UW – UCLA Sept 17, 2004

Husky Stadium — If someone had told University of Washington head football coach Keith Gilbertson before last Saturday’s game against UCLA that the Huskies have a 24-7 lead with under three minutes left in the first quarter, Gilbertson most definitely would have thought that the Huskies were well on their way to getting a big win in their Pac-10 opener. Looking at recent history, all of the statistics pointed in the Huskies’ favor. The Huskies win 81 percent of their games when a Husky player rushes for 100 yards in a game, and running back Kenny James was well on his way as he racked up 76 yards rushing in the first quarter alone; and since 1995, the Huskies are 28-1-1 when they rush for over 200 yards as a team. Washington had 110 yards as a team in the first quarter, and finished the day with 237 yards rushing. James had a career best 137 yards and Husky running mate Shelton Sampson chipped in 78 yards, but all that was overshadowed by the rushing performance of UCLA’s Maurice Drew. Drew’s first run of the day went for 47 yards and a touchdown, as UCLA tied the game at 7 early in the first quarter. Drew found the end zone again on his second carry as he went 62 yards with just over two minutes left in the first quarter. Drew finished the first quarter with another long touchdown run, this time he scampered for 58 yards. Drew finished the first quarter with 4 carries for 169 yards and three touchdowns, as the Huskies tried to hold on to a slim 24-20 lead. “I was shocked that our defense gave up that type of yardage,” said Gilbertson. “It seemed like every time they handed off the ball it went for a long run.” The Huskies seemed to have no answer for Drew, as time and time again he scampered through the Husky defense helping the Bruins build a 34 – 24 lead early in the third quarter. But the Huskies, despite giving up big plays, kept the game close with a few big plays of their own. Charles Frederick gave the Huskies a lift as he returned a kickoff 62 yards to the UCLA 35 yard line to set up a one-yard touchdown run by James, to bring the Huskies to within three points, at 34-31. The Huskies’, trailing UCLA 37-31, had a chance late in the game to win it, as they were driving with under two minutes left in the game. But the Huskies came up short, as UW quarterback Casey Paus’ pass to Frederick with time running out came up two yards shy of the end zone. Statistically, the Huskies’ had a solid day. But in the end the Huskies’ didn’t have enough to over come the career day of Drew. Drew finished the day with 322 yards and five touchdowns — the third best Pac-10 rushing performance ever, only Rueben Mayes (357 yards), and Ricky Bell (347 yards) have had better performances – setting a UCLA and UW opponent record for touchdowns in a game. The Huskies, now 0-2 on the season, don’t have a lot of time to regroup as they go on the road to take on Notre Dame this weekend.