BRUINS OVERMATCHED IN OHIO : OHIO STATE 42, UCLA 20 UCLA TAKES EARLY LEAD, BUT THEN IT'S ALL BUCKEYES.Byline: Jon Wilner Staff Writer UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX coach Bob Toledo Bob Toledo (born March 4, 1946, in San Jose, California) is an American football coach, recently hired as head coach at Tulane University. He is best-known as the thirteenth head coach at UCLA. uses motivational tricks as judiciously as trick plays. He tried both this weekend, with an inspirational team meeting Friday and some well-timed shenanigans shenanigans Noun, pl Informal 1. mischief or nonsense 2. trickery or deception [origin unknown] Saturday night that generated the bulk of UCLA's offense. But the Bruins were not ready for this, at least not as they are currently composed - with no proven quarterback and 11 suspended players. In much of the critical third quarter, for instance, their defense consisted of one junior, six sophomores and four freshmen. No, they were not ready for the crowd and the pressure and the intensity. And most of all, they were not ready for Ohio State, which used three second-quarter touchdowns to take control of what became a 42-20 Buckeyes victory Saturday night before 93,283 fans at Ohio Stadium. ``The team played hard, but our youth showed up,'' Toledo said. ``We didn't execute a lot of things, and our field position was not very good.'' The game started well and ended poorly for the Bruins. Then again, so did the Hurricane Bowl and the Rose Bowl. No doubt, UCLA's defense performed better than it did against Miami or Wisconsin. But there was no high-octane offense in support. The running game sputtered and the quarterbacks, Drew Bennett Andrew Russell Bennett (born August 26, 1978 in Berkeley, California) is an American football player in the National Football League. Bennett plays wide receiver for the St. Louis Rams whom acquired him as an free agent on March 3, 2007. and Cory Paus, were unimpressive. Actually, the game was remarkably similar to Toledo's debut four years ago this week - a 35-20 loss at Tennessee. Then as now, the overmatched Bruins played with spirit but lacked the experience, depth and talent to match their opponent quarter for quarter. Saturday, their 10-0 lead disappeared when the Buckeyes steamed for 177 yards and 21 points in the second quarter. A UCLA touchdown early in the third simply prolonged the inevitable, as Ohio State quickly regained command. Fatigue, turnovers, penalties and missed assignments - all traits of a young team - made UCLA's challenge virtually insurmountable. ``They say fatigue makes cowards of us all, and we got away from using our techniques and fundamentals,'' defensive tackle Pete Holland said. The Bruins scored first on a bizarre play reminiscent of Nebraska's miracle touchdown several seasons ago against Missouri. On the game's fourth play, Bennett threw left to Freddie Mitchell For the fictional character, see . Freddie Lee Mitchell (born November 28, 1978 in Lakeland, Florida) is a former American football wide receiver in the NFL who most recently played for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was a 1st round draft pick in the 2001 NFL Draft out of UCLA. , who was surrounded by three Buckeyes. The ball went through the hands of safety Percy King, then bounced off Courtland Bullard and Ahmed Plummer Ahmed Kamil Plummer (born March 26, 1976 in Wyoming, Ohio) is a former National Football League player who played in 6 NFL seasons for the San Francisco 49ers from 2000-2005. A 5'11", 191 lbs. , and finally landed on Mitchell's back. It rested there for a split second before fullback Matt Stanley snatched it off Mitchell's shoulder pad and raced 55 yards past the stunned stun tr.v. stunned, stun·ning, stuns 1. To daze or render senseless, by or as if by a blow. 2. To overwhelm or daze with a loud noise. 3. Buckeyes for a touchdown. ``You know how long it took for us to practice that play?'' Toledo quipped. The Bruins took a 10-0 on their most impressive drive of the game. They ran the option, threw to the tight ends on third down and used Stanley successfully on fourth. Their first trick play came when Bennett handed to Mitchell on a reverse right, then Mitchell threw back to Bennett on the left side. Bennett raced 18 yards to set up Chris Griffith's 35-yard field goal. The advantage vanished in minutes as quarterback Austin Moherman moved the Buckeyes 81 yards for their first touchdown, a short run by Michael Wiley Michael Wiley may refer to:
The Buckeyes switched quarterbacks on the ensuing series, but Steve Bellisari Steve Bellisari (born April 21, 1980 in Boca Raton, Florida) is an American football quarterback for the New Orleans Voodoo of the Arena Football League. Bellisari is best known as an Ohio State University Buckeye from 1998 to 2001. was as good as Moherman - if not better. On third down at UCLA's 46, he lofted a well-placed pass to receiver Reggie Germany over cornerback Jason Bell Jason Dewande Bell (born April 1, 1978 in Long Beach, California) is an American football cornerback in the NFL for the New York Giants. He played college football at UCLA. . The 39-yard completion set up Bellisari's two-yard scoring pass to Ken-Yon Rambo, and the Buckeyes had a 14-10 lead. It expanded to 21-10 a few minutes later on Wiley's five-yard run. ``There's no question us not having our full team had an effect,'' Toledo said. ``Our guys were worn down, and our youth showed up in a lot of situations.'' The Bruins emerged from halftime with the same energy they started the game. The defense held, and the offense, behind Bennett, moved the ball. Several option runs set up the second trick play: an option reverse to Mitchell, who