Familiar problems haunt UCLA during costly loss at Washington

SEATTLE — The version of UCLA that rolled into this cool, windswept stadium had a throwback feel.

It looked like the team that struggled so mightily early this season.

Quarterback Ethan Garbers constantly ran from relentless pressure. The Bruins couldn’t run the ball. They forced turnovers but couldn’t do much with them. They hurt themselves with punishment. And their defense gave up too many big plays.

It spelled the end of their three-game winning streak, with the Bruins falling flat for the first time in more than a month during a 31-19 loss to Washington on Friday night at Husky Stadium.

“I’m not going to make any excuses for us,” UCLA coach DeShaun Foster said. “We just weren’t at our best and it hurts when you know you can come out and play a little bit better than you did, you know?”

Toward the end of a frustrating night for Garbers, who virtually every play behind an offensive line down to his fourth-string left tackle, after Jaylan Jeffers had to be carted off the field, the quarterback was sacked for a 12-yarder. loss on a fourth-down sack with 3½ minutes left.

UCLA (4-6 overall, 3-5 Big Ten) must win its final two games — against USC and Fresno State — to qualify for a bowl game.

Meanwhile, the Huskies (6-5, 4-4) assured themselves of a bowl berth while extending their home winning streak to 20 games.

Washington got a boost from quarterback Demond Williams Jr. after the freshman replaced erratic starter Will Rogers III and guided the Huskies on three scoring drives, including one that ended with a one-yard touchdown pass to tight end Decker DeGraaf that extended their lead to 24 -13 with 5:44 remaining, essentially sealing the win.

“He opened up their offense a little bit in terms of being able to run the ball,” UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger, who made a career-high 17 tackles, said of the shifty Williams, “but for us as a defense, that’s something we knew coming in in the game and we planned it. We just didn’t execute the way we wanted to when he came into the game.”

UCLA had intercepted two passes from Rogers in the third quarter — leading to his benching — but turned the takeaways into just three points.

Cornerback Devin Kirkwood’s juggling interception on the Huskies’ first drive of the quarter gave the Bruins the ball at the Washington 25-yard line. But UCLA couldn’t get a first down and had to settle for Mateen Bhaghani’s 40-yard field goal that trimmed the deficit to 14-13.

Washington’s next drive ended similarly when UCLA linebacker Kain Medrano stepped in front of a Rogers pass and returned it 11 yards to the Huskies’ 39. But Bruins tight end Jack Pedersen lost a fumble and Washington recovered the ball at its own 20-yard line. line.

“The defense did a good job of getting us some turnovers in the red zone,” Foster said, “and we just didn’t come up with the touchdowns we wanted.”

A week after their running game produced 211 yards in a win over Iowa, the Bruins were held to 52 yards on 33 carries for an average of 1.6 yards per carry. carry. Garbers was sacked six times and completed 27 of 44 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns.

“We’ve just got to do a better job of communicating before the snap and getting the protection engaged,” Garbers said. “I’ve also got to do a better job of getting off the football quicker and keeping the mental clock in my head and finding guys that are open.”

UCLA had only itself to blame for its 14-10 halftime deficit after a fumble contributed heavily to each of Washington’s touchdowns.

The first came when Brody Richter downed a punt for 16 yards late in the first quarter, allowing the Huskies to take over at UCLA’s 36-yard line. Three plays later, Washington running back Jonah Coleman (95 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries) took a field and ran for a 15-yard touchdown and the game’s first score.

Another big mistake was coming.

It appeared the Bruins had made a stop deep in their own territory late in the second quarter when safety Bryan Addison intercepted a Rogers pass in the end zone. But UCLA linebacker Oluwafemi Oladejo hit Rogers from behind on the play, leading to a roughing-the-passer call that gave Washington a first down.

Rogers connected with Keleki Latu on an eight-yard touchdown pass to extend the Huskies’ lead to 14-3.

But Garbers provided a much-needed answer just before halftime. After spending most of the half in scramble mode — losing a fumble deep in Washington territory in the second quarter after edge rusher Russell Davis II took the ball out of his hand — Garbers was more elusive running for two first downs, including one that put the ball on Washington’s one-yard line.

On the next play, Garbers threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer on a crossing route and UCLA was within 14-10 with 51 seconds left in the first half. There weren’t many more highlights to come.

When Garbers completed his final pass for a two-yard touchdown to tight end Moliki Matavao with nine seconds left in the game, any comeback hopes were erased.

“We’ve got to get better and that starts with me getting these guys going, getting them in and out of the huddle,” Garbers said. “Just focus on how each play is the most important. It just comes down to me making those throws and moving those chains.”