The legend of Josh Rosen is coming to fruition. UCLA football’s QB lifted the Bruins over Texas A&M in the fourth quarter with four TD passes.
Look out, Pac-12. In a league where top-shelf quarterback seem to be in full supply, UCLA might just have the best of the bunch. Josh Rosen carved up Texas A&M in the Rose Bowl on the Sunday before Labor Day, racking up 498 yards and four touchdown passes to take down the Aggies 45-44 in Week 1.
All four touchdowns came in the midst of a 34-point comeback from a 44-10 deficit. They weren’t all pretty scores, but they were effective as the Bruins prevailed at home. The second was a dart, right through the hands of an Aggies defender for the walk into the endzone.
1 de 4 pases a TD por Josh Rosen en el último cuarto, para darle la vuelta a @AggieFootball y el triunfo a @UCLAFootball 😎 #10AñosMA pic.twitter.com/AInY0KYbJ4
— MáximoAvance.com (@maximoavance) September 4, 2017
He kept the play alive on the third touchdown, absorbing a hit and throwing off his back foot while knowing where his receiver would be for the score.
By then, the Aggies were reeling.
Capping the Comeback
The fourth touchdown might have been the gutsiest. With a Dan Marino-like fake spike, Rosen confused the Texas A&M defense as time ran down in Pasadena. Freezing the secondary, he then hit the corner fade to Jordan Lasley to tie the game. An extra point later, the Bruins had the lead with less than a minute left in the contest.
JOSH ROSEN WITH THE FAKE SPIKE TD pic.twitter.com/MkB1vKJqrH
— Gifdsports (@gifdsports) September 4, 2017
It was a ridiculous end to an evening where Rosen completed 35 of his 58 attempts in the course of a 35-point comeback against the visiting Aggies.
But it was hardly the only dart that Rosen threw on the night. It was a strange night, as most of Rosen’s production came in the fourth quarter of the comeback effort. Rosen threw for 292 yards and all four of his scores in the final 15 minutes of the game, showcasing a clutch factor that will have NFL scouts salivating.
Pac-12 teams are now on notice after UCLA moved to 1-0 with the huge win. With big names like Sam Darnold, Jake Browning, and Luke Falk already on the scene and young stars like Justin Herbert and Ross Bowers emerging, a glutted field of talented passers might be forced to take a backseat to Rosen.
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Perhaps the Heisman Watch came out a bit early after Rosen’s dazzling display in the Bruins’ home opener. If he keeps up this level of production, the Bruins are most definitely going to be in the Pac-12 hunt for the rest of the season. Look out for Rosen’s follow-up performance when Hawaii visits the Rose Bowl next Saturday.