UCLA leads Hawai’i 35-7 behind strong all-around performance
Junior quarterback Josh Rosen only had two incomplete passes in the entire first half. (Amy Dixon/Assistant Photo Editor)
By David Gottlieb
Sept. 9, 2017 3:54 p.m.
Josh Rosen couldn’t be stopped in the first half, sending his team to the locker room up 35-7.
The junior quarterback put together four straight touchdown drives to start the game, including a 99-yard effort on his first drive of the game. Rosen went 12-of-14 for 170 yards and three touchdowns.
But it wasn’t just Rosen.
One of the half’s biggest throws came out of the hand of redshirt sophomore tight end Caleb Wilson, who took a lateral from Rosen before hurling the ball downfield to connect with senior running back Nate Starks for a 29-yard completion – as part of another drive that ended with a Rosen touchdown pass.
On the following drive, freshman defensive back Darnay Holmes came up with a 30-yard pick-six, scoring UCLA’s fifth touchdown.
The offense only saw two third downs in the first half, with Rosen making passes to convert on both of them.
Sophomore Theo Howard led the receiving corps with 83 yards and five receptions, while redshirt senior Darren Andrews’ two touchdowns led the unit.
The running game put up 62 yards, nearly surpassing last week’s total of 63. The Bruins’ lone running touchdown came on a one-yard run from redshirt freshman Demetric Felton.
Hawai’i produced just one touchdown, which they scored when they were down 14-0.
The half was not without issues, as the Bruins did suffer a trio of injuries.
Senior linebacker Kenny Young was hit on an aggressive shoulder-to-shoulder block during Hawai’i’s second drive of the game, losing his helmet on the play. A flag was thrown, but officials later determined that the hit was clean. Sophomore Krys Barnes slotted in at weakside linebacker.
Redshirt junior defensive back Adarius Pickett hurt his right knee following a Holmes’ tackle in the second half. As Holmes fell to the ground, he rolled into Pickett, who crumpled to the ground near Hawai’i’s bench. Pickett’s fellow safety, senior Jaleel Wadood, suffered a head injury when a teammate inadvertently kneed him at the end of a play.
This halftime will be the shortest of the season for UCLA, lasting just 15 minutes instead of the usual 20 as part of a test program by the Pac-12 in order to shorten games.
