Cal Football: 3 Key Factors In Friday Afternoon's Season Finale vs. UCLA

Bears' woes vs. Chip Kelly teams; DTR beat up but ready; UCLA defense reeling.

As Cal approaches its season finale vs. UCLA on Friday afternoon at Memorial Stadium, there are three significant factors to consider.

1. The Bears have struggled vs. Chip Kelly

Cal has played Oregon or UCLA teams coached by Chip Kelly eight times and have won just once. Most of the time it hasn’t been close.

Granted, Kelly had a juggernaut during his four seasons with the Ducks. Oregon was 46-7 from 2009 through ’12, and had just as much success against the Bears as everyone else:

2009: Oregon 42, Cal 3

2010: Oregon 15, Cal 13

2011: Oregon 43, Cal 15

2012: Oregon 59, Cal 17

Kelly arrived at UCLA in 2018 and did not have instant success. He was 10-21 his first three seasons, including the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, before going 8-4 a year ago.

Even so, the Bruins under Kelly are 3-1 against Cal:

2018: UCLA 37, Cal 7

2019: Cal 28, UCLA 18

2020: UCLA 34, Cal 10

2021: UCLA 42, Cal 13

Kelly’s teams scored 290 points against Cal in eight games — an average of more than 36 points —and have put up 42 or more in four of those games. Not only that, they held the Bears to an averaged of 11 points in their seven victories.

Cal’s one bright spot against Kelly was in 2019, when the Bears prevailed 28-18 as Chase Garbers passed for 230 yards, Christopher Brooks ran for 111 and two touchdowns Ashtyn Davis had eight tackles and an interception.

The Bears haven’t beaten UCLA at Memorial Stadium since 2016, which was Sonny Dykes’ final season. With the Bruins planning to exit for the Big Ten Conference, Friday may be Cal’s final shot at them in Berkeley, at least for a while.

2. Dorian Thompson-Robinson is beat up but ready to go

The Bruins’ fifth-year quarterback took a beating Saturday in UCLA’s 48-45 loss to USC, which ended UCLA’s hopes of playing in the Pac-12 title game.

He re-injured the thumb on his throwing hand when it hit the helmet of an offensive lineman on his follow-through of a 38-yard pass completion. That left him on the sideline grimacing in pain.

Thompson-Robinson also took what the Los Angeles Times described as “two monster hits” from defensive back Latrell McCutchin, the second one sending him out of the game for one play.

And he took a shot to the chest from USC nose tackle Stanley Ta’ufo’ou that was severe enough that it was reviewed for potential targeting.

Thompson did some great things in the game. He was 23-for-38 for 309 passing yards and three touchdowns and ran for 81 yards and two more scores. In the process, he broke UCLA’s career total offense yardage record.

But it wasn’t all good. He threw three interceptions and lost a fumble, which helped fuel the Trojans.

“I feel disappointment, a lot of it on myself,” Thompson-Robinson said. “At the quarterback position you can’t have three (interceptions) and win the game, it’s just not acceptable.”

Kelly has no complaints with his quarterback. “His toughness has been on display for the last five years and he’s as tough as they come. That kid is a warrior,” Kelly said. “We wouldn’t be where we are if we didn’t have the contributions that he has given us. He sets the tone.”

DTR said he will be ready for Friday and the Bears.

“I just can’t wait to go back out there next week and play one last time for sure,” he said.

3. Who’s in charge of the Bruins’ defense?

Defensive coordinator Bill McGovern has missed the Bruins’ past four games because of an undisclosed illness, and the difference without him has been dramatic.

After beating Stanford 38-13, the Bruins have allowed an average of 39.9 points in their past three outings, two of them defeats. Arizona State, Arizona and USC totaled 1,553 yards against them, including 1,131 through the air.

And the UCLA defense has been wobbly at the end of games, giving up 38 fourth-quarter points in those three contests.

Just as Cal played the Big Game without an offensive coordinator after Bill Musgrave was fired, the Bruins’ defense is being organized by four assistants and defensive analyst Clancy Pendergast, who served as defensive coordinator for the Bears from 2010-12.

The Bruins simply could not stop USC, which rolled up 649 yards, sparked by a career-high 470 passing yards from Heisman Trophy candidate Caleb Williams.

‘We knew that they were an explosive offense coming in, and they’re a very talented football team,” Kelly said. “They made one more play than we did tonight.”

Cover photo of UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson on the turf after a hit from USC by Gary A. Vasquez, USA Today

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo