Freshman QB sets passing record as UCLA clobbers Cal

UCLA 40, NO. 20 CALIFORNIA 24

PASADENA, Calif. -- Josh Rosen completed a school-record 34 passes and threw two of his three touchdown passes to Devin Fuller, and UCLA got its season back on track with a 40-24 victory over No. 20 California on Thursday night.

Rosen passed for 399 yards in another splendid game for the standout freshman, and Thomas Duarte had career highs of 10 catches for 141 yards for the Bruins (5-2, 2-2 Pac-12). UCLA rebounded from consecutive losses and a drop from the national rankings with a 573-yard offensive performance.

Soso Jamabo rushed for a score after star UCLA tailback Paul Perkins left with an injury, and the Bruins' injury-plagued defense limited Jared Goff and Cal's potent offense to 170 yards in the first half.

Goff passed for 295 yards in a second consecutive disappointing game for the Bears (5-2, 2-2). They have lost two in a row.

Kenny Lawler, Darius Powe and Khalfani Muhammad caught TD passes for Cal, which entered the Rose Bowl with its highest ranking in six years and a chance to clinch bowl eligibility for the first time since 2011. Instead, the Bears still have just one victory in Pasadena since 1999.

Debuting their black-and-shiny-gold "City" uniforms, UCLA appeared revitalized after losses to Arizona State and Stanford. The defense sacked Goff five times, and Ka'imi Fairbairn made four field goals, including a school-record 60-yarder at the halftime gun.

Rosen was smooth and confident in another big Pac-12 game, going 34 for 47 without a turnover. Early in the fourth quarter, he broke the UCLA single-game completions record set by Richard Brehaut in 2010 and matched by Brett Hundley last year.

But even in victory, UCLA added two more significant injuries to its alarming season total. Perkins, last season's Pac-12 rushing champion, ran for 73 yards before limping off in the second quarter. Linebacker Isaako Savaiinaea, the Bruins' leading tackler, then left on a cart in the second half.

UCLA stumbled back to the Rose Bowl with consecutive losses in conference play for the third consecutive season, including a 56-35 thrashing at Stanford last Thursday that dropped the Bruins out of the Top 25. Coach Jim Mora's teams have always bounced back from those skids, and the Bruins still haven't lost three consecutive regular-season games in Mora's tenure.

Despite the UC rivalry, the Rose Bowl was roughly half-full before kickoff as fans struggled to get through weekday Los Angeles traffic to the relatively inaccessible stadium.

The Bruins took their first lead in three weeks when Duarte caught a 7-yard TD pass in the first quarter. Fuller capped a 90-yard drive early in the second with a 19-yard scoring grab, and UCLA moved the ball deliberately throughout the half despite settling for four field goals.

Cal finally reached the end zone on Lawler's acrobatic grab 51 seconds before halftime, but Rosen moved the Bruins into position for that 60-yard kick by Fairbairn, who was mobbed by teammates when he broke Chris Sailer's UCLA record of 56 yards, set in 1997.

UCLA kept rolling after the break, with Rosen hitting Duarte from 21 yards out for a 33-10 lead.

NO. 22 TEMPLE 24, EAST CAROLINA 14

GREENVILLE, N.C. -- P.J. Walker threw a late 23-yard touchdown pass to Robby Anderson, and No. 22 Temple rallied to beat East Carolina.

Walker finished 19 of 35 for 250 yards for the Owls (7-0, 4-0 American Athletic Conference). They ensured their first appearance in the Top 25 since 1979 -- and the best start in school history -- will last a little longer.

East Carolina's Blake Kemp was 31 of 48 for 272 yards with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Quay Johnson. Chris Hairston added a 1-yard scoring run for the Pirates (4-4, 2-2).

Temple's Jahad Thomas rushed for two touchdowns, of 2 and 14 yards, the last sealing it with 2:18 to play. The American's leading rusher finished with just 66 yards -- 60 fewer than his average.

APPALACHIAN STATE 31, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 13

BOONE, N.C. -- Taylor Lamb threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns, Appalachian State scored 31 consecutive points, and the Mountaineers beat Georgia Southern for their fifth consecutive victory.

Marcus Cox rushed for 83 yards and two touchdowns for Appalachian State (6-1, 3-0 Sun Belt). Simms McElfresh caught six passes for 66 yards and a touchdown.

The Mountaineers have won 12 of their last 13 -- losing to No. 6 Clemson on Sept. 12.

Appalachian State's defense made two interceptions, including Mondo Williams' late in the third quarter. Three plays later, Barrett Burns caught a short pass by Lamb and ran untouched down the sideline for a 33-yard touchdown and a 24-7 lead.

Kevin Ellison threw for 64 yards and rushed for 46 more for Georgia Southern (5-2, 3-1). Ellison capped the Eagles' 86-yard opening drive with a 12-yard sneak.

Georgia Southern lost its first ever Sun Belt game in 12 attempts.

Sports on 10/23/2015

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