The game went back and forth all night, but it was ultimately the UCLA Bruins that prevailed over the Washington State Cougars. The difference in the game proved to be WSU’s inability to score touchdowns in the red zone, while UCLA showed big play ability when it counted. With a final score of 28-25, it wasn’t easy for the Bruins to put away one of the Pac 12s bottom feeders over the last decade.
The winning drive was a five play bit of brilliance led by Kevin Prince, highlighted by a one handed, nearly fumbled Nelson Rosario catch for 58 yards. Rosario ran a post pattern from the right side of the field, and with what looked like a foot in height advantage over WSU’s covering corner, there wasn’t much more to do than to catch it.
A Kevin Prince seven yard touchdown pass to Shaquelle Evans put the Bruins up one, and a two point conversion pass again over the middle to Rosario put UCLA up a field goal.
WSU still had a chance to tie it up. Marshall Lobbesteal marched his Cougars to just short of midfield, but had his final pass of the night intercepted by UCLA’s Andrew Abbott, who celebrated up and down the field knowing he had just won the game for his team.
Washington State managed to go up five points with 5:49 left, on a 47 yard field goal by Andrew Furney. The score and the time remaining made it Kevin Prince’s game to win, and the 71 yard drive didn’t disappoint.
UCLA moves to 3-3 on the season, and 2-1 in Pac-12 play. The Cougars fall to 3-2 and 1-1 in Pac-12 play. For both schools, three wins while six gams into the season is an improvement, just three more wins needed to qualify for a bowl game.