KEY STAT: UCLA is now 14-0 under Jim Mora in regular-season non-conference games. The Bruins’ lone loss under Mora against a team outside of the Pac-12 came against Baylor in the 2012 Holiday Bowl.
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