UCLA Football Highlights: Bruins Upset By Punishing ASU Defense, Versatile RB
Well that was brutal.
Even though they were playing one of the worst and most hurt teams in the entire Pac-12 conference, which included a reserve quarterback starting while on a bum ankle, your UCLA Bruins could not get the job done tonight on the Arizona State Sun Devils at home in the Rose Bowl, in front of 56,436 miserable UCLA fans (per Bruin Report Online). The Bruins fall to a 6-4 record on the year, while ASU improves to a still-bad 3-7.
Despite all three primary UCLA Bruins quarterbacks being listed as available tonight, head coach Chip Kelly opted to start Collin Schlee against the Arizona State Sun Devils in Pasadena tonight, ahead of Dante Moore or Ethan Garbers, both of whom got roughed up in last week's 27-10 loss to Arizona last Saturday.
Collin Schlee is a good runner, but perhaps the team's least accurate passer, which showed up at various points tonight. He did, however, manage this nifty dish to wide receiver Keegan Jones (it wound up being for naught, but still):
He was targeted relentlessly by a surprisingly resilient ASU defense, which, despite a flurry of absences, made its presence felt in Pasadena.
Insane red zone defense around the goal line from ASU's tacklers kept the Bruins scoreless through the entire opening half. This included a pair of consecutive fourth-down stops.
Exhibit A, if you want to torture yourself:
Exhibit B, if you're just a glutton for punishment:
The Sun Devils couldn't really get much offense cooking themselves, managing just a single, 29-yard Dario Longhetto field goal.
Collin Schlee got sacked by linebacker Tate Romney late in the half of (at the 0:52 mark, to be precise), and was actually pushed out of field goal range.
Arizona State allowed just zero points and 169 total first-half yards (113 rushing) from UCLA, after allowing 55 points (!) and 513 first-half yards (352 rushing) from the Utah Utes last week. The Bruins also went just 3-of-7 on third downs in the opening half.
Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times reported that UCLA's 169 aforementioned first-half yards were actually 32 more than the Sun Devils' paltry 137 in the half.
UCLA's defense stepped up a bit in the third quarter. An Arizona State drive that threatened to open up the game for the Sun Devils was curbed by a Gabriel Murphy sack, though the Bruins failed to capitalize.
Bruins defensive lineman Gary Smith III left the game with a leg injury. He needed to be helped off the Rose Bowl field, which is never good.
The Sun Devils' first touchdown was achieved not with redshirt junior quarterback Trenton Bourguet (who was playing through a left ankle issue), but with ASU running back Cam Skattebo rocketing a 25-yard dish to facilitate an Elijhah (that's how he spells it) Badger touchdown at the 1:59 mark, which put the Sun Devils up two possessions over a still-scoreless Bruins squad, 10-0.
And that's how the quarter would end, with ASU in front and UCLA still tragically scoreless.
In the fourth frame, the Sun Devils strived to play keep-away from the Bruins' scorers. They managed to pull off yet another fourth down Bruins stuff early in the period:
In a wholly unorthodox ploy, Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham kept taking penalties to burn through nearly two minutes of game clock, blowing through three false starts and one delay of game.
Sun Devils grad student linebacker Tre Brown, one of the college game's elite coverage linebackers this season, suffered an injury with 10:44 remaining in regulation, and was escorted off the field, though he walked under his own power. Brown typically is tasked with defending the opposition's tight ends, and his absence gave the Bruins a slight glimmer of hope.
Bruins receiver Logan Loya ran for a quick 16-yard touchdown on a 59-yard scoring drive to get UCLA on the board, and suddenly it was a game again with 9:47 to spare! It was Collin Schlee's first touchdown pass as a Bruin.
The Bruins' blitzing defense stepped up for a bit here -- but defensive lineman Gabriel Murphy was whistled for pushing Skattebo at the Sun Devils' 45-yard line, which gave ASU a fresh set of downs at the 6:52 mark.
Arizona State kept burning clock.
Bruins defensive back Devin Kirkwood was called for an unsportsmanlike penalty and pass interference, which quickly gave ASU yet another first down with 4:36 remaining.
Skattebo continued his domination of the Bruins by running in a shockingly easy 17-yard touchdown with 3:07 left, shocking the Rose Bowl faithful. Skattebo finished with 12 carries for 61 total rushing yards, including his 17-yard touchdown run, along with making 1-of-3 pass attempts as a sneak quarterback, yielding that 25-yard stunner.
Collin Schlee eventually left the game at the 2:35 mark with what looked an injury, and rather than go to Dante Moore or Ethan Garbers, Chip Kelly added fourth-stringer Chase Griffin, with the game already out of hand.
UCLA had been undefeated on their home turf prior to this game. Not anymore.
The final tally: 17-7, Arizona State. Ouch.
The Bruins' 300 total yards actually outpaced the Sun Devils' 250, but costly mistakes (they were whistled for nine penalties, totaling 86 yards) ultimately did them in tonight.
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