Pasadena, Calif. • Josh Rosen was 22 of 25 for 329 yards passing and found Darren Andrews for three of his career-high five touchdown passes as UCLA defeated Hawaii 56-23 on Saturday.
Theo Howard and Caleb Wilson each caught a touchdown pass. Demetric Felton and Bolu Olorunfunmi each had 1-yard touchdown runs for the Bruins (2-0), who have scored touchdowns on 12 of 14 possessions with Rosen at quarterback dating back to the third quarter of their 45-44 comeback win over Texas A&M on Sunday.
Dru Brown threw for 227 yards, with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Diocemy Saint Juste and a 2-yard score to John Ursua, as Hawaii (2-1) saw its winning streak end at five games. Brown also threw an interception that was returned 30 yards for a touchdown by freshman cornerback Darnay Holmes.
THE TAKEAWAY
Hawaii: They might be improved, but the Rainbow Warriors have work to do to match Power 5 opposition. The gap in athleticism between Hawaii and UCLA was evident, especially as the secondary tried to corral Bruin receivers in the open field. Hawaii’s receivers also struggled to create separation, and Brown had to work hard for his production. Hawaii hasn’t defeated a Pac-12 opponent on the road since defeating a Washington State team that finished the season 1-11 in 2009.
UCLA: The battle for title of best college quarterback in Los Angeles is back on. After getting lucky on some highly questionable throws in the fourth quarter against Texas A&M, Rosen was poised and polished against decidedly lesser competition. He has all the desired physical tools, and his receivers are much improved after struggling with dropped balls last season. The offensive line and run game are still inconsistent, but Rosen is more than capable of excelling in spite of those issues.
UP NEXT
Hawaii: The Rainbow Warriors have a bye week before visiting Wyoming on Sept. 23 to open Mountain West Conference play.
UCLA: The Bruins travel to Memphis next Saturday for a game that kicks off at 9 a.m. Pacific.