Oregon Ducks defeat UCLA after first-half Bruin lead
By Blair Angulo
Oct. 10, 2009 1:10 p.m.
In just 13 seconds, the momentum shifted.
The UCLA football team (3-2, 0-2 Pac-10) came out of the locker room leading No. 13 Oregon 3-0, having dominated the time of possession in the first half.
Then, everything that could go wrong did, as the Bruins fell 24-10 today at the Rose Bowl.
“This isn’t going to be an overnight thing, but I promise you, it will get done,” coach Rick Neuheisel told the crowd behind the UCLA bench after the game.
It took Oregon’s redshirt freshman defensive back Kenjon Barner 13 seconds to return the ensuing kickoff 100 yards and hand the Ducks (5-1, 3-0) the lead for good.
On the very next offensive play, UCLA’s redshirt freshman quarterback Kevin Prince, back from a three-week absence due to a fractured jaw, was intercepted by junior cornerback Talmadge Jackson, who took the ball 32 yards for the touchdown.
Just 26 seconds had ticked off the clock in the second half.
For Prince, it went from bad to worse. He took off for a nine-yard run on the next possession, but fumbled the ball to set Oregon up at midfield.
Ducks junior quarterback Nate Costa, filling in for the injured Jeremiah Masoli, connected with junior wide receiver Jeff Maehl on a 20-yard touchdown pass to give Oregon a 21-3 lead.
Despite an interception returned for a touchdown by UCLA redshirt sophomore linebacker Akeem Ayers and a red-zone visit mid-way through the fourth quarter, the Bruin offense could not muster up a touchdown the whole game.
