CBS SportsLine wire reports
Oct. 3, 1998
PASADENA, Calif. -- Jermaine Lewis gained redemption against Washington State.
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Washington State beat UCLA 37-34 to start last season, ultimately enabling the Cougars to play in the Rose Bowl game since the schools were Pac-10 co-champions with 7-1 records.
Then a freshman playing in his first college game, Lewis hit the wrong hole on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line and was stopped with less than three minutes remaining, snuffing out UCLA's final hope.
"IT'S STILL IN the back of my mind," said Lewis, who has eight touchdowns in three games this year. "It's good to finally clear my name.
"We were on all cylinders when the game started, and emotions were very high. We wanted payback. Personally, I wanted to come out and destroy this team."
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Cade McNown blistered the Cougars secondary for a school record.
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Keith Brown also ran for two TDs for UCLA, while Cade McNown ran for one score and passed for another. McNown completed 14 of 27 passes for 205 yards -- his school-record 18th straight game with over 200 yards passing.
The Bruins (3-0, 1-0 Pac-10) extended their school-record winning streak to 13, and won a league opener for just the second time in eight years.
"All in all, I'm excited to be 3-0, I'm excited to have a 13-game winning streak intact," UCLA coach Bob Toledo said. "If you don't win the first Pac-10 game, you get behind the eight-ball.
"I don't think Cade played one of his better games. It's encouraging when you score 49 points and your quarterback is average."
UCLA, which led 35-10 at halftime, is averaging 46.7 points per game. WSU (3-2, 0-2) came in leading the conference in total defense, and none of its previous opponents had scored more than 24 points.
"IT WAS LIKE a track meet today, they just outran us," WSU coach Mike Price said. "I don't think we gave up. We have a lot of heart - just not a lot of head."
The Cougars, whose appearance in the Rose Bowl game last New Year's Day was their first in 67 years, also helped the Bruins by committing four turnovers and getting two punts blocked.
In addition, WSU quarterbacks were sacked four times.
UCLA, meanwhile, allowed no sacks and committed only two turnovers. The Bruins also exhibited a balanced offense, rushing for 256 yards and passing for 223.
"We were calling a lot of run plays because they were working," said McNown, who had passed for over 300 yards in each of UCLA's first two games this season. "I never really got in a groove today. I was upset at times with how I threw the ball."
The Bruins scored on their first three possessions to take a 21-0 lead after just 10:15 of play, and the Cougars didn't pose a scoring threat until midway through the second period.
By that time, UCLA led 28-0.
"WE'RE NOT THE TYPE of offensive football team right now to make up that type of deficit," Price said.
UCLA moved 42, 48 and 54 yards following two turnovers and a punt for its first three TDs. The WSU defense allowed only seven first-quarter points in its first four games, and an average of 3.5 points in the first period of its last 61 games.
Lewis opened the scoring with a 5-yard run. A 10-yard run by Brown made it 14-0, and McNown made it three TDs in a span of 5:13 by scoring on a 6-yard rollout, hurdling over the final defenders in the left corner.
DuVal Hicks blocked a punt by Kareem Anderson early in the second quarter, giving UCLA possession at the WSU 6-yard line, and Lewis scored on the next play to make it 28-0.
Kevin Brown's 19-yard run with 7:03 left before halftime put the Cougars on the scoreboard, but Keith Brown scored on a 2-yard run less than three minutes later.
WSU'S RIAN LINDELL kicked a 34-yard field goal on the final play of the half, and it remained that way until McNown threw a 7-yard TD pass to Brian Poli-Dixon with nine seconds left in the third quarter, making it 42-10.
Drew Bennett replaced McNown with nine minutes remaining, and threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Randy Hakes with 4:47 left. WSU's Steve Birnbaum threw a 68-yard scoring pass to Adam Davis 25 seconds later to complete the scoring.
Birnbaum completed 13-of-29 passes for 221 yards, and Kevin Brown led the Cougars in rushing with 109 yards on 21 carries.