Bruin quarterback Mike Fafaul earns first win, defeats Beavers 38-24
Redshirt senior quarterback Mike Fafaul received the game ball Saturday night from coach Jim Mora, marking just the second time Mora has handed out a game ball in his time at UCLA. (Hannah Ye/Daily Bruin senior staff)
By Matt Cummings
Nov. 13, 2016 12:20 a.m.
Never mind Mike Fafaul’s unremarkable stat line – 25 of 47 for 281 yards and an interception.
That didn’t stop Jim Mora from giving the redshirt senior quarterback just the second game ball the coach has awarded in his five years at UCLA.
It didn’t stop the Bruins from chanting Fafaul’s name as 6-foot-8 redshirt senior left tackle Conor McDermott hoisted the former walk-on up in the air.
And, most importantly, it didn’t stop UCLA from snapping a four-game losing streak with a 38-24 victory Saturday night over Oregon State.
“I’m just so happy right now,” Fafaul said. “I can’t even put it into words right now – it was unbelievable.”
Fafaul, as if the five years he spent waiting to see the field weren’t enough, had waited another four games for this, his first win.
“After being here for five years, he could have left as a graduate transfer,” Mora said. “He played behind Brett (Hundley) and then Josh (Rosen) got the job, and he has hung in there. He’s everything that you want in a quarterback in terms of studying the game and it being serious to him.”
The win did not come easy.
Oregon State had the ball late with a chance to tie the game, but UCLA redshirt senior defensive back Randall Goforth’s interception return for a touchdown all but sealed the win, putting the Bruins up by two scores with just over two minutes to go.
Early on, they looked ready to cruise to a decisive victory.
Though Oregon State scored first, taking advantage of an opening-drive fumble by sophomore running back Soso Jamabo to take a 7-0 lead, the Bruins quickly responded with a pair of rushing touchdowns and a special teams score.
The latter, a blocked punt by redshirt freshman linebacker DeChaun Holiday that redshirt sophomore receiver Jordan Lasley returned for a touchdown, staked the Bruins to a 21-7 lead by the end of the first quarter.
But Oregon State hung in the game, heading into halftime down 24-14 and cutting the deficit to just three points on a third-quarter fumble return touchdown by linebacker Manase Hungalu.
UCLA responded quickly with another score, though.
Helped out by two 15-yard penalties on the Beavers, Fafaul led an 86-yard drive and completed four of five passes, culminating in freshman running back Jalen Starks’ second touchdown of the night.
A field goal from Oregon State on the next drive brought the score to 31-24 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Bruins had a chance to take a commanding lead early in the fourth quarter, reaching the 1-inch line before Fafaul threw a third-down interception.
Offensive coordinator Kennedy Polamalu took the blame for the interception, saying he made the play-call without realizing UCLA was on the 1-inch line.
“It was a bonehead call putting a kid in that situation,” Polamalu said. “We tried to use a pick play on the edge, we tried to do a little too much.”
Thankfully for UCLA, the defense held up, forcing punts on Oregon State’s next two possessions before Goforth notched the touchdown to cement the victory that the Bruins dedicated to their quarterback.
“To get a win for Mike Fafaul – he’s been playing his heart out,” said senior defensive end Takkarist McKinley, who recorded six tackles, two for loss, and a sack. “To get that win for him is great.”
After the game, Lasley, who led the team with 105 receiving yards, reminded Fafaul of their days together on the scout team the past two years.
“We always said we’d do this,” Lasley said.
