UCLA defense’s interception and scores prove critical
Senior fullback Chane Moline rushes during the Bruin’s 23-13 victory against the Arizona State Sun Devils at the Rose Bowl. Moline led the Bruins in rushing with a net gain of 84 yards in Saturday’s sixth overall victory, a win that qualified the team for an at-large bowl bid.
By Ryan Eshoff
Nov. 22, 2009 9:41 p.m.
An inexperienced quarterback on the road, a ball-hawking defense, and a major turnover disparity help the home team win in a critical showdown between UCLA and Arizona State. Sound familiar?
A little less than a year after the Sun Devils scored all four of their touchdowns off of turnover run-backs, the UCLA defense returned the favor. The Bruins forced six Arizona State turnovers and ran two of them back for touchdowns, which was just enough scoring to support a relatively paltry offensive showing and to spark UCLA to a 23-13 victory.
“Last year they had the better end of it with the turnovers for touchdowns, today it was our day,” coach Rick Neuheisel said. “Some offensive miscues turned into scores for us. I think the two defensive touchdowns were the story.”
UCLA cornerback Alterraun Verner got the scoring started early when he intercepted Arizona State quarterback Samson Szakacsy’s second pass of the game and returned it 68 yards to give the Bruins the lead before the offense had seen the field. Szakacsy, a redshirt sophomore making his first collegiate start, misread the route of wide receiver Kerry Taylor and threw the ball right into Verner’s waiting arms.
The senior cornerback, who set a UCLA record with his fourth career interception return for a touchdown, attributed the play to being in the right place at the right time … and to as a little holiday magic.
“Basically he just threw it right to me,” Verner said. “But it is almost Christmas. It was a nice little gift.”
It was the second touchdown of the year for Verner, who returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown in the season-opener against San Diego State. His feat was equaled late in the second quarter by sophomore linebacker Akeem Ayers, who pounced on a Szakacsy fumble and ran it back nine yards for UCLA’s only other touchdown. Ayers, who intercepted a pass in the end zone against Oregon earlier in the season, credited defensive lineman Brian Price with forcing the fumble and acknowledged that that type of play is well-practiced.
“I was just coming off the edge, trying to make a play for the defense, and as I looked up I see Brian Price strip the ball out,” Ayers said. “I just ran to the ball, and scoop-and-score, same thing we do in practice.”
The Bruins would recover four other Sun Devil fumbles, including one by Arizona State kick returner Jamal Miles in the final moments of the first half that led to a Kai Forbath field goal and 20-7 UCLA lead heading into intermission.
“It was a tight game, and they’ve got a good defense,” Ayers said. “It came down to who made the most plays out there and we came away with the most turnovers.”
The scoring from the defense proved particularly critical as the UCLA offense struggled to consistently move the ball against a stout Arizona State defense that entered the game as one of the conference’s best. And while the Sun Devils held Kevin Prince and Co. to just 288 yards and three field goals, the Bruin defenders came through with the big plays.
“They’re the top defense in the Pac-10 right now, but we wanted to be the top defense in the Pac-10 today,” UCLA defensive coordinator Chuck Bullough said. “Anytime you get scoring from the defense it’s always good. It’s huge.”
While eerily reminiscent to last year’s victory by the Sun Devils in Tempe, the game was also similar in many ways to last week’s UCLA win over Washington State, when the defense had interceptions on the Cougars’ first three series to help the Bruins develop a big lead.
“We always take it as a challenge to make plays and get turnovers. These past couple weeks we’ve really been doing that,” Verner said. “Just the fact that we were able to get a score, we could get a touchdown ahead and not have to be playing from behind.
“We just know that our defense has to go out there and make plays to help this team win.”
