UCLA
2-1
Memphis
2-0
UCLA Handed First Loss at Memphis, 48-45
September 16, 2017 | Football
Memphis, Tenn. - In a back-and-forth affair that saw seven lead changes, Memphis handed UCLA its first loss of the 2017 campaign, 48-45.
The teams' two quarterbacks combined for 861 yards in the air and 10 touchdown passes, and it was Memphis' Riley Ferguson who came out on top, as he threw for six touchdowns in the Tigers' victory. UCLA's Josh Rosen accounted for five touchdowns, four passing and one rushing, and threw for 463 yards, his school-record third consecutive 300-yard passing game.
Memphis (2-0) got on the board first, and quickly. After an 80-yard run by Darrell Henderson on the Tigers' first possession, Ferguson tossed a two-yard touchdown pass to Joey Magnifico to give Memphis the early 7-0 lead at the 11:32 mark in the first quarter.
A 36-yard Brandon Stephens run and a big 19-yard completion from Rosen to Andrews on 3rd and 16 helped the Bruins tie the score at 7-7 on a Jalen Starks seven-yard touchdown run with 6:19 remaining in the first.
UCLA (2-1) took the lead for the first time, 10-7, at the 14:44 mark in the second quarter on a 33-yard field goal by JJ Molson. Two minutes later, the Bruins scored again on a five-yard touchdown pass from Rosen to Jordan Wilson, the first catch and touchdown of Wilson's career.
However, Memphis countered with 13 unanswered points to regain the lead, 20-17, with 3:48 to play in the half. Ferguson led the Tigers on quick scoring drives, tossing two touchdown passes - a 47-yard pass to Patrick Taylor and a 42-yard screen to Tony Pollard.
UCLA reclaimed the lead, 24-20, driving 80 yards in 2:20, concluding with a one-yard Rosen touchdown run. But Memphis answered right back on a 33-yard touchdown pass from Riley to Anthony Miller with 42 seconds remaining in the half to take a 27-24 lead into halftime.
The Tigers extended its lead to 34-24 out the gate in the second half on another Ferguson touchdown pass, but it took less than a minute for UCLA to trim the lead to three after Rosen hit Darren Andrews on a 65-yard touchdown pass, Andrews' sixth touchdown reception of the season.
A pick six, Rosen's first interception of the season, brought Memphis' lead back to 10 points, 41-31, but Rosen found Jordan Lasley for a 21-yard touchdown pass on the next drive to pull to within three.
UCLA started its first drive of the fourth quarter on the one yard line, but Rosen marched the Bruins all the way down the field in no time, orchestrating a six-play touchdown drive in 2:17. The drive began with a 22-yard pass to Caleb Wilson from the one, and Rosen added a 13-yard first-down pass to Wilson, a 33-yard strike to Andrews and finished with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Austin Roberts to give UCLA the 45-41 lead. Roberts' touchdown was his first of the season.
After Memphis jumped back into the lead, 48-45, after a four-play, 81-yard touchdown drive with 9:56 remaining, the Tiger defense took over and made key stops, including an interception and 42-yard return by T.J. Carter in the red zone, and a final stop on fourth and five on the Memphis 46 with a minute to play that sealed the victory.
Wide receiver Darren Andrews led the Bruins with a career-high 175 receiving yards on 10 catches and recorded one touchdown, his sixth of the season.
UCLA will next play at Stanford on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 7:30pm in a game that will be televised live on ESPN.
Team Stats
UCLA 0, MEM 7
MEM - MAGNIFICO, Joey 2 yd pass from FERGUSON, Riley (SMITH, Spencer kick) 2 plays, 91 yards, TOP 0:26
UCLA 7, MEM 7
UCLA - Starks, Jalen 7 yd run (Molson, JJ kick), 5 plays, 50 yards, TOP 1:56
UCLA 10, MEM 7
UCLA - Molson, JJ 33 yd field goal 13 plays, 56 yards, TOP 3:51
UCLA 17, MEM 7
UCLA - Wilson, Jordan 5 yd pass from Rosen, Josh (Molson, JJ kick) 2 plays, 55 yards, TOP 0:33
UCLA 17, MEM 13
MEM - TAYLOR, Patrick 47 yd pass from FERGUSON, Riley (PATTERSON, R. kickfailed) 5 plays, 75 yards, TOP 1:58
UCLA 17, MEM 20
MEM - POLLARD, Tony 42 yd pass from FERGUSON, Riley (SMITH, Spencer kick) 6 plays, 95 yards, TOP 1:53
UCLA 24, MEM 20
UCLA - Rosen, Josh 1 yd run (Molson, JJ kick), 10 plays, 80 yards, TOP 2:20
UCLA 24, MEM 27
MEM - MILLER, Anthony 33 yd pass from FERGUSON, Riley (SMITH, Spencer kick) 3 plays, 72 yards, TOP 0:35
UCLA 24, MEM 34
MEM - MILLER, Anthony 12 yd pass from FERGUSON, Riley (SMITH, Spencer kick) 10 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:57
UCLA 31, MEM 34
UCLA - Andrews, Darren 65 yd pass from Rosen, Josh (Molson, JJ kick) 2 plays, 64 yards, TOP 0:44
UCLA 31, MEM 41
MEM - HART, Tim 60 yd interception (PATTERSON, R. kick)
UCLA 38, MEM 41
UCLA - Lasley, Jordan 21 yd pass from Rosen, Josh (Molson, JJ kick) 5 plays, 52 yards, TOP 1:23
UCLA 45, MEM 41
UCLA - Roberts, Austin 22 yd pass from Rosen, Josh (Molson, JJ kick) 6 plays, 99 yards, TOP 2:17
UCLA 45, MEM 48
MEM - MAYHUE, Phil 3 yd pass from FERGUSON, Riley (PATTERSON, R. kick) 4 plays, 81 yards, TOP 1:49