scampered 33 yards to Ohio State's 7. On the next play, Foster ran left into the end zone, and the Bruins were within 21-17. They would get no closer. THE HERO Ohio State reserve quarterback Steve Bellisari, who rushed for 50 yards, frustrating UCLA's defense time and again, and passed for 159 yards and two touchdowns. THE GOAT The 11 UCLA players suspended for the disabled-parking scam. Without them, the Bruins had no depth and no chance against the talented Buckeyes. STAT OF THE GAME The Buckeyes gained 62 yards in the first quarter and 445 in the final three quarters against UCLA's exhausted, outmanned defense. QUOTE ``We struggled with our base offense running the ball. We had Drew (Bennett) run the option to make the running plays. - Bob Toledo UCLA coach NOTEBOOK: For Stanley, it's local boy does real good COLUMBUS, Ohio Columbus is the capital and the largest city of the American state of Ohio. Named for explorer Christopher Columbus, the city was founded in 1812 at the confluence of the Scioto and Olentangy rivers, and assumed the functions of state capital in 1816. - UCLA fullback Matt Stanley couldn't have ScriptOhio-ed it any better. A few minutes after the Ohio State band performed the routine Stanley knows so well - he attended Bexley High School Bexley High School is a public high school located in Bexley, Ohio, an affluent suburb of Columbus, Ohio. It is in the Bexley City School District. Currently there are 44 teachers that teach at least one class. The graduation rate for the 2004-05 school year was 98.6%. in Columbus - Stanley made what probably will stand as the strangest play of the season. When Drew Bennett's deflected pass landed improbably on Freddie Mitchell's back, Stanley scooped it up and raced 67 yards for a touchdown that gave the Bruins a 7-0 lead, stunned the Buckeyes and gave Stanley's cheering section something to cherish. ``I was running over to make sure it wasn't intercepted,'' Stanley said. ``I saw it land on Freddie, and I grabbed it. I looked at the ref and he said it was OK, so I kept running.'' Stanley's presence was itself the result of strange circumstances. He started because top fullback Durell Price is suspended for the disabled-parking scam. Stanley, a walk-on whose parents attended UCLA, was one of the Bruins' few bright spots in a 42-20 loss. He caught three passes, rushed for several first downs and probably earned a scholarship. ``I'll have to talk to his father first and get him to donate some money,'' Bruins coach Bob Toledo joked. ``Seriously, I'll give him a scholarship.'' Injury update: Junior linebacker Billy Pieper sprained the medial collateral ligament The medial collateral ligament or MCL (or tibial collateral ligament) is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial or inner side of the joint. in his right knee and will have an MRI 1. (application) MRI - Magnetic Resonance Imaging. 2. MRI - Measurement Requirements and Interface. exam Monday to determine the extent of the injury. Receiver Danny Farmer Danny Farmer, born 1977, is a former National Football League and University of California, Los Angeles wide receiver.[1] In 2000, he was drafted in the fourth round (103) by the Pittsburgh Steelers. reinjured his sprained left ankle, but UCLA's physician, Dr. Gerald Finerman, said he didn't think it was serious. By the numbers: Ohio State rushed for 241 yards; UCLA rushed for 112. The Bruins committed 10 penalties for 67 yards. The Buckeyes converted 9-of-16 third-down attempts. The Bruins converted 3-of-14. An old friend: Ohio State coach John Cooper John Cooper can refer to:
Prothro, a native of Memphis, Tennessee, was the son of major league baseball player and manager Doc Prothro, who played for for two seasons in the mid-'60s. The Bruins were 17-3-1 during Cooper's stay. ``Coach Prothro taught me more, by far, than any coach I've been around,'' Cooper said. ``We were picked to finish last (in 1965) and won the championship and beat SC in one of the all-time great upsets (20-16). Mike Garrett Michael Lockett Garrett (born April 12, 1944 in Los Angeles, California) is a former American football player who won the 1965 Heisman Trophy as a tailback for the University of Southern California Trojans. had a great day. ``The experience I got from being on that staff was invaluable in my career.'' Bitter feelings? Price, UCLA's suspended fullback, committed to Ohio State as a Sylmar High School Sylmar High School is a public school in the northeast San Fernando Valley in the Sylmar district of Los Angeles, California. Established in the 1950s, it is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, District 2, and serves more than 3,600 students in grades 9-12. senior in 1996. But when his letter-of-intent was improperly faxed to the Buckeyes - and thus invalidated - Price opted for UCLA. Cooper wasn't happy the way Price handled the situation. ``I have a little more respect for somebody who's up front about it,'' Cooper said. CAPTION(S): 2 photos, 7 boxes PHOTO (1) Ohio State flanker flank·er n. 1. One that flanks, especially a soldier so positioned as to protect the flank of a column of troops on the march. 2. Ken-Yon Rambo (4) is lifted by QB Steve Bellisari after Rambo's touchdown catch in the second quarter for a 14-10 lead. Mark Hall/Associated Press (2) Ohio State's Michael Wiley looks over his shoulder at UCLA defenders who fail to prevent him from scoring on a second-quarter touchdown. Chris Putman/Associated Press BOX: (1) The Hero (see text) (2) The Goat (see text) (3) Stat of the Game (see text) (4) Notebook (see text) (5) Scoring Summary (6) The Log (7) Quote of the Game (see text) |
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