UCLA offense, special teams struggle in home finale loss to Washington

PASADENA, Calif. — A comedy of early errors from the UCLA offense and special teams wasted a respectable first-half defense, and things quickly unraveled Saturday night in a forgettable potential last showing in front of an announced attendance of 38,201 at the Rose Bowl.

The Bruins trailed by 20 at halftime after losing three fumbles, including a poorly executed fake field goal, and dropping a potential early touchdown en route to a 48-14 loss to Washington.

Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava, in his return after missing last week’s loss at top-ranked Ohio State with a concussion, completed his first five pass attempts before having issues connecting with his receivers and generating much of a rhythm.

Trailing 27-0 in the third quarter, Iamaleava was sacked with 8:44 left and took a shot to the helmet that ended his night. He finished 16-of-26 passing for just 69 yards to go with 16 yards rushing. Backup Luke Duncan finished out the game.

UCLA (3-8, 3-5 Big Ten) lost its fourth consecutive game but avoided getting shut out at home for the first time since 2010. Duncan’s 37-yard touchdown pass to slot receiver Mikey Matthews cut the deficit to 34-7 with 2:53 left in the third.

Washington (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten) scored 13 points off the first-half miscues, while its defense limited UCLA to just 101 total yards over the seven drives before halftime. The Bruins were outgained 426-207.

Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. ran for a pair of touchdowns and threw for two more. He completed 17 of 26 passes for 213 yards with an interception and ran for 56 yards.

Bruins cornerback Jamir Benjamin returned a fourth-quarter fumble for a touchdown to reach the end zone for the first time in his young career. He scored off a forced fumble by fellow cornerback Kanye Clark.

Pending a lawsuit by the city of Pasadena and the Rose Bowl Operating Co., it could be UCLA’s final home game in the 103-year-old stadium. The Bruins, who have called the Rose Bowl home since 1982, are exploring a move to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood that brought on the lawsuit last month.

UCLA will wrap up the season next Saturday at rival USC. Kickoff at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

UCLA postgame press conference

Interim head coach Tim Skipper, defensive back Cole Martin and offensive lineman Garrett DiGiorgio addressed the media after the loss:

Turning point of the game

UCLA’s defense stopped the first two Washington drives. But Matthews promptly fumbled on the first play of the ensuing drive, giving the Huskies the ball back on the Bruins’ 20-yard line late in the first quarter.

UCLA managed to escape down just a field goal through one quarter. Its defense allowed just 3.5 yards per play through the first 15 minutes.

The Bruins’ offense, however, continued to struggle early into the second quarter. On its own 31, wide receiver Titus Mokiao-Atimalala got behind the entire Washington secondary but dropped a potential touchdown pass over the middle from Iamaleava on third down at the Huskies’ 38 with 14:55 left in the half.

Williams made UCLA pay for the missed opportunity, finishing off an eight-play drive with a 25-yard touchdown run. It pushed Washington’s lead to 10-0 at the 10:56 mark.

Iamaleava then coughed the ball up on a scramble five plays into the next drive, with Huskies edge rusher Deshawn Lynch making the strip and recovery on the UCLA 45. For a second time, the Bruins were able to limit the damage to a field goal and trailed 13-0.

After another quick UCLA possession, the defense tried to give the Bruins a much-needed jolt. Martin intercepted Williams and returned it to the Washington 24 with 3:11 to go until halftime.

However, the Bruins again struggled to move the ball. Then, what appeared to be a designed trick play on a fake field goal went terribly wrong. Holder Cash Peterman briefly put the snap down and then quickly flipped a no-look toss over his shoulder well out of reach of kicker Mateen Bhaghani.

Huskies safety Alex McLaughlin scooped up the ball up and returned the fumble 59 yards for the 20-0 lead with less than two minutes remaining.

UCLA standout on offense: QB Luke Duncan

It did not take much for Duncan to earn this distinction. It was as much about the missteps of every other Bruin that made for limited options.

Duncan completed 5 of 11 passes for 81 yards and the lone offensive touchdown.

UCLA standout on defense: DB Cole Martin

Martin collected four tackles to go with his interception. The pick marked the last real chance the Bruins had to get back into the game.

Why UCLA lost

The Bruins failed to reward a commendable start from the defense. Despite the turnovers and favorable field position, the Huskies produced just one first-half touchdown on offense — not including the special teams gaffe.

After a nine-play opening drive ended on a turnover on downs, UCLA’s next five possessions totaled just 16 plays. None of the drives exceeded five plays.

It took nine drives and the loss of Iamaleava for the Bruins to get on the board.