The Bruins played a very good first half today against UC Berkeley. (Photo Credit: uclabruins.com)
This week’s game started in a similar manner to last week’s game.
When the Bruins got the ball they went three and out immediately. But just because DTR didn’t turn it over doesn’t mean that UCLA didn’t give the Bears the ball deep in Bruin territory. Sure enough, they still found a way to do that when Luke Akers had his first punt blocked.
But the Bears couldn’t find the end zone after starting on the Bruin 17 as the UCLA defense held them to a field goal.
UCLA’s next drive also looked like last week. This drive ended with a Dorian Thompson-Robinson interception.
The difference this week is that UC Berkeley only scored three points off Bruin turnovers in the first half.
After that interception, the Bruin offense got moving and scored four touchdowns on UCLA’s next five drives. Thompson-Robinson ran for one score and threw for three more to put the Bruins ahead 27-10 at the half.
UCLA’s second score came on a 27-yard pass from DTR to Charles Njoku and the third was a six-yard pass to Chase Cota.
In fact, the Bruins actually scored more points off turnovers in the first half than they gave up. That’s because, with UCLA up 20-10, Caleb Johnson picked off a pass from Chase Garbers and returned it down to the Berkeley 13-yard line. That set up DTR’s third touchdown pass, a five-yarder to Kyle Philips.
If UCLA can continue holding onto the ball, the Bruins may just pick up their first win in more than a year.
Listen to the Game With TMB!
The TuneIn player won’t embed here on Substack, but you can open another tab to listen to Josh Lewin and Matt Stevens call this morning’s game rather than having to listen to Aaron Goldsmith and Brady Quinn on Fox Sports 1. So, be sure to right-click on it so that you can open up another tab and have it going while you chat in the comments below. Listen to today’s game online.
Join your fellow Bruin fans discussing today’s game below.
This is your UC Berkeley Golden Bears at UCLA Bruins 2nd half thread.
Go Bruins!!!
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Cal very much looks like a team that has not been able to have meaningful practices the past few weeks, and UCLA surprisingly looks like a team good enough to take advantage of that.
New strategy for the Bruins...Don't let the coaches prepare and install offensive and defensive game plans during the week. Just show up on the weekend and call plays that suit the players' skill sets and let their athleticism be the difference.
Yup. We're 1 for 4 on that play call, and the one we made was by maybe 6 inches. It hasn't mattered a lot today but was a big part of our failure to come back against CU last week. Just stupid.
Dominating performance in the trenches today. When we aren't killing ourselves with turnovers or asking our players (esp DTR) to do things that don't suit them well, our offense can be really really productive. Lots of good things to build on from this week. Have a great Sunday, everyone! Stay healthy.
U!
C!
Punt...
Two really good D series to start the half.
SACK!
Great effort by Jones to get the first.
Ah, yeah, I thought we got a good spot, but we're prob a half yard short. Go for it, but not a shotgun snap and run up the middle.
omg. Made it by inches. smh
Well stupidity catches up. 4th and 2 and another shotgun snap handoff up the middle doesn't get it. Turnover on downs in the redzone.
SACK!
Cal looks really out of synch.
That call was bs
SACK
You're getting great at this comment. Hope to see 3 or 4 more like it! ;-)
27-10 Bruins at the end of the 3rd. 15 min to go!
Cal very much looks like a team that has not been able to have meaningful practices the past few weeks, and UCLA surprisingly looks like a team good enough to take advantage of that.
They’re going for it. Defense needs a stop.
Good play by the defense!
Good cover by Osling! Glad not to see a flag there. SPTRs surprisingly restrained and let the corner play
Hickory Dickory Dock when you have the ball and the lead in the 4th quarter run out the clock!
We're really winning the trenches on both sides of the ball today.
Touchdown Bruins!!!
New strategy for the Bruins...Don't let the coaches prepare and install offensive and defensive game plans during the week. Just show up on the weekend and call plays that suit the players' skill sets and let their athleticism be the difference.
LIKE DIMITRI SAID!!
We are really very talented.
Time to get DTR out of there. Give someone else some snaps and keep him healthy.
Well this one’s all but over. We pretty much dominated on both sides of the ball.
Coaches are still so dumb.
It's been a great game overall, but UCLA has to stop running the same (unsuccessful) up the gut play on every 4th and 1.
Yeah that’s a problem. With DTR we should be using the QB sneak like New England did for all those years.
Yup. We're 1 for 4 on that play call, and the one we made was by maybe 6 inches. It hasn't mattered a lot today but was a big part of our failure to come back against CU last week. Just stupid.
34-10 U.C.L.A.!! Final! Go Bruins!!
Dominating performance in the trenches today. When we aren't killing ourselves with turnovers or asking our players (esp DTR) to do things that don't suit them well, our offense can be really really productive. Lots of good things to build on from this week. Have a great Sunday, everyone! Stay healthy.