Live updates: UCLA defeats UNLV, 37-3

Earlier in the week, as UCLA prepared for UNLV, center Jack Brendel said, “You can’t go into this game thinking it’s going be to be easy. It’s never easy.”

He was right. For the offense. For a half.

The defense, though, and with apologies to Brendel, made it look rather easy in a 37-3 win over UNLV on Saturday. On a field styled to look like a casino table, UNLV folded early, the breaking point a 23-yard interception return by Kenny Young late in the second quarter.

Young’s score, the Bruins’ 10th defensive touchdown during Coach Jim Mora’s tenure, gave UCLA a 17-point lead and bailed out freshman quarterback Josh Rosen and an offense that was stifled on five consecutive possessions to end the first half.

The Bruins’ defense was fast, aggressive and stifling. UNLV punted nine times. They turned the ball over three times on downs. UCLA snuffed out a fake field goal. Eli Ankou recovered a fumble. Takkarist McKinley blocked a punt deep in UNLV’s territory.

It was UCLA’s 14th blocked kick since 2012. Despite starting on the nine-yard line, UCLA moved backward and settled for a field goal. It didn’t matter. By that point, late in the third quarter, UCLA led 34-0, and the defense looked impenetrable.

UNLV scored its only points after backup quarterback Jerry Neuheisel has a second fourth-quarter pass intercepted and returned 63 yards to UCLA’s 14-yard line. UCLA didn’t allow another yard, but the Rebels managed the field goal to end the shutout.

The bad news for UCLA was Rosen had something of a down game after an opener that couldn’t have gone much better. The good news: he still threw for 223 yards on 22 of 42 passing with a touchdown and an interception.

Paul Perkins helped out with 151 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

On paper, Rosen’s first-half stats looked fine. He completed 15 of 26 passes for one touchdown and 151 yards with no turnovers. But after a 29-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Payton capped UCLA’s first drive, the offense fell mostly dormant. Rosen overthrew receivers and missed on his forays deep. A fourth-down sneak attempt was rebuffed.

On the second drive after halftime, Rosen reached his first unwanted milestone. In the red zone, he was hit on a throw, and his attempt was intercepted by Blake Richmond.

Rosen’s performance, though, was more than enough for UCLA. In the second half, UCLA rode Perkins. First it was during a 10-play, 65-yard drive capped by a seven-yard Perkins touchdown run. Later in the third quarter, Perkins scampered through a giant hole and cruised 56 yards for another score.

Curiously, at the end of the game, instead of running out the clock with a 34-point lead, UCLA instead decided to pass and hurry quickly to the line between plays. With 38 seconds left, UCLA lineman Tevita Halalilo was injured. He was on the turf for several minutes before being carted off, with a splint on his right leg. Afterward, UCLA took a knee to end the game.

Here’s a running recap of the game:

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Instead of running out the clock, UCLA is throwing and running a hurry-up offense with less than a minute left and a 34-point lead.

Now, UCLA lineman Tevita Halalilo is down with an injury.

UCLA 37, UNLV 3 (3:04 left in the fourth quarter)

The shutout is over. UNLV doesn’t gain a yard but uses the interception for a field goal and the Rebels’ first points of the game.

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UCLA backup quarterback Jerry Neuheisel has another pass intercepted.

This time Trent Langham returns it 63 yards to UCLA’s 14-yard line with 3:54 left in the game.

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Even when UNLV catches a break, they can’t catch a break.

Their interception leads to no points. The Rebels turned the ball over on downs after an illegal shift penalty negated a first down. UCLA ball with 5:27 left.

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Bruins backup quarterback Jerry Neuheisel got a chance to run the UCLA offense. It didn’t work out so well.

Neuheisel had a pass intercepted and the ball was returned to UCLA’s five-yard line. The shutout was in jeopardy. But a personal foul on the return moved UNLV all the way back to the 41-yard line with 6:31 left in the game.

