(U-WIRE) LOS ANGELES — When Freddie Mitchell is at a loss for words, something truly special must be happening.
“What he’s done is amazing,” Mitchell said, as he paced back and forth on the UCLA sideline, just seconds after former teammate DeShaun Foster had scampered 92 yards for his fourth touchdown run of the game. “I’ve never seen anything like this. I just don’t know what to say.”
In a performance to remember, Foster did more than quiet the fast-talking Mitchell. He also hushed a Washington defense that hadn’t allowed a rushing touchdown since the last time these two teams met.
“I just wanted to get out there and run hard,” Foster said of his fourth quarter spectacle. “As I was turning the corner, it was just off to the races.”
For Foster and the Bruins, the 92-yard run that gave UCLA a 35-13 lead epitomized what he has been doing all season long: running for daylight and not letting anyone stop them along the way. As Foster phrased it, they just wanted to “show America” what the Bruins were all about.
“I think he definitely made a statement out there,” UCLA head coach Bob Toledo said.
On 31 carries, Foster rushed for a UCLA-record 301 yards and four touchdowns, easily eclipsing his previous career-high of 189 yards against Alabama last season. It was the strongest rushing performance against the Huskies ever, and a showing that will surely catapult Foster to the forefront of the Heisman race.
“I’m for team and individuals,” Toledo said about the recent spotlight on Foster’s increasing Heisman numbers. “I told this team that players make plays and teams win championships. If you’re going to win as a team, the players need to make big plays. And if you make big plays, there’s an opportunity to get those individual awards.”
The two blemishes on Foster’s masterful performance came less than a yard away from the end zone. With 5:13 to play in the second quarter, the Huskies stopped a red-zone drive after the ball slipped out of Foster’s hands when linebacker Ben Mahdavi laid a hit on him. In the third quarter, Foster had another missed opportunity for the end zone after a short 3rd-and-goal run resulted in a two-yard loss that set up a sack of UCLA quarterback Cory Paus the following play.
“He fumbled that ball, but when you’re fighting for extra yards like that, you’re going to fumble some balls,” Toledo said. “He definitely made up for that mistake though.”
What were jeers from the home crowd against Ohio State (Foster fumbled the ball a career-high four times in that contest), suddenly transformed into chants of “Heisman, Heisman,” from the Bruin faithful. Don’t expect much to change in the Bruin game plan the rest of their Pac-10 schedule, particularly the focus on letting Foster’s golden legs carry them to the top.
“The two biggest things for any team is to play good defense and run the football,” Paus said. “What did we do today? We ran the ball, DeShaun had 300 yards, and we played good defense. That’s every coach’s formula to win and we did it.”
Foster’s 301 sparks UCLA win
Daily Emerald
October 15, 2001
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