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The Bruins' BCS hopes might have gone to the Dogs last week, but this game sure didn't.
On Saturday night, UCLA staved off the Soggy Doggies 44-31. It took an all-around effort that included a a Pat Cowan-to Dominique Johnson Fade TD, a Dennis Keyes INT Return TD, Chris Markey's 72-yard TD run, and a Matthew Slater 85-yard Kickoff Return TD to hold off a tenacious Washington team. The Huskies were led by Freshman QB Jake Locker, whose legs were more valuable than his arm for most of the game. But when the Bruins were trying to put the game away, Locker locked on and hit a few quick strikes to keep the game close.
In the 4th Quarter, with Cowan knocked out of the game with a Sprained Knee (injured while trying to make a tackle after throwing an Interception), and with Walk-on QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson in the game, The Savior was Chris.
Chris Markey, who had been caught from behind on a 66-yard gain earlier in the game, broke another one, this time taking it 72 yards for 6 points. The up-the-middle run (the call that everyone hates) gave the Bruins a 14-point lead. The Huskies came right back and scored, but the ensuing Kickoff was Slater's huge TD, allowing the Bruins to hold on, without requiring anything from the 3rd String QB.
Pat Cowan made some key plays, improvising on the run as he has been known to do, but overall, he did not have an impressive outing. The kid is as TOUGH as QB's get, but his throwing accuracy is not good. Even on some of his completions, the Receivers had to slow down and turn over the wrong shoulder to make the grabs.
The point is that Pat Cowan is not "the answer." Starting Ben Olson has been the right decision. It was not Cowan's stellar play that got the Bruins the W -- It was the Defense and Special Teams, and even a Trick Play Reverse Pass from Brandon Breazell to Terrence Austin -- that allowed the Bruins to be 2-0 in the Pac-10, with their Season back on track.
Just remember: The same jerks that have declared the demise of Ben Olson also were insensed that Chris Markey was taking carries away from Kahlil Bell. Interviewed after his 193-yard performance, the classy Markey was most proud that... Bell got over 100 yards, giving the Bruins a tandem of Backs each breaking the Century Mark.
One other note: Linebacker Reggie Carter MUST be mentioned here, for being all over the field and making several big plays. He did get beat on a long TD pass, but he can't be (and shouldn't have been) expected to stay with that Receiver for that length of time.
Below are 15 photos from Saturday Night's game...and PRE-game, where the damp weather didn't put a damper on the unparalleled UCLA Spirit Squad at all...
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