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Another sign of life — against UCLA’s second-team defense, Keith Whitely took a handoff 41 yards to UCLA’s 47-yard line — and another drive ends in disappointment for UNLV. UCLA stuffed the Rebels on fourth and two for another turnover on downs.

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The CBS Sports broadcast ran a graphic that said UNLV Coach Tony Sanchez won a mythical national championship as a high school coach in Las Vegas last year. Coincidentally, UNLV has scored mythical points in this game.

UCLA 37, UNLV 0 (10:51 left in the fourth quarter)

It is likely irrelevant at this point, but UCLA ended another promising drive with a field goal. Josh Rosen completed two of six attempts on the drive, as UCLA moved 55 yards in 11 plays.

The drive fizzled after two Rosen tries didn’t connect, and Ka’imi Fairbairn made a 42-yard field goal to add to an already very large lead.

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There are signs of life on the UNLV offense.

Xzaviar Campbell rushed for 30 yards to midfield. UNLV is threatening to score its first points of the game as we head into the fourth quarter.

Threat neutralized. It’s another punt for UNLV. There’s 13:35 still to run off before this game’s over.

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UCLA 34, UNLV 0 (1:30 left in the third quarter)

UCLA moved backward, thanks to a personal foul by Caleb Benenoch. Despite the field position, UCLA settled for a field goal.

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UCLA’s defense has been suffocating. Another failed UNLV drive ended with a blocked punt by Takkarist McKinley, UCLA’s 14th blocked kick since 2012. The ball trickled out of bounds at UNLV’s nine-yard line, where the Bruins will take over with 3:21 in the third.

UCLA 31, UNLV 0 (6:00 left in the third quarter)

The hole was big enough to fit a truck through, but happily for Paul Perkins, he is decidedly smaller than that. Perkins dashed for 56 yards, jogging into the end zone for another UCLA score. UCLA needed just four plays on this drive.

Perkins has rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns in 18 carries.

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Another punt for UNLV. UCLA will start its drive at its own 37-yard line with 7:17 left in the third.

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Here’s a first Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen wanted to avoid for a little longer: his first interception.

In the red zone, Rosen was hit while he threw, and the underthrown pass fell into the hands of Blake Richmond. UNLV takes over at their own two-yard line with 10:42 in the third quarter.

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Again, the halftime speech was a success.

UNLV’s first drive of the half ends with a fumble by Rebels quarterback Kurt Palandech. Eli Ankou recovered for UCLA.

They have the ball on UNLV’s 26-yard line with 11:20 left in the quarter.

UCLA 24, UNLV 0 (12:00 left in third quarter)

Whatever the halftime speech was, it worked.

UCLA went 65 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown. Paul Perkins rushed for 20 yards, including the easy seven-yard score, and caught two passes for 24 yards.

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There is some big breaking news at halftime: Josh Rosen appears to be human.

The freshman quarterback didn’t play poorly, but UCLA at times was stifled by a less-than-imposing UNLV defense. He has completed 15 of 26 passes for one touchdown and 151 yards. He also hasn’t had a pass intercepted.

What he did do, though, is overthrow open receivers and miss a few shots downfield.

UCLA had limited success on the ground. Paul Perkins rushed 13 times for 69 yards. As a team, UCLA is averaging a pedestrian 4.1 yards an attempt.

UNLV has been even more frustrated by UCLA’s defense. The highlight was Kenny Young’s interception that he returned 23 yards for a touchdown. The result is, even after not playing their best, UCLA is up 17 points, and even on pace to cover the 30-point spread.

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UCLA seemed like it couldn’t decide what it wanted to do this drive.

The Bruins moved the ball to near midfield, but showed little urgency. After a Josh Rosen incompletion, which the broadcast thought should’ve been pass interference, UCLA punted.

Despite a sloppy first half offensively, the half ends with UCLA leading 17-0.

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UCLA’s defense is having no trouble ... so long as they stay onside.

