SAN DIEGO – The UCLA Bruins won nine games in Jim Mora's first season as head coach.
It was a nice accomplishment, but losing their last three games left the Bruins realizing how much work they have to do.
Glasco Martin ran for three touchdowns, Nick Florence threw for two scores and ran for another, and Baylor overwhelmed No. 17 UCLA 49-26 in the Holiday Bowl on Thursday night.
Lache Seastrunk rushed 16 times for 138 yards and one score for Baylor, which outgained UCLA (9-5) 494-362. The Bears came in leading the nation in total offense with 578.8 yards per game.
"We've got a long way to go, and we know that," Mora said. "But we're on the right path. Tonight showed us how far we have to go but we're determined to get there and we're heading in the right direction. But we're a long ways off. We will fight our tails off to get there."
Florence completed 10 of 13 passes for 188 yards, giving him 4,309 for the season to break Robert Griffin III's school season record of 4,293 set in 2011.
Baylor's defense came up big, too. The Bears sacked Brett Hundley six times, including two by Chris McAllister, and shut down UCLA's career rushing leader Johnathan Franklin. Franklin, who averaged 130.8 yards this season, gained 12 yards on his first carry of the game but was a non-factor after that, finishing with just 34 yards on 14 carries.
"They played well up front," Mora said. "When we are at our best is when we can run the football. We couldn't find any room to run the football. They played physical."
Baylor (8-5) won its final four games and five of six.
Hundley was 26 of 50 for 329 yards and three touchdowns to set UCLA's season passing record with 3,740 yards. The old record was 3,470 by Cade McNown in 1998.
The Bruins were never in this one. Baylor raced to a 21-0 lead by early in the second quarter on Martin's 4-yard run and Florence's TD passes of 8 yards to Antwan Goodley and 55 yards to Tevin Reese.
UCLA punted four times and lost the ball on downs before getting a break when Baylor's Jordan Navjar fumbled after a reception when he was hit by Eric Kendricks, with Randal Goforth recovering at the Bears 21. Two plays later, Joseph Fauria caught a 22-yard pass from Hundley to pull the Bruins to 21-7.
Baylor quickly added two more touchdowns to put it out of reach at 35-7. Martin burst up the middle for his second touchdown run of the game, a 26-yarder, and, after UCLA punted yet again, Seastrunk broke free for a 43-yard touchdown run with 1:58 left before halftime.
UCLA then converted two fourth downs, including a fake punt, to move to the Baylor 12 with 7 seconds left. On fourth-and-10, Mora opted to go for a field goal and Ka'imi Fairbairn converted from 30 yards.
Martin added a 1-yard TD run in the third quarter and Florence had a 1-yard scoring run in the fourth.
Martin had 98 yards on 21 carries.
Hundley threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Shaq Evans early in the fourth quarter and a 34-yarder to Logan Sweet as the game ended.
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