UCLA Bruins Drop Season Opener to Colorado, 48-42
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UCLA Bruins Drop Season Opener to Colorado, 48-42
The Bruins looked much better in the second half, but there would not be another miraculous comeback tonight.
After a terrible first half, UCLA woke up in the second half tonight against Colorado, but it was too little, too late as the Bruins could not complete their comeback and fell 48-42 in the 2020 season opener.
In the first half, the Bruin defense gave up five touchdowns on eight Colorado possessions. Three of those scores came as the result of UCLA turnovers. The first turnover came on a Colorado punt when Kyle Philips fumbled. The Buffs recovered and promptly drove just 25 yard for the first score of the game.
On the Bruins’ next possession, DTR was picked by Carson Wells who returned the interception down to the UCLA 1. One play later, the Buffs made it 14-0.
After DTR hit Demetric Felton on a 28-yard touchdown pass with 1:12 left in the first quarter to cut the Colorado lead to 14-7, the Buffs drove 76 yards on 10 plays and it was 21-7. Three plays later, Thompson-Robinson fumbled to give it back to Colorado, but the Buffs couldn’t do anything with it this time and they punted away.
But on UCLA’s first play back on the field, Demetric Felton put the ball on the ground and Colorado recovered on UCLA’s 7-yard line. Two plays later, Colorado scored again to make it 28-7. The Buffaloes second long drive of the half followed a UCLA punt and CU moved 70 yards on 6 plays to move ahead 35-7.
The final score of the half came with 4:44 left when DTR hit tight end Greg Dulcich for a 52-yard touchdown pass after Colorado’s safety left Dulcich wide open.
The Bruins came out quick to start the second half. Following a 10-yard pass to Philips, Thompson-Robinson scampered 65 yards for a touchdown.
On their next possession, UCLA scored again on a 4-yard run by DTR, which capped a 77-yard drive. That touchdown brought the Bruins to within seven as they now trailed 35-28.
The teams then traded a pair of 75 yard touchdown drives and it was 42-35, Colorado.
While the Bruin defense kept the Buffs’ offense out of the end zone for the rest of the game, the Buffaloes were forced to turn to their backup kicker for a 45-yard field goal at the end of the third quarter. That kick, along with a 36-yarder by Price in the fourth, would prove to be the difference in this one as UCLA was only able to muster a late touchdown in the final frame.
Unlike crosstown rival Southern Cal against Arizona State this morning, the Bruins were not able to recover an onside kick attempt with less than two minutes left and UCLA heads home with the 18th loss in 25 games under Chip Kelly.
Go Bruins.
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UCLA Bruins Drop Season Opener to Colorado, 48-42
The Bruins really dug themselves a big hole with the turnovers, but they still had plenty of opportunity to come back and win. Unfortunately, poor execution, penalties, and the biggest problem, another porous *efense, combined to do them in. Turnovers can sometimes be bad luck, but the other 3 factors are primarily within their control, and those failures fall primarily on the coaching staff in my opinion.
Last night after watching this game it occurred to me that the Bruin football program is the sports equivalent of the Pennsylvania presidential vote count. Each game is like counting 2000 or 3000 ballots from Philadelphia or Allegheny county. We had high hopes but we all knew what the counts would be. It was a long slog to the inevitable. We now wait for the data analysts in the athletic to finally see what we all know and make the projection. Chip is gone and it’s now just a manner of when.