Despite two flags for jumping early, the Bruins forced a punt and will probably have one last possession in them in this half. They’ll start on the 23-yard line with 1:36 in the quarter.

UCLA 17, UNLV 0 (3:06 left in second quarter)

UCLA’s offense was having trouble scoring, so the defense helped out. Trying to avoid a sack, Kurt Palandech heaved a pass right into the arms of Kenny Young, who returned the interception for 23 yards and a touchdown.

According to the broadcast, UCLA has 10 defensive touchdowns since Jim Mora became the coach.

For those keeping track at home, it’s:

UCLA offense: 10

UCLA defense: 7

UNLV: 0.

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Nate Iese can. The rest of the offense, right now, can not.

A high snap on third down leads to another UCLA punt. UNLV has it on their 13-yard line with 4:16 left in the first half.

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Nate Iese just delivered a blow that would likely beat any punch Floyd Mayweather will land tonight. On a pass to the flats, Iese turned and ran, then tossed aside the UNLV defender, as though he were swatting a bug.

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After two early scores, the Bruins offense has stalled with four punts and two turnovers on downs. Has UNLV’s defense figured something out after giving up 545 yards to Northern Illinois? Maybe. More likely, it’s due to Rosen over-throwing his receivers and the team averaging just 3.8 yards per rush.

They have their work cut out for them at the start of another drive. The defense forced another three and out, but a punt pinned UCLA inside the five-yard line with 7:45 left in the half.

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UCLA stalls after nine plays and 29 yards.

On fourth and one, UCLA hurried to the line, but Josh Rosen’s sneak attempt was turned back. UNLV takes over with 9:18 left in the second quarter.

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Welcome to the game, Kurt Palandech. Here’s two penalties, a sack and a three and out.

UCLA takes over on their own 41-yard line with 12:12 left in the second quarter.

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Bad news for UNLV. Quarterback Blake Decker scampered off to the right side, and without contact, his knee buckled and he hit the turf. He was helped off the field.

He was being attended to by the training staff as the first quarter ended.

Decker is being looked at in the locker room, and back up Kurt Palandech will come in.

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Not UCLA’s best drive. Rosen completed a 13-yard pass to Payton, but then threw an incompletion, a near-interception and another incompletion to stall the drive.

Keith Whitely muffed the punt, and six UCLA players converged on the ball. Somehow, Whitely managed to squirrel it away, and UNLV will take over with 45 seconds left in the first.

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At least UNLV is going for it. After a long drive stalled, they tried a fake field goal. UCLA sniffed it out from the start, and it had no chance.

But UNLV did find a semblance of an offense. Blake Decker completed a 37-yard pass on a wheel route by Devonte Boyd over Marcus Rios.

Before that pass, the Rebels had -9 total yards. On third and four, Decker and Boyd connected again, this time on a slant, for 15 yards and a first down.

The shutout, though, remains, with 2:01 left in the first quarter.

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A third straight three and out for UNLV.

UCLA is having no trouble at all defensively.

UCLA 10, UNLV 0 (8:22 left in first quarter)

How do you slow down Josh Rosen right now? Hope for some drops. Third and three for UCLA, and Rosen’s screen to Mossi Johnson hits off Johnson’s hands.

Ka’imi Fairbairn hit the 35-yard field goal. It’s 10-0 UCLA.

Ranking the early performances:

1) UCLA

2) UNLV (a distant second)

3) CBS Sports Network (technical difficulties)

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Another first for Josh Rosen: his first touchdown on the road.

It didn’t take long. UCLA needed just six plays and 1 minute 29 seconds to go 58 yards. Rosen completed two passes for 47 yards, including a 29-yard play-action pass to Jordan Payton for the score.

Maybe this is a pattern: For the second game in a row offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone had Rosen attempt a bomb, nearly 70 yards on the first play. He didn’t connect. Didn’t much matter.

The inconspicuous start continues for UNLV. Their first-down snap on their ensuing possession was a bad one. The Rebels recovered, but they lost 22 yards, and faced second and 22 on the three-yard line. They punted.

