Texas A&M wins in OT as UCLA's frantic comeback ultimately falls short

UCLA’s fourth-quarter surge was enough to force Texas A&M to overtime but it couldn’t counter the Aggies’ first OT touchdown.

The Bruins scored 15 points in a 1:40 span in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 24-24. But Texas A&M scored on fourth down in its chance in overtime while No. 15 UCLA’s fourth-down pass attempt at the end zone fell incomplete for a 31-24 A&M win.

UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen, who joked this week that crowd noise hit a decibel plateau at the 50,000 person mark, threw for 343 yards but threw three interceptions. The last came late in the fourth quarter with the game tied. The Bruins had forced Texas A&M into a second-straight three-and-out, but Rosen turned the ball over near midfield when A&M’s Justin Evans jumped high into the air for the pick.

Texas A&M QB Trevor Knight scored the winning TD on an option play in overtime. Knight, a graduate transfer from Oklahoma (who lost earlier in the day to Houston), was 22-of-42 passing for 239 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

Rosen’s 26-of-46 passing line was enhanced – or detracted, depending on how you look at it – by his receivers. One of the interceptions came because of a pass that bounced in the air after hitting a receiver’s hands and seemingly countless others glanced off Bruin receivers hands and onto the ground.

It was clear that this was a UCLA team entering the season needing to replace four of its five leading receivers from the 2015 season. While Rosen found tight end Austin Roberts for the game-tying two-point conversion in the fourth quarter, Roberts also dropped what could have been an easy game-tying TD in overtime a play before the game ended.

But Rosen also spent much of the day avoiding Texas A&M’s pressure. Rosen was sacked five times and forced into evasive action on many others.

The win is also a huge boost for an Aggie team that suddenly looks like an SEC contender in the Week 1 world of snap judgments. Yeah, conference play hasn’t started for many in the SEC, but LSU and Mississippi State lost while Arkansas squeaked by Louisiana Tech at home. If Knight can be consistent – a big if – A&M has the defensive front to finish near the top of the SEC West. And you can bet the Aggies will be ranked come Sunday afternoon.

 

Trevor Knight scored the game-winning TD in OT (Getty Images).