Paul Perkins Injury Update: As UCLA Continues to Lose Starters, Bruin Freshmen Step Up to Beat Cal
ByThe UCLA Bruins seemed to have returned to form Thursday night with a 40-24 victory over the Cal Golden Bears, but were bit by the now-all-too-familiar injury bug.
Both Paul Perkins, UCLA's leading rusher, and Isaako Savaiinaea, UCLA's leading tackler, left the game with injuries and did not return. When asked about the pair's injuries in his post-game press conference, head coach Jim Mora only said, "not good," before repeating it two more times.
Perkins rushed for 73 yards on 11 carries before leaving the field on his own in the second quarter after injuring his left knee. Then in the third quarter, Savaiinaea left the game with a left leg injury and also did not return, while wide receiver Devin Fuller suffered an undisclosed injury as well, The Los Angeles Times noted.
With the severity of Perkins, Savaiinaea, and Fuller's injuries unknown, CBS Sports noted they could join Myles Jack, Eddie Vanderdoes, and Fabian Moreau on the team's growing injury report.
But despite the roster depleted of multiple starters, freshmen Josh Rosen and Soso Jamabo elevated their game against a tough Pac-12 foe. Rosen threw for 399 yards and three touchdowns, with no interceptions, and completed 34 of 47 pass attempts. Replacing Perkins, Jamabo took 18 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown.
"Like all great performers, they're able to let go of what just happened and move to the next event and Josh has really been able to do that throughout," Mora said of Rosen after the game. "We saw it in our spring ball, we saw it in our summer camp. He's just a rare kid."