Washington uses late-game surge to pull away from UCLA

Field Level Media|published: Sat 16th November, 01:07 2024

Nov 15, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Will Rogers (7) passes the ball against the UCLA Bruins during the first half at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Jonah Coleman rushed for a game-high 95 yards and two touchdowns, surpassing 1,000 yards for the season, as Washington became bowl eligible with a 31-19 victory against UCLA in a Big Ten Conference game Friday night in Seattle.

Will Rogers and Demond Williams Jr. each threw a touchdown pass for the Huskies (6-5, 4-4). Williams' 1-yard pass to tight end Decker DeGraaf with 5:44 remaining gave the Huskies a 24-13 lead and Coleman scored on a 2-yard run with 1:54 left.

Quarterback Ethan Garbers, who started his career at Washington, was 27-of-44 for 267 yards and two touchdowns for the Bruins (4-6, 3-5), whose three-game winning streak ended. Garbers threw a 2-yard TD pass to Moliki Matavao with nine seconds remaining to cap the scoring.

Rogers was pulled after throwing interceptions on the Huskies' first two possessions of the second half.

The Bruins pulled within 14-13 on Mateen Bhaghani's 40-yard field goal with 11:20 left in the third. The drive was set up by Devin Kirkwood's interception of a tipped pass.

UCLA's Kain Medrano picked off a pass at midfield on the Huskies' next possession and returned it to the 39. On first-and-10 from the UW 27, Garbers hit Jack Pedersen with a pass but he fumbled when hit by Khmori House and UW teammate Kamren Fabiculanan recovered.

Williams drove the Huskies into field-goal range and Grady Gross made a 41-yarder with 3:16 left in the quarter to extend the lead to 17-13.

Williams was 7-of-8 passing for 67 yards and added 31 yards on six rushes.

Coleman opened the scoring on a 15-yard run with 3:51 left in the first quarter. The Bruins answered when Bhaghani made a 28-yarder with 13:38 left in the half to make it 7-3.

Washington extended its lead to 14-3 on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Rogers to tight end Keleki Latu with 3:46 remaining in the second. It appeared the drive had ended when Rogers' pass was picked off at the goal line by UCLA's Bryan Addison, but Oluwafemi Oladejo was called for roughing the passer, giving the Huskies a first down.

Garbers drove UCLA down the field and threw a 1-yard TD pass to Kwazi Gilmer with 51 seconds left to cut the Huskies' lead to 14-10 at the half.

--Field Level Media

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