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Needing to overcome a sluggish first half in which it sputtered offensively, the UCLA football team pulled out a tight victory, 21-17, over the visiting Washington Huskies.

The win was highlighted by a final drive in which senior quarterback Drew Olson went 6 of 7 through the air for 72 yards, and it was capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run by junior tailback Maurice Drew. The Bruin defense cemented the win by forcing a quick turnover on downs to make it official.

UCLA (4-0, No. 20 in the Associated Press) outscored Washington (1-4) in the second half, 21-7, in a game that was defined by the clutch performance of Olson on offense and the clearly rebuilt Bruin defense that found a way to contain Husky quarterback Isaiah Stanback.

Olson finished completing 29 passes of 44 attempts while answering with a pair of touchdowns to erase his first-half interceptions. Although Olson led an offense that came into the game averaging 49 points a game, the Bruins were held at bay for two quarters.

The unheralded Husky defense halted Olson's early-season success and clogged the running lanes, which marginalized Drew. Drew managed only 33 yards on 14 carries.

Washington started the scoring with a 23-yard field goal by Evan Knudson and rounded out the first half with a 20-yard touchdown run by Kenny James to make it 10-0.

UCLA capitalized on a critical Washington fumble during a punt return.

Anthony Russo coughed up the ball deep in his own territory, and four plays later Olson found senior tight end Marcedes Lewis for a 4-yard touchdown to cut the lead to make it 10-7.

After a Stanback touchdown run made it 17-7 with 3 minutes remaining in the third quarter, UCLA was faced with the prospects of losing an in-conference home game.

However, the Bruins answered back quickly with a sustained drive that ended in Michael Pitre's 1-yard touchdown reception.

The Bruins finally took control of the game on a timely defensive stand with 5:43 left in the game, which forced Washington to punt. UCLA then promptly went the length of the field, highlighted by a Marcus Everett 40-yard reception. Everett caught a simple hitch pass near the sideline, and he broke free in the secondary thanks to his shifty moves and some shoddy tackling by the Washington secondary.

Drew scored what proved to be the game winner with a minute left on the clock. And unlike the 2004 season, the Bruin defense held strong and put an end to the offensive fireworks.

UCLA sacked Stanback on first play and quickly forced a turnover on downs to run the clock out. Stanback, who utilized his scrambling ability throughout the game, finished completing 14 of 28 passes for 188 yards.

For extended coverage of UCLA's win over Washington, check out the Daily Bruin on Monday.