Uiagalelei throws 2 TDs, UCLA turns ball over 3 times as Bruins fall to Oregon State
Tight end Jack Velling of the Oregon State Beavers celebrates with teammates after catching a touchdown pass against the UCLA Bruins at Reser Stadium on Oct. 14, 2023 in Corvallis, Oregon. (Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images)
CORVALLIS, Ore. - Defensive back Ryan Cooper Jr. returned an interception 67 yards for a touchdown late in the first half and No. 15 Oregon State overcame No. 18 UCLA’s stalwart defense and held on for a 36-24 victory on Saturday night.
DJ Uiagalelei went 14 for 24 and threw for 266 yards and two touchdowns, and Atticus Sappington kicked three field goals for the Beavers (6-1, 3-1 Pac-12). Jack Velling caught three passes for 83 yards and two scores.
UCLA freshman quarterback Dante Moore was 15 of 34 for 168 yards and a touchdown pass, but was intercepted three times — including the one that Cooper ran back for a score.
UCLA attempted to rally in the fourth quarter. Carson Steele’s 7-yard touchdown run cut the deficit to 36-24. On the next series, the Bruins got as close as the Oregon State 16, but a pair of penalties pushed them back. They went for it on fourth-and-17 and the Beavers sacked Moore to end the drive.
Going into the game, the Bruins’ defense was holding opponents to an average of 12.2 points a game, ranking in the top 10 nationally, but the Beavers led 13-0 after the opening quarter.
The Bruins (4-2, 1-2) had held every previous opponent this season to under 20 points and had allowed just five touchdowns — four passing and one rushing — fewest in the Pac-12 and second nationally to Michigan.
UCLA was coming off a 25-17 victory over Washington State in Pasadena last weekend. The Bruins held the Cougars to 216 yards, the fourth straight game they held an opponent to under 300 yards offense.
The Beavers, coming off a 52-40 victory on the road against California last weekend, intercepted Moore on the first series. It was the third straight game Moore was picked off on the opening possession.
The drive ended with Sappington’s 32-yard field goal. He added a 43-yarder to make it 6-0.
Moore was intercepted again, this time by Andrew Chatfield, and Oregon State capitalized on the ensuing drive with backup Aidan Chiles’ 10-yard touchdown pass to Velling.
Wide receiver Logan Loya of the UCLA Bruins catches a touchdown pass against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium on Oct. 14, 2023 in Corvallis, Oregon. (Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images)
The Bruins closed the gap to 13-7 on Moore’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Logan Loya before adding R.J. Lopez’s 36-yard field goal.
After Sappington kicked a 26-yard field goal, Cooper intercepted Moore and dashed down the sideline for the touchdown to make it 23-10 just before halftime. It was Moore’s third straight game with an interception that resulted in a touchdown.
Uiagalelei hit Silas Bolden with a 43-yard scoring pass early in the third quarter. UCLA scored on T.J. Harden’s 9-yard run to make it 29-17.
Velling caught a 32-yard scoring pass from Uiagalelei late in the third to make it 36-17 before UCLA’s attempted rally in the fourth quarter.
Saturday was the Bruins' first visit to Corvallis for the first time since 2015. The Beavers’ were UCLA’s third straight ranked opponent. The team lost 14-7 at Utah before beating Washington State 25-17 at home last weekend. The Beavers have won 15 of their last 16 games at Reser Stadium. Up next, the Bruins visit Stanford on Oct. 21. The Beavers have a bye week before heading to Tucson to take on Arizona.