NCAA Football: Washington State at UCLA
USATSI

UCLA's defense forced four turnovers and made dynamic quarterback Cameron Ward look uncomfortable for the first time all season in a 25-17 win over previously unbeaten No. 13 Washington State on Saturday. Ward, fresh off his best game of the season vs. Oregon State, finished with his worst totals of the season, completing under 50% of his passes for 197 yards and a pair of interceptions to just one touchdown. Though Ward had a chance to lead the Cougars on a potentially game-tying drive in the final minutes, the Bruins' defense held up on a fourth-and-1 to seal the victory. 

The resounding effort from the Bruins defense held Washington State to its worst offensive output -- 216 yards and 17 points -- of the season after entering Saturday's matchup averaging 533 yards and 45.8 points per game. The Cougars were seeking their first 5-0 start since the 2017 season.

Ward may have had a difficult day, but UCLA's freshman quarterback Dante Moore tied his season high with 290 yards passing. Bruins running back Carson Steele also had his best performance of the season with 141 yards rushing. As a team, UCLA finished with 471 yards of total offense.

The victory was not without its difficulties, though. Washington State took a 10-9 lead into halftime after safety Kapena Gushiken intercepted Moore's pass and returned it 88 yards the other way for a score in the final moments of the second quarter. 

This game is certain to have an impact on the potential Pac-12 title picture. Washington State's loss drops the number of unbeaten teams in the conference to three: Oregon, Washington and USC. The Trojans host Arizona in Week 6; the Huskies Huskies host future Big Ten foe Oregon in Week 7 in Seattle in a battle of top-10 teams.

The Bruins are also playing their final season in the Pac-12 before departing for the Big Ten. This will be the last time UCLA plays Washington State for the foreseeable future; the Cougars status for what comes next as a conference member is uncertain.

UCLA travels to Corvallis, Oregon, next weekend to face Oregon State while Washington State hosts Arizona.