WEEK FOUR PRESS CLIPPINGS (Sept. 16-21) September 16 Page 2: No. 25 UCLA comes up short in Memphis barnburner (Daily News) Page 3: UCLA defense forced to get creative at linebacker (Daily News) Page 4: Josh Rosen tries to will UCLA to win but falters in 48-45 loss to Memphis (LA Times) Page 6: UCLA gets creative with its depleted defense against Memphis (LA Times) September 17 Page 7: No. 25 UCLA comes up short in Memphis barnburner (Daily News) Page 9: UCLA defense bent, broken entering conference opener against Stanford (Daily News) September 18 Page 10: UCLA defense hits reset after disappointing start (Daily News) Page 11: UCLA players are wounded, some are barely walking after loss to Memphis (LA Times) September 19 Page 12: Previous setbacks have made this season's breakout performance that much sweeter for UCLA receiver Darren Andrews (LA Times) Page 14: Struggling Stanford still presents big threat for UCLA (Orange County Register) September 20 Page 15: Rosen still has something to learn about quick decisions (LA Times) Page 16: UCLA coach Jim Mora focused on snapping Bruins’ Stanford skid (Daily News) Page 17: Caleb Wilson brings positivity, versatility to UCLA football (Daily News) September 21 Page 18: Fifteen-year NFL veteran LB Roman Phifer is back at UCLA alma-mater (NFL Player Engagement) Page 19: UCLA defensive lineman returns home to face Stanford (Palo Alto Daily News) Page 21: Jim Mora thinks the key to beating Stanford might be as simple as effort (LA Times) Page 22: ‘Maniacal effort’ will be key for UCLA against Stanford (Daily News) Page 23: Stanford takes on UCLA’s Josh Rosen, nation’s leading passer (San Francisco Chronicle) No. 25 UCLA comes up short in Memphis barnburner (Daily News) By THUC NHI NGUYEN (9/16) MEMPHIS >> Josh Rosen rescued his team from a 34-point deficit two weeks ago, but self-inflicted wounds proved too fatal on Saturday for the quarterback’s heroics. UCLA ran out of bullets in a wild shootout against Memphis on Saturday at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium as the Tigers knocked off the No. 25 Bruins, 48-45, in a nearly four-hour game that included 21 penalties and almost 1,200 combined yards of offense. After playing the best football of his life in the past two games, Rosen turned in another prolific day, but mixed in crippling mistakes. His 463 passing yards and four touchdowns were not enough to overcome his first two interceptions of the season, including a 60-yard Pick-6, and a struggling UCLA defense that gave up a season-high 560 yards. “(I was) just trying to play hero ball,” Rosen said. “It’s not needed. You gotta play within the system.” At times, Rosen flashed the same laser-like precision that he used on 12 straight touchdown drives during the past two games, but he also showed that his old habit of forcing throws isn’t quite gone. The junior looked like the worst version of his freshman self when he rolled out to his right and tried to throw a pass back across his body in the third quarter. He missed an open receiver who would have had the first down. Instead, he watched Memphis linebacker Tim Hart run back for a touchdown untouched. Rosen threw another interception in the fourth quarter when Austin Hall came unblocked around the edge and forced a bad throw inside the red zone. “One of the things about a guy like Josh Rosen is, they don’t ever like to concede a play and that’s a mindset that you love,” Coach Jim Mora said. “But it’s a mindset that can get you in trouble at times and so he’s just got to continue to work through that and I have no doubt that he will.” Rosen and the offense were pressed into action to save a struggling and injury-riddled UCLA defense that was without starting linebacker Kenny Young and starting safety Jaleel Wadood, who were held out after suffering head injuries last week. Memphis quarterback Riley Ferguson was 23-for-38 passing for 398 yards and six touchdowns. UCLA allowed 12 passing touchdowns all of last season. The Bruins are allowing 6.2 yards per play through three games, well above last year’s mark of 4.9, which tied for the second- best mark in the Pac-12. On Saturday, Memphis turned two short screen passes from Ferguson into 47- and 42-yard touchdowns in the second quarter. Running back Darrell Henderson sliced the UCLA defense for an 80-yard run on his team’s first play from scrimmage. “In the formula for winning, you can’t turn the ball over and you can’t give up explosive plays,” Mora said. “And we turned the ball over, we gave up explosive plays in the first half.” The defense held firm on its