Luton throws for 5 TDs as Oregon State defeats UCLA
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) – Jake Luton threw a career-high five touchdowns passes – including three to Isaiah Hodgins – Artavis Pierce ran for 119 yard and Oregon State defeated UCLA 48-31 Saturday night at the Rose Bowl.
Luton completed 18 of 26 passes for 285 yards and added had a rushing score late in the fourth quarter. Two of the touchdown passes came in the first quarter as the Beavers (2-3, 1-1 Pac-12) scored on their first three drives to take a 21-0 lead.
Hodgins, who came into the game leading the Pac-12 in receiving yards and second in receptions, had another big game with 10 catches for 123 yards. Hodgins and Luton have now connected for 14 touchdowns in their Oregon State careers.
They opened the scoring 2:43 into the game when Hodgins leapt up and caught a 4-yard TD in front of UCLA cornerback Rayshad Williams. The two connected from 5-yards out midway through the second quarter to extend the Beavers lead to 27-7.
Hodgins once again took advantage of Williams in coverage late in the third quarter on a 22-yard touchdown to give Oregon State a 41-24 advantage.
Demetric Felton had 166 scrimmage yards for UCLA (1-5, 1-2), which lost for the 14th time in Chip Kelly’s 18 games as coach. Felton had 111 yards rushing – including a career-long 75-yard TD in third quarter – and 55 yards receiving.
Austin Burton was 27 of 41 for 236 yards and a touchdown in his first start but the Bruins were unable to rally after digging a large deficit in the first quarter. UCLA got within 10 on three occasions in the second half but was unable to stop the Beavers on subsequent drives.
Oregon State jumped out to huge lead by taking advantage of a pair of UCLA gaffes, which gave it short fields.
Down 7-0, Kelly made a bold decision on UCLA’s opening drive by going for it on fourth-and-1 from the 34. It backfired though as Joshua Kelley was stopped for a 5-yard loss. The Beavers went up by two scores five plays later when Pierce had an opening up the middle for a 5-yard touchdown.
Oregon State had its own bit of trickery on the ensuing kickoff and was successful. The Beavers kicked off from midfield after a UCLA personal foul penalty and were successful on a squib kick when David Morris recovered it at the Bruins 27. Tight end Teagan Quitoriano then had his first reception of the season for a 27-yard score to put them up 21-0 a little more than six minutes into the game.
Burton, who also had 64 yards rushing, threw for his first collegiate score early in the second quarter when he was flushed out of the pocket, scrambled to his right and threw a 7-yard pass to Kyle Phillips, who was able to drag one of his feet in the end zone before going out of bounds and bring the Bruins within 21-7.
He would run for a 6-yard TD midway through the fourth quarter to cap a 17-play, 75-yard drive.
The takeaway
Oregon State: It was a happy homecoming for coach Jonathan Smith, who grew up in Pasadena and led a team into the Rose Bowl for the first time as a coach.
UCLA: Any positive momentum the Bruins had after their upset of Washington State two weeks ago is long gone.
Up next
Oregon State: Hosts No. 17 Utah next Saturday. The Utes have won the last three games in the series.
UCLA: Has a bye week before traveling to Stanford on Oct. 17. The Bruins have dropped 11 straight to the Cardinal.