UCLA wins 45-44 stunner over Texas A&M

UCLA came back in a game they had no business winning.

The game was over. The UCLA Bruins had been dominated for three quarters by the Texas A&M Aggies. The Aggies had run up the score 44-10, and heading into the third quarter were up 44-17.

It was all over, and then Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen put the team on his back.

In an unbelievable display of leadership and toughness, Rosen threw four fourth quarter touchdowns to bring the Bruins all the way back winning the game 45-44. The 34-point comeback was the second largest in NCAA football at the FBS level.

Showing poise and presence, Rosen completed the comeback by finding receiver Jordan Lasley with 43 seconds left in the game.

Rosen ended his night by going 35 of 59 for 491 yards and the four touchdowns, his main target was Bruins tight end Caleb Wilson who caught 15 passes for 203 yards a former walk-on at USC. Rosen’s passing yards were the third highest in UCLA history, just missing joining Cade Mcnown and Drew Olsen as the only Bruins quarterbacks to throw for 500 yards.

The game was a tale of two halves as the Aggies used a strong running game to run roughshod on the Bruins. The Aggies ran for 382 yards in the ground as Trayveon Williams rushed for 208 yards and one touchdown and fellow running back Keith Ford ran for 114 yards and three scores.

Aggies coach Kevin Sumlin abandoned the run game in the fourth quarter as the Bruins defense started to get stronger. The Aggies had only four fourth quarter possessions getting shutout on the scoreboard having to punt twice, missing a field goal and losing the ball on downs on their last drive.

Through out the fourth quarter the Bruins defense harassed Aggie quarterback freshman Kellen Mond, sacking him three times and forcing him to go 1-6 in the fourth quarter. The crucial play on defense occurred when defensive lineman Keisean Lucier-Smith sacked Mond on a 3 and 4th play that forced the Aggies to try a field goal which they missed keeping the deficit at 13 points.

Despite the comeback the Bruins still showed some flaws through out the game. The offensive line was terrible for three quarters as Rosen was hurried on almost every play and was sacked three times and fumbled twice after getting hit while attempting passes.

The Bruins were no good running the ball, as they rushed for just 63 yards at a clip of 2.5 yards a play and fumbled the ball once. Mental mistakes also hurt the Bruins as they committed seven penalties during the game.

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The Bruins schedule will be a little easier in the coming weeks as they play Hawaii at home and Memphis on the road. Hopefully they won’t need anymore 34 point comebacks, but with Rosen at the helm these Bruins can’t be counted out.