Unprepared, Undermanned & Outcoached: UCLA Destroyed by #1 Ohio State, 48-10
The Bruin running game was non-existent again and no UCLA running back gained more than 21 yards against Ohio State's defense.
If insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different results, then UCLA football might need to be certified. For the second time in three weeks, the Bruins went on the road to the Midwest to face a top-ranked team. And, again, UCLA was embarrassed on national TV.
This time, the Bruins lost by 38 points to the Ohio State Buckeyes, 48-10. Tonight’s game was effectively over when Bo Jackson scored on Ohio State’s first possession following a Bruin three-and-out to open the game. Apparently, this Bo Jackson knows touchdowns, too. The NIL team at Nike might want to revive that old Nike advertising campaign with the unrelated Buckeye running back.
UCLA managed to pick up a first down on their second possession, but the drive still ended in a Will Karoll punt. When the Bruin defense took the field, they actually managed to hold Ohio State to a field goal. Now, it was 10-0.
The Bruins’ third drive last all of six plays before Karoll was called on to punt it away. This time, the Buckeyes took over on their own 18, and they drove 82 yards on 12 plays. Ohio State made it 17-0 when Julian Sayin threw an 11-yard TD pass to Bryson Rodgers. That score proved to be the game-winner, and there was still 4:41 left in the first half.
The Bruins’ ineptitude on offense continued with another three-and-out on their fourth drive, and the Buckeyes scored another touchdown. UCLA’s fifth drive actually generated some excitement—for Ohio State. When Karoll went to punt on fourth down, he shanked it and it went right into Caden Curry. While the Bruin punter recovered, the Buckeyes took over on UCLA’s 14. After trying to throw it into the end zone on first down, Ryan Day settled for a field goal which gave his team a 27-0 lead at the break.
The second half was kinder to the Bruins. In fact, the UCLA defense even managed to hold the Buckeyes scoreless on their first two possessions of the second half, but after UCLA went three-and-out on their second possession, Ohio State returned to their first half form when they went on a 13-play, 69 yard drive for a touchdown which gave them a 34-0 lead.
The UCLA coaching staff finally opened things up a bit with 2:27 left in the third quarter. On the second play of the drive, they finally let Luke Duncan throw a slant to Rico Flores and Flores took it 51 yards down to the Ohio State 19-yard line. Three plays later, Duncan found Kwazi Gilmer for an 18-yard touchdown to cut the Buckeye lead to 34-7.
But, of course, this being this year’s UCLA team, Ohio State’s Alonzo Styles caught the ensuing kickoff from about two yards deep in the end zone and he proceeded to take it all the way to the house for another Buckeye touchdown.
UCLA got the ball back and moved the ball well again, all the way down to the Ohio State 14 where the drive stalled and Tim Skipper sent out Mateen Bhaghani for a 32-yard field goal.
With 8:49 left in the game and his team comfortably ahead 41-10, Ryan Day sent in backup quarterback Lincoln Kienholz to close out the game. Of course, Ohio State drove 75 yards for another touchdown. That touchdown ensured that the Buckeyes would cover the 31.5-point spread, as well as covering the 44.5 Over/Under themselves, with a final score of 48-10.
On the Bruins’ final drive, Madden Iamaleava saw his first action of the year, handing the ball off four times before the clock ran out.
Duncan finished the game completing 16 of 23 for 154 yards with a touchdown. If there was a bright spot, it was probably the fact that he didn’t throw an interception.
UCLA’s leading rusher turned out to be Troy Leighber who didn’t enter the game until the final drive. Leighber carried three times for 21 yards. Until Leighber entered the game, Anthony Woods was the Bruins’ leading rusher with 20 yards on five carries. All told, the anemic rushing game managed just 68 yards on 25 carries.
UCLA’s final home game of the season, and potentially, the team’s final game at the Rose Bowl will kickoff at 7:30 pm PT next Saturday when the Bruins host the Jedd Fisch and the Washington Huskies.
Go Bruins.
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