final drive as Memphis ran a fake field goal on fourth-and-5 from the UCLA 16-yard line. Defensive back Octavius Spencer intercepted a throw from Memphis kicker Riley Patterson on the trick play, but Rosen almost threw the game away on a near interception five plays later. Theo Howard was forced to save the play by drawing an offensive pass interference call. On third-and-25, running back Jalen Starks dragged a pile of tacklers for extra yardage to give UCLA a more manageable fourth-and-5, but Rosen’s fourth-down pass to Darren Andrews was broken up by Jacobi Francis. After catching 10 passes for 175 yards and one touchdown Saturday, Andrews lamented the one that he didn’t grab at the end of the game. “(I’m) very hard on myself, very critical of myself so any ball that’s thrown my way, I feel like I should have it,” Andrews said. The Bruins must quickly recover from their first loss for their conference opener against Stanford in Palo Alto next week. Rosen couldn’t complete the comeback Saturday, but he’s positive the Bruins will be ready for the Cardinal. “(Bouncing back) is hard to do, but there are two options: You do or you don’t,” he said, “and we will.” UCLA defense forced to get creative at linebacker (Daily News) By THUC NHI NGUYEN (9/16) MEMPHIS >> UCLA’s defense prides itself on position flexibility and the Bruins had to get extra creative Saturday for its linebackers. Without senior Kenny Young, who was held out due to injury, and junior Josh Woods, who was suspended for the first half due to targeting, the Bruins transformed defensive end Keisean Lucier-South into a hybrid linebacker for their 48-45 loss to Memphis on Saturday at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. The third-year sophomore had one tackle for loss and a forced fumble in his new position. During training camp, the team occasionally had Lucier-South practice the position and revisited the look this week. “Give Keisean credit, I thought he handled it well,” defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said. “He did a really good job because a lot of times, there’s things going on there that he hasn’t really had the chance to practice.” Redshirt freshman Breland Brandt, who was expected to possibly start at strong-side linebacker, was mysteriously not with the team Saturday, leaving the Bruins even more short-handed. “Our mindset here is next Bruin up,” sophomore middle linebacker Lokeni Toailoa said. “So some guys go down, we all prepare like starters, so we all come in here ready to play.” Toailoa had three tackles and one tackle for loss as he was the lone starting linebacker remaining for the first half before Woods’ return. Sophomore Krys Barnes got his first career start and had six tackles. After watching the first half from the locker room, Woods tallied four tackles in the second half. The odd defensive front that often included five defensive linemen and two linebackers gave up 162 rushing yards, but 80 of them came on Memphis’ first play from scrimmage. “Besides that first run where we missed two tackles, we were right there and missed the tackles,” Coach Jim Mora said. “Those guys did a heck of a job playing the run. But it wasn’t good enough.” Injuries continue to mount Jaelan Phillips left the game in the third quarter with an apparent right leg injury. The star freshman defensive end was quickly taken into the locker room on a cart. He watched the remainder of the game on the sideline on crutches with ice wrapped around his right ankle and was seen walking out of the locker room in a walking boot. Running back Nate Starks was spotted in the second half on crutches on the sideline. Mora did not know the extent of the injury, but said it may have been a knee issue that sent the senior to the sideline. Quick hits Running back Soso Jamabo did not travel due to an undisclosed injury. The junior missed his second straight game after leading the Bruins in rushing in their season opener. … Defensive tackle Boss Tagaloa was available, but limited after he suffered a minor injury against Texas A&M. He missed last week’s game against Hawaii. … Defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa drew a targeting penalty in the fourth quarter, so he will be suspended for the first half of UCLA’s conference opener at Stanford on Sept. 23. Josh Rosen tries to will UCLA to win but falters in 48-45 loss to Memphis (LA Times) By Ben Bolch (9/16) In the final moments, when he needed to rally his team once more, Josh Rosen found himself confronted by something even more threatening than a defender on the verge of a sack.