ROAD TAKES UCLA FAR IN NOVEMBER BRUINS' WIN OVER HUSKIES REVERSES UGLY LOSING TREND UCLA 34, WASHINGTON 24.

Byline: Billy Witz Staff Writer

SEATTLE - If UCLA can find a tailback at the bottom of the depth chart, if the Bruins can find not one but two quarterbacks among their freshmen, then why can't they come here on the type of crisp, chilling evening that often turns their heads and hearts to stone and discover what it means to be a team?

The Bruins - half of whom are determined to rewrite their recent history and half of whom are too young to remember it - might have some question marks, but not many have to do with their character after scoring a 34-24 victory Saturday night over Washington in front of 72,017 at Husky Stadium.

It is their first victory in November in two years and their first road victory after the calendar passed September since they won here in 1998.

It also improved UCLA's record to 6-3 overall, making them bowl eligible, and improved them to 3-2 in the Pacific-10 Conference, good for a fourth-place tie with Oregon.

``I told them if you're going to be a good football team, you've got to win in November, and you've got to win on the road,'' UCLA coach Bob Toledo said. ``We haven't won a lot in November lately, and we haven't finished strong, but now we have two wins in a row.''

And two in a row with a freshman quarterback making his first start, Drew Olson following Matt Moore last week with a complete-game, no-interception performance.

In fact, it was the Bruins' ability to limit their mistakes that were as responsible as anything for this win. The Bruins didn't commit a turnover, allowed just one sack and didn't have a three-and-out.

The UCLA defense, which lost cornerback Matt Ware late in the first half with a pulled hamstring, survived allowing 498 yards by intercepting Washington quarterback Cody Pickett four times and sacking him four others.

``It's like we're all brothers,'' said defensive end Dave Ball, who had three of the sacks. ``There are no superstars on the team, no huge egos. We're just a bunch of brother having fun out there.''

Ball's final sack thwarted a fourth-quarter drive that had the Huskies in range for the game-tying field goal. And the final interception, which linebacker Spencer Havner returned 42 yards for a touchdown with 1:17 to play, sealed the game.

``I knew it was on us,'' Havner said of the defense. ``We put pressure on the quarterback, and he threw us the ball.''

The interceptions were critical. One by Ricky Manning in the end zone on the last play of the first half deprived Washington of a score. And the three others led to 17 points.

Before his interception, Havner deflected a ball that Marcus Reese picked off and returned to the Huskies' 1, setting up a touchdown. Strong safety Jarrad Page also intercepted a pass that led to a field goal, one of two by Nate Fikse.

Page and Havner weren't the only freshmen to contribute. Tailback Tyler Ebell, who was fifth-string to begin the season, had his fifth consecutive 100-yard game - this one hard-earned against the top rushing defense in the Pac-10.

Ebell rushed for 102 yards on 31 carries and scored three touchdowns.

``He's doing awesome,'' offensive tackle Mike Saffer said. ``H gets the ball and he hits holes hard. He doesn't shy away from hits. He's a little guy, but you wouldn't know it by the way he runs.''

Ebell's final scoring run gave UCLA a 24-14 lead at halftime, and Fikse's 23-yard field goal early in the third quarter extended the lead to 13.

But Washington (4-5, 1-4) moved another safety into the box and slowed Ebell in the second half, then crawled into the game early in the fourth quarter.

They did it by exploiting the absence of Ware.

UCLA was forced to play Manning on Washington's best receiver, Reggie Williams, and then on the other side put Joe Hunter, who had two big breakdowns trying to cover Paul Arnold.

He gave up a 41-yard pass to Arnold on third-and-19, one of four third downs the Huskies converted on a drive that ended in a 22-yard field goal by John Anderson, cutting the deficit to 27-17.

Then came the big one. Pickett threw a short hitch to Arnold, who froze Hunter, then got outside and used the speed that made him the two-time Washington state 200-meter champion to run away from Page and linebacker Brandon Chillar for a 66-yard touchdown. That made it 27-24 with 8:36 left.

``That can't happen,'' defensive coordinator Phil Snow said of the two plays.

The Huskies' defense held after Arnold's score when Pickett, who completed 29 of 60 passes for 429 yards, brought them to the UCLA 28, well within Anderson's range. But Ball sacked him, and then his third-down pass was incomplete.

Washington was trying to pin the Bruins deep, but Derek McLaughlin shanked his punt that gave UCLA the ball at its own 35. While they didn't manage a first down, Fikse boomed a 43-yard punt that wasn't returned, setting Washington back at its own 13 with 2:19 left. But on fourth-and-5 at the Huskies' 35, Pickett's pass found its way into Havner's hands.

``This team has a lot of heart,'' said tight end Mike Seidman, who caught five passes for 96 yards. ``We play to win, even when the crowd's yelling like a (expletive). We still pulled it out. I think we're showing people we're different this year.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) UCLA's Ben Emanuel, left, deflects a pass away from Washington's Chris Singleton in the end zone Saturday.

John Froschauer/Associated Press

(2) UCLA quarterback Drew Olson looks for a receiver Saturday during the Bruins' victory over Washington at Husky Stadium.

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press