UCLA’s quest to scratch and claw its way to a bowl berth after a slow start to the season continues.
In front of a Rose Bowl crowd split 60-40 between UCLA blue and Iowa black during homecoming, the Bruins left the Hawkeyes black and blue thanks to a potent run game and strong defensive effort.
UCLA (4-5 overall, 3-4 Big Ten) extended its three-game win streak against conference opponents and inched closer to bowl eligibility, defeating Iowa 20-17 in Pasadena. DeShaun Foster celebrated his first win at the Rose Bowl as the Bruins’ coach.
“Our season turned around after the Minnesota loss; that was the type of loss that the players were bothered by and able to channel,” Foster said. “I always knew we had the talent, but it was baby steps. This is where we are now.”
Running back T.J. Harden, who played a crucial role in UCLA’s win, was excited about the Bruins’ chance to earn a bowl bid after a rough start.
“It’s great, especially with the fact that we know what it takes to win,” Harden said. “We’ve got to put it together every week. … We’re heading in the right direction.”
UCLA had to fight for its latest victory.
With 4:59 left in the game, Mateen Bhaghani’s 27-yard field goal gave the Bruins a lead they did not surrender.
The Bruins’ defense sealed the victory with a crucial third-down stop, forcing Iowa quarterback Jackson Stratton to toss an incomplete pass under pressure with 4:04 remaining. Iowa (6-4, 4-3) punted and UCLA picked up two first downs before running out the clock.
Once again plagued by penalties, UCLA’s mistakes enabled Iowa to stay in the game.
Iowa’s Drew Stevens hit a 57-yard field goal late in the third quarter, but UCLA’s Bryan Addison was called for a penalty for stepping on a Hawkeyes player while trying to block the kick. The play would have left the Bruins with a four-point lead, but Iowa accepted the penalty and continued its march to the end zone.
Iowa starting quarterback Brendan Sullivan took repeated hits and was replaced in the lineup during the Hawkeyes drive that extended into the fourth quarter.
Stratton, the fifth-string quarterback who was on the scout team last week but was promoted because of injuries, converted twice on third-down passes and Kamari Moulton ran for a one-yard touchdown that tied the score with 11:27 left in the fourth quarter.
Already one of the most penalized teams in the nation, UCLA exceeded its season averages for penalties (eight) and penalty yardage (70.1 yards per game), finishing with nine penalties for 84 yards.
UCLA’s defense and ground game, however, helped mask a series of errors throughout the game.
Iowa entered the game with the Big Ten’s top rushing offense, while UCLA ranked last in the conference. But the roles reversed Friday night, as UCLA thrived by feeding its running-back trio of Harden, Jalen Berger and Keegan Jones.
While all eyes were on Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson, the nation’s second-leading rusher and a midseason All-American, UCLA’s answer came from its backfield.
Read more: From zero stars to leading Big Ten in tackles: The rise of UCLA’s Carson Schwesinger
The trio stole the show, with Harden rushing for 125 yards in 20 carries, Jones contributing 38 yards and Berger adding 30.
“I knew I had to have a game like this,” Harden said.
Overall, UCLA ran the ball more effectively than Iowa, finishing with 211 rushing yards.
“It has been getting better each week,” Foster said of the run game. “We were fired up for the challenge, going against the No. 2 rusher in the country. They took pride in wanting to out-rush them, and we did that.”
The Bruins’ defense, ranked No. 11 in the nation, shut down Johnson. UCLA limited him to 49 yards in 18 attempts — well below his 142.1-yard average. Johnson scored on a two-yard run in the first quarter, giving him the Iowa record for touchdowns in a season.
“That’s a shoutout to the whole defense and the coaching staff that put together a great game plan,” UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger said. “We went into this week knowing it was a challenge, and we were ready for it.”
UCLA’s defense kept pressure on Iowa throughout the game, with Schwesinger grabbing two interceptions — the first of his career — and Kain Medrano ripping the ball away to force another turnover.
“We just need to make sure when we’re going out there, we’re staying disciplined and staying on track,” Schwesinger said. “We needed to make sure that we didn’t get out of hand and stuck with what we knew and continued to do that.”
At halftime, UCLA held a seven-point lead despite three turnovers and numerous penalties.
Ethan Garbers threw two interceptions to start the game — one on third down while scrambling from the Hawkeyes’ pass rush and the other with defenders in his face near the goal line.
Later, he fumbled in the red zone.
Trailing 10-0, UCLA turned things around in the second quarter, outscoring Iowa 17-0.
Bhaghani hit a 57-yard field goal — the second longest in school history — to get the Bruins on the board. Garbers then added two touchdown passes — a two-yard pass to Titus Mokiao-Atimalala to tie the score followed by a 29-yard strike to Logan Loya to take the lead.
Garbers finished 21 for 34 for 204 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.