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 "Wow, Maurice Jones-Drew was my idol back in my running back
days," Jack said.
Jack is still a linebacker at heart. But his running back days are
now.
Just ask the Washington Huskies after the remarkable freshman from
the Seattle suburbs ran right through their defense.
Jack ran for 60 yards and four scores, defensive end Cassius Marsh
caught a touchdown pass, and No. 13 UCLA stayed in control of its
destiny in the Pac-12 South race with a 41-31 victory over
Washington on Friday night.
Devin Lucien turned a short pass into a 40-yard TD with 9:57 to
play, and the Bruins (8-2, 5-2 Pac-12) got creative to hold off a
lively challenge from the Huskies (6-4, 3-4), who lost starting
quarterback Keith Price to a shoulder injury right before halftime.
Jack followed up his 120-yard debut at running back last week by
becoming the 13th player in UCLA history to score four touchdowns.
Jack and the hulking Marsh scored the Bruins' first five touchdowns
as UCLA stayed right behind division leader Arizona State, which
visits Pasadena next weekend.
"I don't really take much credit for it," Jack said. "It's just the
line blocking for me. The holes are right there, and I just hit
them. When I'm in there, everybody in the stadium knows what we're
about to run."
So far, nobody can stop it.
For the second straight week, Bruins offensive coordinator Noel
Mazzone dipped into the defense's roster to win a back-and-forth
meeting of two bowl-bound teams with prolific offenses.
UCLA coach Jim Mora had been coy about whether Jack would even play
offense again, but the freshman jumped in during the Bruins' opening
series, rushing for an 8-yard score on his first carry. Used mostly
as a short-yardage back, he added two more scores in the first half
and finished with 12 carries.
Oh, and he also made five tackles.
"He's having fun out there," said Brett Hundley, who passed for 159
yards and two scores. "I talk to him in the backfield and put a
smile on his face. He's a monster, that's all I can say."
Cyler Miles passed for 149 yards after replacing Price, but the
Huskies have lost nine of their last 12 Pac-12 road games.
Damore'ea Stringfellow, Jaydon Mickens and Austin Seferian-Jenkins
caught TD passes for Washington, which hasn't beaten UCLA at the
Rose Bowl since 1995.
"We've got to get right back up, but it's going to be a big
challenge," Washington coach Steve Sarkisian said. "It's probably
good we get an extra day (of rest), because that locker room is
hurting right now."
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The Bruins led 27-7 early in the second quarter and were up 34-24
heading to the fourth. The Huskies kept it close despite losing
Price.
Miles, a redshirt freshman, had played only sparingly this season
behind Price, a three-year starter who holds Washington's career
record for touchdown passes. Miles went 15 for 22, but threw two
interceptions on consecutive throws in the final minutes.
Stringfellow, a freshman with three catches all year, had eight
receptions for 147 yards and a score with 8:01 to play. He also had
a long TD catch wiped out in the first half by one of Washington's
11 penalties for 113 yards.
Bishop Sankey rushed for 91 yards and a score for the Huskies, who
dropped to 7-20 on the road during Sarkisian's five seasons.
"We fought back after we were down, so I couldn't be more proud of
the guys," Sankey said. "We were confident in Cyler. We believe all
of our guys can step in and do their thing."
The Bruins wore their black "L.A. Midnight" uniforms on a rare
Friday night game at the Rose Bowl, but the stadium was roughly
half-full at kickoff while fans struggled through Los Angeles' usual
Friday traffic.
UCLA still led 14-0 less than six minutes in on two short scoring
drives set up by Huskies turnovers.
Jordan Zumwalt forced Seferian-Jenkins' fumble on Washington's
opening series, and Jack rumbled for UCLA's first score just 2:38
in. Marsh then caught his 2-yard play-action TD pass on a short
drive set up by Sankey's fumble near midfield.
After the Huskies made a 95-yard scoring drive capped by Sankey's TD
run, Washington could have recovered a fumble by Jack after a
25-yard run — but Shaq Thompson failed to fall on the ball. Two
plays later, Jack scored from 1 yard out. Jack's third TD surge put the Bruins up by 20 points. Washington
scored again, but Price left the field grimacing after his final
snap of the first half, and he returned to the sideline in the third
quarter in a warm-up suit and cap.
Miles showed no nerves while leading a short scoring drive after
UCLA fumbled the second-half kickoff, hitting Seferian-Jenkins for a
score that cut the Bruins' lead to 27-24. But UCLA answered with
Jack's fourth TD run, this time from 2 yards out.
UCLA's defense finally got to Miles in the final minutes, with
Anthony Barr recording a big drive-killing sack before the Bruins'
consecutive interceptions. [Associated
Press; GREG BEACHAM, AP Sports Writer]
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