UCLA Bruins Embarrassed by Arizona State, 42-23

Not only were the Bruins were shut out in the second half, Jayden Daniels made the defense look like Swiss cheese.

Joe Piechowski

Oct 3, 2021

The Sun Devils found a way to keep Zach Charbonnet out of the end zone tonight. (Photo Credit: @uclafootball)

For any Bruin fan who went to bed at halftime thinking UCLA would overcome a one-point deficit in the second half, I hope they won in your dreams.

The cold reality is that the Bruins were badly beaten on both sides of the ball by the Sun Devils, and UCLA watched as that one-point deficit became 19 by the end of the game.

Jayden Daniels sliced and diced the Bruin defense with his four longest completions of the season in this game. Prior to tonight, Daniels had not completed a pass longer than 40 yards.

Against Jerry Azzinaro's Swiss cheese defense, Daniels completed passes of 47, 65, 54 and 48 yards. The first three of those all came in the second quarter.

But, tonight's loss was a complete and total failure by the Bruins.

To be sure, UCLA got on the scoreboard first with a field goal on their first drive after the drive sputtered in ASU territory.

The Bruin defense held the Sun Devils to a three and out on their first drive, but a high snap went over the head of Dorian Thompson-Robinson and ASU recovered, setting up a field goal to tie it at the end of the first quarter.

The Bruins scored their first touchdown on their first play of the second quarter when DTR found Kyle Philips from three yards out.

But Daniels marched the Sun Devils 60 yards through the air before turning to the run for the final ten yards of the drive.

Brittain Brown capped a six-play, 73-yard drive by UCLA with a one-yard run and the Bruins took a 17-10 lead.

ASU's next drive saw Daniels find Ricky Pearsall for a 65-yard TD to tie the game back up.

While the Bruins moved the ball well during a 12-play, 72-yard drive, DTR was unable to get the ball to Philips from the three and UCLA had to settle for a field goal.

How did the Sun Devils respond?

With another long touchdown pass from Daniels to Pearsall. This one went for 54 yards.

Little did anyone know at the time, but that would be the game-winning play.

UCLA closed the gap with a late field goal to cut ASU's lead to 24-23 at the break.

Arizona State got the ball to start the second half and promptly drove 75 yards including a 49-yard touchdown run by former UCLA commit Rachaad White.

The Bruins’ next three drives ended with a punt, a missed field goal and a turnover on downs when they couldn't convert on a 4th-and-1 from the Sun Devil 2.

Over the next six minutes and 52 seconds, Daniels masterfully moved the ASU offense 96 yards for another touchdown by White on a one-yard run.

On UCLA's final two drives, the Bruins were unable to move the ball into ASU territory while the Sun Devils capped the game with a late field goal to make the final score an embarrassing 42-23.

Go Bruins.

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