Humiliation and Frustration

CORVALLIS, Ore. — Wait ‘till next year!

The UCLA Bruins fell into the Pacific 10 cellar Saturday and kept going, to a free fall that equaled a 1999 that remains on life support only by grace of nine other teams that can’t be trusted either, to a tumble of epic proportions that made them consider the distant past as well as the disastrous present.

They got hammered by Oregon State, 55-7, before 33,427 at Reser Stadium in a performance that at least followed through on the promise of sticking together in the face of the potential sub-.500 record and last-place finish. The defense became as bad as the offense.

The humiliating defeat, UCLA’s fourth in the last five games, was joined by the ultimate indignity: It came against the 10th-place team in the conference and knocked the defending conference champions into last place instead, at 1-4. It also dropped the Bruins to 3-5 overall and 1-4 in Pac-10, meaning they must beat Arizona, Washington and USC to qualify for a bowl game and/or finish with a winning record.

And then there is this. No Bruin team has been beaten by such a large margin in 69 years, since USC claimed a 52-0 victory on Sept. 27, 1930. No Bruin team has allowed so many points in 29 years, since Washington won, 61-20, on Nov. 14, 1970.

“It’s embarrassing,” flanker Freddie Mitchell said. “I don’t even want to fly back to L.A. I just want to stay here and chill. But you’ve got to take it like a man. You’ve got to take your butt kicking like a man.”

Said Coach Bob Toledo, when asked if the Bruins were demoralized: “We might be. I don’t know. I’m going to find out come Monday. We’re feeling bad right now.”

Among other things, or other words.

Bad.

Shell-shocked.

Humiliated.

“The whole thesaurus,” defensive tackle Pete Holland said.

The whole thesaurus.

“Whatever word you know,” Holland said.

His choices: “Embarrassed. Demoralized. And confused, just about what the hell happened.”

What didn’t happen. The Bruins allowed 42 points in the first half, including quick-strike touchdowns on back-to-back drives in the second quarter that both lasted only one play. They surrendered 559 yards in total offense and labored to only 210 of their own, with a miserable 121 passing. They had 11 first downs without the help of an Oregon State penalty.

And so on.

“I bet every guy who played a significant amount of time made a mistake,” Holland said. “And that adds up. Obviously.”

The UCLA defense had been playing well, allowing a handful of big plays the previous two games but mostly giving up points when the offense and special teams continuously gave opponents prime field position. This game, though, became a setback. Way back, to last season.

No matter that Oregon State (4-3, 1-3) got only eight carries from Ken Simonton, the No. 1 rusher in the Pac-10 and No. 5 in the nation, before he was sidelined by a rib injury. The Beavers still dominated the Bruin defense, getting touchdowns on six of seven possessions in the first half.

The Beavers, averaging 31.2 points a game coming in, went 80 yards on the opening drive for one score and 75 yards on the third, just after their lone punt of that stretch. Three times on the two scoring possessions they had third and long--eight or nine yards--and got the first down, meaning UCLA made few critical stops early.

Then the Bruins didn’t make any stops. It was 21-7, UCLA’s only score having come on a four-yard pass from Cory Paus to tight end Gabe Crecion, when Oregon State blew the game open with little struggle, offering the greatest moments of embarrassment to the defense.

The Beavers immediately answered the lone UCLA touchdown--a week after the Bruins had been shut out by California--with a 50-yard kickoff return from Robert Prescott. On the first play from scrimmage, Antonio Battle went 50 yards around left end for the score, with no defender getting close to a tackle and only one even getting an arm on him.

When the Bruins started the ensuing drive on their 12, got pushed back and had to punt from the seven, Oregon State’s next chance began at the UCLA 47. That only saved the defense from having to chase wide receiver Aaron Hill more. Hill broke down the middle, ran through the heart of the defense, such as it was, and caught the pass from Jonathan Smith and went the 47 yards untouched.

That made it 35-7. By halftime, the Beavers had 42 points and 355 yards in total offense, with Smith already accounting for 238 of his eventual 261 through the air. The Glendora High product also had three touchdown passes, all the more noteworthy because the Bruins could key on the air game after Simonton’s injury.

Instead, Antonio Battle replaced Simonton and rushed for 105 yards. No Bruin had more than the 42 yards of Jermaine Lewis.