UCLA
California
UCLA Topples No. 20 Cal, 40-24
October 23, 2015 | Football
PASADENA, Calif. – Josh Rosen completed 34 of 47 passes for 399 yards and three touchdowns to lead UCLA past No. 20 California, 40-24, in a Pac-12 showdown Thursday night at the Rose Bowl.
Rosen, a true freshman, set a school record with 34 completions. In addition, the Bruins' quarterback finished with season highs in pass attempts (47) and passing yards (399).
The Bruins (5-2, 2-2 Pac-12) led throughout the majority of the game, scoring on each of its first seven drives. In fact, UCLA's first non-scoring drive came with just under nine minutes to play in the third quarter and the Bruins leading 33-10.
UCLA finished with 573 yards of total offense, logging 399 through the air and 174 on the ground. Freshman running back Soso Jamabo finished with 79 rushing yards on 18 carries and scored his first career rushing touchdown.
UCLA wide receivers Thomas Duarte and Devin Fuller each finished with at least 100 yards. Fuller hauled in a pair of touchdown passes, finishing with seven receptions for 100 yards. Duarte, a junior from Fullerton, Calif., had career-highs with 10 catches for 141 yards.
Bruins' kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn made all four field goal attempts, connecting on a school record 60-yard field goal as time expired at the end of the first half.
California quarterback Jared Goff completed 32 of 53 passes, totaling 295 yards and three touchdowns. UCLA's defense registered five sacks against Goff.
After California kicked a 26-yard field goal on the first possession of the game, UCLA and Fairbairn answered with a 44-yard game-tying field goal midway through the opening quarter. From there, the Bruins added consecutive touchdowns to claim a 17-3 cushion. Rosen's first touchdown strike to Fuller, a 19-yard pass with 14:54 left in the second quarter, gave UCLA the 17-3 lead.
Fairbairn's 24-yard field goal with 6:11 to play before halftime put the Bruins ahead, 20-3.
With UCLA leading 23-3 and fewer than three minutes left in the second quarter, Goff threw a one-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Lawler, reducing the Bruins' advantage to 23-10. Fairbairn's record-setting field goal sent the Bruins into the locker room at halftime with a 26-10 lead.
When the second half resume, the Bruins picked up right where they left off before the intermission. Rosen threw a 21-yard touchdown strike to Fuller with 12:13 to play in the third quarter, capping an eight-play, 80-yard drive and giving UCLA a 33-10 advantage.
After California concluded a 12-play, 73-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown pass from Goff, UCLA answered with an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive of its own to lead 40-16.
UCLA returns to action against Colorado on Saturday, Oct 31. Game time at the Rose Bowl is 12 p.m. (PT). UCLA's home game against Colorado will be televised by Pac-12 Networks.
