No. 22 UCLA smothered by No. 11 Utah in Pac-12 opener
SALT LAKE CITY — It took just one snap for Dante Moore to see why no true freshman quarterback has won at Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium in almost a decade.
On the first play from scrimmage against the No. 11 Utes, Moore threw an interception straight into the hands of Karene Reid for an easy 19-yard touchdown. That was just the beginning of the No. 22 Bruins’ offensive woes, as Moore was sacked six times and coughed up a fumble in the red zone as they lost their Pac-12 opener 14-7 on Saturday.
The last true freshman to win in Salt Lake City was Oregon’s Justin Herbert, who threw for 324 yards and three touchdown passes in a two-point victory over the Utes in 2016. Moore didn’t make his first downfield completion until the Bruins’ fourth possession when he connected with J.Michael Sturdivant for a 5-yard catch. That set up UCLA’s first first down of the game. The Bruins would get only two for the half though they managed 11 for the contest.
Rice-Eccles Stadium is known for its noise as much as its altitude, but the clamor of a reported 52,919 fans wasn’t the only issue for the freshman. Twice Utah sacked him in the first half. The Utes (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) got to him five more times in the fourth quarter, three coming in four plays on the Bruins’ last-gasp drive that started on their 14-yard line with 3:14 left.
UCLA’s running game, which had been such a stalwart force this season, fared no better. Carson Steele and TJ Harden had been averaging more than nine yards per carry prior to Saturday’s game. Through the first half Saturday, the Bruins (3-1, 0-1) compiled just seven rushing yards. Much of that could be pinned on Moore’s minus-20 yards while scrambling under pressure. Still, Steele and Harden each averaged less than three yards per carry for the game.
Aside from the play of its defense, which kept UCLA in the game, the Bruins’ brightest moment came midway through the fourth quarter when they fought back after being pinned at their own 2-yard line. Moore completed five consecutive passes, including a three straight for 61 yards to Carsen Ryan, to get into the red zone for just the second time. Moore punctuated the drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Josiah Norwood.
UCLA looked like it was about to tie the game at 7 in the first quarter, but Norwood dropped a sure-fire 29-yard score from Moore, who threw incomplete on the next play to turn the ball over on downs.
More to come on this story.