UCLA Offense Sputters Against Tough Utah Defense as Bruins Lose, 14-7
The Bruins' rushing attack was non-existent due, but the defense kept them in the game.
Well, it took until the fourth game of the season for Dante Moore to make a freshman mistake, and it came on the Bruins’ first play from scrimmage. Moore dropped back to pass and threw the ball right into the hands of Karene Reid who took it 21 yards for six points. Of course, the extra point made it a 7-0 game.
Most of the rest of the game was a defensive struggle.
UCLA’s next series ended in a punt, after which Utah drove 40 yards but missed a 47-yard field goal attempt by Joey Cheek. The Bruins went three-and-out again, losing 19 yards on the drive. After a terrible punt by Will Powers which went only 26 yards, Utah quarterback Nate Johnson took off for 11 yards but fumbled the ball and John Humphrey recovered it for the Bruins.
It didn’t matter.
To be sure, UCLA finally mounted a sustained drive as the Bruins moved 46 yards in 10 plays. This drive actually didn’t end in another punt. Instead, Chip Kelly went for it on fourth and 7, but Moore’s pass was incomplete and Utah took over on their own 29.
This time, the Utes moved 26 yards on six plays and also went for it on fourth down and failed.
Each of the next five series, three for the Bruins and two for the Utes, ended in a punt. The last one by UCLA gave the Utes a really short field. Utah got the ball back on their own 49 and they were able to drive 51 yards, scoring on a seven-yard pass from Johnson to Landen King. That gave the Utes a 14-0 lead at the half, and it stayed that way until the Bruins’ fifth, and second to last, drive of the second half.
UCLA began that drive on their own nine after a 46-yard punt by Jack Bouwmeester.
There were two key plays on this drive that kept the Bruins’ hopes alive. On third and 27 from the UCLA two, Moore found Logan Loya for 20 yards. That gave them a fourth and 7 from the Bruin 22, he found Carsen Ryan for a 45-yard gain. Eventually, he found Josiah Norwood for a 17-yard touchdown pass to close the gap to 14-7.
The Bruins got the ball back one more time in the game but, this time, Utah sacked Moore three times on four plays and UCLA turned the ball over on downs.
But the important thing here is that this was one of the most impressive defensive performances we’ve seen from the Bruin defense in years. The entire game was dominated by the defense on both sides.
Unfortunately, for the first time in a really long time, the offense really struggled to move the ball. It may not be the last time that happens this season but, at least, we know that the defense is finally truly capable of keeping the Bruins in close games.
UCLA will now have an extra week to get ready to host Washington State at the Rose Bowl on October 7th.
Go Bruins.
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About half time, "moral victory" was creeping into my lexicon. And there was a tendency to ascribe this loss to a bad day by the offense. But you do not perform in your first three games like UCLA did and then take the pipe continually like the offense showed all game. Oh sure, there were a lot of drops by the receivers and Dante did look a little spooked since the INT, but the sacks and short gains can be attributed to just playing against a superior defense. And the kid's a gamer; they all are.
In fact, the game was very entertaining -- even though it was a loss -- for seeing two very good defenses in operation here. Given the stink bombs that the previous years' defenses were (meant with respect, not malevolently), this year's "D" and the new coach are tremendous improvements. (So far.) It almost makes that goal line four-down stop v. SDS not seem like a miracle.
Nossir, there's a lot to take away from this that is good. The kid and the "O" will get their game back and, If the Bruins can build on this, they will turn out to be a respectable team. In the long run, it is always more enjoyable to see a team accept these things and improve as the season goes along.
Sorry to dump some of my rancid codger memories on you, but Prothro's team (oh boy, here he goes again) that lost to #1 MSU and then beat them in the Rose Bowl are one of my most satisfying UCLA FB memories.
One final note: the Ute coach electing to run out the clock at 14-7 was one of the most sportsmanlike things I have seen in a long time. So-o-o-o-o un-Notre-Dame-like. He proved his point; his kids played outstanding "D", scored enough points to win, and that was that. Don't know if he covered the spread; maybe some pissed off bookies out there.
Whatever.
..OK for now; it's back to gumming my zwieback, sipping my warm milk, and ogling the pretty nurses!
Just wanted to shout out to ArmyBruin, gbruin, WarPlanner, Chen, Dimitri and all my other favorite Bruins.
Thanks for the all the fun, good times and respect. I'll miss interacting annually with you all in the coming years.