PASADENA, Calif.—After UCLA’s most one-sided victory during coach Rick Neuheisel’s rocky tenure, the UCLA coach climbed on top of a sideline table and addressed the remaining crowd at the Rose Bowl with vindication in his voice.
“Despite the naysayers, the fact of the matter is we’re playing for a championship next week!” the fourth-year coach yelled.
Believe it or not, Neuheisel’s beaten-down Bruins are one win away from the inaugural Pac-12 title game after battering Colorado.
Kevin Prince threw for 225 yards and hit Joseph Fauria with two of his career-high four touchdown passes, and UCLA kept its lead atop the Pac-12 South with a 45-6 win over the Buffaloes on Saturday night.
Johnathan Franklin rushed for 162 yards and a score, while Shaq Evans and Nelson Rosario also caught TD passes for the Bruins (6-5, 5-3), who will play in the title game if they can beat archrival Southern California next weekend.
“There weren’t many people in this room who believed that to be possible at the start of the season,” Neuheisel said later while addressing the media and supporters who gave him a standing ovation. “Say all you want about the lack of great teams on this side of the division, or blah blah blah, but the bottom line is that we’re playing for a championship. … We finished tonight, and that’s within reach now.”
The Bruins left little doubt from the opening snaps, scoring two touchdowns on their first three offensive plays. They outgained Colorado 553-229 despite committing nine penalties for 102 yards, with Prince methodically chewing up Colorado’s defense with all the poise UCLA has always hoped it would see from the up-and-down junior. Prince went 15 for 19 without an interception and twice found Fauria for his first two touchdown throws to his roommate since they were teammates in high school.
“In the past, we’ve been notorious slow starters, so it was great to get out to a fast start, put the foot on the pedal, and just keep going all night,” Prince said. “We knew this was a big game because of the seniors, and we really had to execute.”
Even with six wins, UCLA still could end up missing a bowl game—or the Bruins could end up playing again in the Rose Bowl, depending on future developments. But the Bruins have kept things interesting with three wins in their last four games for Neuheisel, who’s fighting to keep his job.
Although Colorado is no USC, the Bruins posted their highest-scoring performance and largest margin of victory in Neuheisel’s four years. UCLA’s five conference victories are easily the most in Neuheisel’s tenure, and the Bruins went 5-1 at the Rose Bowl this season, losing only to Texas.
“In years past, when we’ve had the opportunity to be really cutthroat, we haven’t done it,” said UCLA safety Tony Dye, who returned from a two-month absence with a neck injury instead of petitioning for an extra year of eligibility because he wants to play for a league title. “This is exactly the mentality we need to take into next week.”
Tyler Hansen passed for 127 yards and threw three interceptions for the Buffaloes (2-10, 1-7), who extended a dismal school record with their 23rd consecutive road defeat. One week after snapping a seven-game skid by beating Arizona, Colorado never threatened UCLA after Toney Clemons caught the Buffaloes’ only TD pass in the second quarter.
“They came out with a passion and intensity, and we didn’t match it,” said Hansen, who grew up a UCLA fan in Murrieta, Calif. “We have one game left, and we have to come out with fire.”
Colorado coach Jon Embree’s defense held his son, UCLA receiver Taylor Embree, to two catches for 13 yards in the senior’s final home game. Jon Embree didn’t appear to be on the field with his wife, brother and in-laws to greet his son during pregame festivities, but Taylor had said he would understand if his dad had other priorities.
“I never want to do it again,” Jon Embree said. “It’s just something that I’m glad is a one-time deal. It’s very awkward.”
Prince was patient and poised in the Bruins’ pistol offense from the opening drive, completing his first eight passes for 148 yards before his first incompletion early in the second quarter. He hit Evans right down the middle of Colorado’s secondary for a 54-yard TD just 2:38 in, scoring on UCLA’s second offensive snap.
After UCLA linebacker Sean Westgate intercepted Hansen’s tipped pass and got his helmet ripped off his head on a facemask penalty, Franklin rumbled up the middle for a 14-yard TD on the Bruins’ next play.
Fauria dived over the goal line for a 5-yard TD catch in the first quarter, capping a methodical 80-yard drive to put UCLA up 21-0. Colorado answered with its own 80-yard drive capped by Clemons’ 20-yard TD catch after video review reversed an out-of-bounds call, but the Buffaloes missed the extra point.
Fauria caught his second TD pass from 15 yards out early in the fourth quarter. Rosario, who had six catches for 102 yards, leaned over the goal line for an 11-yard score with 8:07 to play, and Malcolm Jones added a late TD dive after Hansen’s third interception.
