UCLA Football: Stanford Coach Troy Taylor Admits To Major Issue In Bruins Loss

The Cardinal's loss was UCLA's gain.

Your UCLA Bruins rebounded in a big way from their 36-24 loss to the Oregon State Beavers on the 14th with a lopsided 42-7 vanquishing of the Stanford Cardinal this past Saturday.

With the victory, the Bruins rose to a 5-2 record on the 2023 season, and still have a realistic shot at a bowl appearance, despite not necessarily knowing who their long-term solution at quarterback is. Conversely, the loss dropped Stanford to a 2-5 record.

UCLA's defense, presently the highest-ranked in the Pac-12, stifled both Stanford's running and passing game. Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels managed just one touchdown and one interception, while reinstated starting Bruins play caller Ethan Garbers scored two touchdowns on a hyper-efficient 20-for-28 passing performance (240 total yards).

The Bruins' offense, however, came from everywhere, as running back Carson Steele had a huge night, notching three touchdowns across 76 rushing yards.

After the game, Stanford head coach Troy Taylor seemed to intimate that the team could ill effort mistakes, per Kaushik Sampath of The Stanford Daily. 

“Our margin for victory is thin,” Taylor conceded.

Costly gaffes proved practically fatal for the Cardinal. All told, 10 penalties were called against Stanford through the evening, costing the club an egregious 113 yards. Sampath notes that calls against sophomore tight end Sam Roush and sophomore wide receiver Elic Ayomanor ultimately helped prevent Stanford from building up any kind of scoring momentum at critical junctures.

The Bruins will strive to add to their win total this Saturday when they host Deion Sanders' Colorado Buffaloes. Next up for Stanford, it will strive to redeem itself with what would be a major upset against the AP's fifth-seeded Washington Huskies.

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