UCLA (then-3-7, 3-4 Big Ten) took on Washington (then-7-3, 4-3 Big Ten) on Saturday evening at possibly their last home game at the Rose Bowl.
The Rose Bowl, a place the Bruins have called home since 1982, holds many memories, including the stunning 2017 comeback against Texas A&M and many rivalry games against USC. With UCLA’s big loss to Washington, they potentially end their era at the Rose Bowl on an extremely disappointing note, encapsulating the Bruins’ season as a whole.
The first quarter was a defensive battle, with both teams trading stops. Washington took the first points with a field goal as a result of UCLA’s receiver Mikey Matthews’ fumble late in the quarter. The Bruins’ biggest play of the quarter came from quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who scrambled for 26 yards on the first drive of the quarter.
Defensively, UCLA had many big plays, including a tackle for loss on Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr., on a crucial 4th and short to force the Huskies to punt. Additionally, UCLA’s defense came up big after the Williams Jr. fumble, holding the Huskies to only a field goal despite being on short yardage from the end zone.
The second quarter unraveled quickly. Washington started strong, forcing UCLA to punt with their strong defense, then driving down the field and capping it off with an explosive 26-yard run from Williams Jr. UCLA’s struggle continued when, with 8:50 remaining in the quarter, Iamaleava was stripped by Washington edge rusher DeShawn Lynch and Washington recovered the fumble. Two costly fumbles stalling out UCLA’s offense played a major role in the loss.
The defensive struggles continued as UCLA cornerback Andre Jordan Jr. committed a pass interference penalty, gifting Washington a free first down. Despite the penalty, UCLA’s defense held Washington to only a field goal, increasing the score to 13-0 with 5:46 remaining in the quarter. UCLA received life from an interception from safety Cole Martin, who had a lengthy return to the Washington 24-yard line.
On top of that, UCLA attempted a fake field goal, resulting in a fumble and a Washington touchdown, making it a 20-point lead for Washington. An opportunity to make it a one-possession game, unfortunately, resulted in a confusing play call and turnover for UCLA, increasing the lead to three scores for Washington. The half ended with things looking grim for the Bruins, who found themselves down 20.
UCLA initially got off to a rough start in the second half. Their offense stalled out and had to punt two times, and defensively, they gave up 14 consecutive points with an 18-yard touchdown to Washington receiver Dezman Roebuck with the pass from Williams Jr. and an 11-yard rushing touchdown by Williams Jr, increasing the score to 34-0.
To make matters worse, Iamaleava left the game with a head injury following a sack by Washington. Nonetheless, UCLA’s backup quarterback Luke Duncan came into the game and got UCLA their first points, throwing a 37-yard touchdown pass to Matthews and cutting the lead to 27 points.
The fourth quarter would not be much better for the Bruins, as Washington started the quarter off with a one-yard touchdown run by running back Jonah Coleman. Despite that, the Bruins were blessed with a muffed punt by Roebuck, which was recovered by UCLA’s Jamir Benjamin, who scooped up the ball and ran it in for a 17-yard touchdown.
Washington would respond with a touchdown of their own, a 24-yard touchdown pass to Decker DeGraaf from Williams Jr, piling on UCLA and exposing their lack of tackling, making many defenders miss. At this point, the Bruins were down 48-14, a disappointing end to their last home game of the year, and potentially their last game ever at the Rose Bowl.
UCLA will be taking on their Big Ten and crosstown rival USC (8-3, 6-2) next Saturday, and will be looking to bounce back from this heartbreaking loss. Rivalry week has always been one that Bruin fans have looked forward to, whether it has been jarring with opposing fans or the festivities happening on campus.
While Bruin fans look forward to next week, tonight was a disappointing loss for the Bruins and not the way that the Rose Bowl era should end. We are unsure whether the Bruins will move to SoFi Stadium or remain at the historic Rose Bowl in 2026.
__
Featured Image Photographed by Regan Rhodes/BruinLife
