Opportunities come few and far between, UH falls to UCLA

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PASADENA, Calif.—Houston quarterback David Piland ran 86 yards for a touchdown with less than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter Saturday night at the Rose Bowl. The play was inconsequential as far as the game against UCLA was concerned, but it did prevent the Cougars from being shut out for the first time in almost 12 seasons.

It has been a stunning fall for the Cougars' offense since scoring 49.3 points a game last season.

But, except for Piland's touchdown run, they seldom even threatened in falling to 0-3 against the No. 22 Bruins (3-0). The final score was 37-6.

The Cougars drove to UCLA's 29 and 39 in the first half but missed a 46-yard field goal and turned the ball over on an interception by quarterback David Piland. Another opportunity early in the fourth quarter also resulted in a Piland interception, this one in the end zone.

This was the third and final game of a series against UCLA for the Cougars. They no doubt are pleased they don't have another scheduled date at the Rose Bowl. They beat the Bruins, 38-34, at home last season but fell the year before in a game in which quarterback Case Keenum was lost for the season with an injury.

The Cougars, among the nation's most prolific offenses in recent years, haven't been shut out since losing, 48-0, to Texas on Sept. 23, 2000.

Houston is off until Sept. 29, when it plays cross-town rival, Rice. The Bruins opened the season in Houston with a victory over Rice but didn't contain them as well as they did the Cougars in a 49-24 victory.

As for UCLA's cross-town rival, USC lost, 21-14, Saturday night at Stanford. The announcement of that score drew the biggest cheer at the Rose Bowl on a night when virtually everything that was expected to happen for the 17-point favorite Bruins did happen.