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The game is underway. Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked the ball out of the end zone for UCLA, and UNLV will begin its drive after the touchback.

Two incomplete passes by Devonte Boyd and a three-yard rush leads to a three and out for UNLV.

On the punt, Randall Goforth muffed the ball, but UNLV was flagged for fair-catch interference, and UCLA will take over.

Pregame

More from Times reporter Chris Foster:

Freshman tight end Chris Clark has apparently left the UCLA program.

Clark, who is from New Jersey, was not in Las Vegas with the Bruins and posted on his twitter.com site, “feels great to be back in the 201.” The 201 area code is in New Jersey.

Recruiting analysts considered Clark to be the top high school tight end in the nation when he was at Avon (Conn.) Old Farms Prep last season. Clark saw limited playing time in the season opener against Virginia.

UCLA lost receiver Cordell Broadus before training camp when the son of Snoop Dogg decided to quit football.

Meanwhile, freshman offensive lineman Fred Ulu-Perry was on the trip, but was working out with the defensive linemen before the game. The Bruins lost defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes to a knee injury against Virginia last week.

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Can history offer any clue how this game will go?

Nope. UCLA has never played UNLV. The Bruins are 41-6-1 against Mountain West teams overall

UCLA has won their first road game in three consecutive seasons: 2014 at Virginia, 2013 at Nebraska and 2012 at Rice.

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This update from Times reporter Chris Foster:

UCLA players have a definitive game when they walk into Sam Boyd Stadium to play UNLV tonight.

“It’s a hostile environment,” linebacker Myles Jack said. “If you let the home team get up on you, the crowd gets into it, the band gets into it, the cheerleaders get into it. That weighs on you. You’ve got to go in play hard and get that crowd really quiet.”

The Bruins not only have to subdue the crowd, they have to beat the heat. Game time temperature is expected to be 98 degrees.

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Josh Rosen made a statement in the opener, but how much can be learned by a freshman quarterback in a game against Virginia, a 5-7 team in 2014?

Maybe more than previously thought. The Cavaliers nearly knocked off No. 9 Notre Dame earlier this afternoon. In fact, they led late until Notre Dame backup quarterback DeShone Kizer hurled a 40-yard touchdown pass with 12 seconds left.

Virginia is now 0-2. But UCLA dispatched them easily compared to Notre Dame, another team with College Football Playoff hopes.

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About 60 minutes until the kickoff of UCLA’s game against UNLV at Sam Boyd Stadium, meaning, no the Bruins aren’t yet winning. Las Vegas expects that to change in, well, not much longer than 60 minutes. There was no hometown love for the Revels from the odds makers: UCLA is favored by 30 points.

This week has been mostly about avoiding a letdown from the electrifying debut of freshman quarterback Josh Rosen in UCLA’s 34-16 opening-game win over Virginia.

“We came out of the first game with a lot of hoopla about Josh Rosen, so we’re getting a lot of media love,” linebacker Deon Hollins said this week. “This can be a trap game.”

So how are the Bruins preparing?

“You can never assume a win,” center Jack Brendel said. “You can’t go into this game thinking it’s going be to be easy. It’s never easy.”

The hardest part for UCLA will be corralling the Rebels’ mobile quarterback, Blake Decker, who threw for 319 yards and rushed for 164 more last week in a loss to Northern Illinois.

With apologies to Brendel, Northern Illinois did make it look pretty easy to move the ball against the UNLV defense. The Rebels gave up 545 yards last week, including 360 yards on 21-of-26 passing by quarterback Drew Hare.

Rosen had 351 yards passing against a more imposing Virginia defense. What can he do for an encore?

UNLV has played 13 power-conference teams at home. They’ve won only twice.

But they may have a home-field advantage: the heat. The forecast is for 97 degrees at kickoff, and the temperature isn’t expected to drop below 90 degrees during the game.

For additional game coverage, follow Chris Foster (@cfosterlatimes)