Huskies not so slick, lose 27-7 to UCLA

Washington fans booed tepidly, and then the Huskies players performed the same.

And when it was over, Rick Neuheisel and his new team, the UCLA Bruins, left Husky Stadium surely wondering what all the fuss had been about.

Feeling neither insulted, nor injured, Neuheisel and his Bruins overcame a couple of early turnovers that momentarily emboldened the Huskies to take a 27-7 win over UW in the first game in Seattle for the former UW coach since he was controversially fired in the summer of 2003.

"It was emotional, but pleasantly there were a lot of friendly faces," Neuheisel said. "Contrary to all the articles, my memories are mostly favorable."

UW will have none of those from this game, however, as they lost their 12th straight dating to last season -- extending a school record -- and fell to 0-10 for the season, making this the worst start in school history, surpassing an 0-9 beginning to the 1969 season when UW then won the season finale against Washington State to finish 1-9.

"It's kind of been the same thing every week," said UW defensive tackle Johnie Kirton.

The loss made UW 0-7 at home, the first winless season in the 88-year history of Husky Stadium.

The last time UW didn't win a home game was 1894.

"It's completely hard," said UW senior linebacker Trenton Tuiasosopo. "Nobody would have ever imagined this happening."

While the outcome was the same, the route to defeat was a little different as the Huskies turned in one of their worst offensive performances in years.

UW had just 135 yards overall, lowest since getting just 116 at USC in 2004, and just 39 passing yards, fewest since 1984.

"We didn't run it, throw it, catch it or tackle it in a matter to put us in a position to be successful," said UW coach Tyrone Willingham, who coached his last game at Husky Stadium.

The Huskies were especially feeble after halftime, gaining just 39 yards and getting only two first downs as the Bruins scored the final 20 points of the game.

"We had a tough time picking up their rush and me finding open receivers," said redshirt freshman quarterback Ronnie Fouch, who was 7 for 22 with two interceptions and 39 yards.

Neuheisel was booed as he jogged on the field before the game, and again at the beginning and ending of halftime.

But it wasn't quite the full-throated roar once anticipated when Neuheisel took over at UCLA last December as there might have been only about 45,000 or so fans in attendance at kickoff, a number of ticket holders apparently turned off more by UW's winless season than motivated by any desire to vent at their former coach. Attendance was officially announced at 59,738.

The Huskies now prepare for what shapes up as one of the least-appetizing Apple Cups in history as UW and WSU each come in looking for their first conference win.

UCLA improves to 4-6 and keeps its fleeting hopes of a bowl bid alive.

If the Huskies were fired up in any way by the presence of Neuheisel, they didn't show it early.

The Bruins drove easily down the field the first time they had the ball, moving 80 yards in 12 plays. They converted three third downs and scored on an 11-yard run by true freshman Derric Coleman.

UW was stopped on its next drive, and UCLA seemed in position to take control.

But on third down on the ensuing possession, UW's Mesphin Forrester laid a hard hit on a UCLA receiver as a pass arrived, with the ball bounding high in the air. UW linebacker Trenton Tuiasosopo picked it off and returned it 33 yards down the sideline to give the Huskies the ball at the 11.

UW needed just two plays to score, the TD coming on a 7-yard run by Brandon Johnson on an option play, something the Huskies had done little of since an injury sidelined Jake Locker against Stanford on Sept. 27.

UW had a chance to take the lead when it got another break on UCLA's next possession -- yet another tipped pass, this time by Tuiasosopo that landed in the hands of Tripper Johnson, who returned it to the Bruins' 44.

But the drive ended when Fouch fumbled on third down, the ball recovered by Bruins linebacker Korey Bosworth, a nephew of former Seahawks linebacker Brian Bosworth.

The Bruins easily drove the remaining 31 yards to take a 14-7 lead on a 1-yard run by Kahlil Bell with 11:57 left.

The Huskies drove again into UCLA territory, ultimately facing a fourth-and-three at the 39. The Huskies decided to go for it, but UCLA defensive tackle Brian Price broke through to sack Fouch for a 12-yard loss.

That set up a 49-yard field goal by UCLA's Kai Fortbath with 4:53 left to make it 17-7.

And that was pretty much the ball game.

The Huskies never ran more than four plays on their seven second-half possessions, never gaining more than 16 yards.

Bob Condotta: 206-515-5699 or bcondotta@seattletimes.com