UCLA remains in control of the Pac-12 South, but after a dispiriting 31-27 loss to Washington State, the Bruins are facing an uphill climb. Here’s our coverage from the Rose Bowl last night.
» Josh Rosen put UCLA up late, but the defense couldn’t close out 69 more seconds.
» The final minute is what stands out, but the Bruins made plenty of mistakes earlier, particularly in the red zone.
» Ka’imi Fairbairn set a new Pac-12 career scoring record in the first quarter.
UCLA will likely have its top two running backs in uniform again against Colorado this weekend.
Paul Perkins, who was the Pac-12’s leading rusher in 2014, and backup Nate Starks have recovered from their injuries enough to suit up for Saturday’s noon kickoff, head coach Jim Mora said Thursday.
“I would assume that both of them would play,” he said. “It looks like they’re both on track to play. I’m not too worried. I was more worried about Paul earlier in the week, but he’s done fine.”
Perkins injured his left knee in the second quarter of last week’s 40-24 win over Cal, after running for 73 yards on 11 carries. Starks was sidelined with a concussion that he sustained two weeks ago at Stanford.
How much the two backs play remains to be seen. The Buffaloes have what is statistically the weakest rushing defense in the Pac-12, allowing 209.5 yards per game and an average of 5.06 yards per carry. Continue reading “UCLA RB Paul Perkins, Nate Starks ‘on track’ to face Colorado” »
UCLA freshman Soso Jamabo got his most significant workload yet last Thursday, when he took 18 carries for 79 yards and a touchdown in a win over Cal.
The five-star recruit has run with a bit more power lately after struggling with lowering his pad level when he first entered the program.
“Whenever I’m making plays,” Jamabo said, “or just in the game period, it’s always little flashes of, ‘You’re doing this right, but at the same time, you can do this better.’ It’s just being consistent, and working on the things I’m not very good at right now.”
He’ll likely receive a healthy share of touches again this Saturday at noon against Colorado. Starting running back Paul Perkins injured his knee last week, and left Tuesday’s practice after about 80 minutes.
UCLA blew out No. 20 Cal, 40-24, last night, but in the process lost Paul Perkins after he took a hit just above his left knee.
Good news: An MRI revealed a bone bruise, according to Bruin Report Online, but no ligament damage. That UCLA has the weekend off after a Thursday game also gives him additional time to rest.
The diagnosis is in line with how Perkins looked on the field last night. He was able to walk off the field unassisted with a gradually diminishing limp, hopping on a stationary bike for several minutes. When greeted by teammates, neither he nor they looked distraught.
Perkins ran for 73 yards on 11 carries before leaving the game in the second quarter.
The status of linebacker Isaako Savaiinaea, carted from the sideline to the locker room after suffering what looked like a serious leg injury, remains unclear.
An already battered UCLA team took another blow on Thursday.
With about 6:35 left in the second quarter against Cal, star running back Paul Perkins suffered an apparently leg injury after rushing for 73 yards on 11 carries at the Rose Bowl. He went down after being hit just above his left knee knee by Cal defensive back Cameron Walker.
Walker went low, his helmet driving into Perkins’ leg. The redshirt junior tried to stand up right after the hit, but couldn’t initially put his full weight on the leg. After a few minutes on the field, he walked toward the sideline unassisted, but limping.
Trainers examined the area around his left knee, and Perkins later spent some time on the stationary bike. He shook hands and talked with several teammates, none of them appearing distraught.
Backup running back Nate Starks was also out with a head injury, so true freshman Soso Jamabo assumed the lead role in UCLA’s backfield. The five-star recruit ran for 30 yards on six carries before halftime.