Positive & Negative Takes from Ute’s loss to UCLA Bruins

Positive and negative takeaways from Utah's disappointing loss to UCLA.

The Utes took a trip to the Rose Bowl to face undefeated conference foe No. 18 UCLA. The Utes entered the game with a record of 4-1 on the back of a convincing defense-led win against the Oregon State Beavers.

As for the Bruins, they entered the game with an impressive 5-0 start behind QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who was named PAC-12 Offensive Player of the Week following his performance against Washington.

Positive - Run Game

Utah Utes running back Tavion Thomas (9) runs for a touchdown against Southern Utah Thunderbirds linebacker Kohner Cullimore (46) in the first quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

If there was any doubt about the run game last week, those worries have been set aside for the time being. The Utes came out running on the first drive of the game with four back-to-back running plays. 

Tavion Thomas looked more like the player we expect him to be barreling up the middle of the Bruin's defense throughout the game. Thomas rushed for 91 yards and a TD on 18 carries, however, 14 of those carries came in the first half. 

Thomas is now tied for third-most rushing touchdowns in program history (26, tied with Eddie Johnson 1984-1988). Bernard and Rising accounted for the rest of Utah’s rushing yards with 49 yards and 59 yards for two touchdowns respectively. The run game still has some work to do and is returning to form.

Negative - Run Defense

UCLA Bruins running back Zach Charbonnet (24) runs with a ball against Utah Utes cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn (16) during the second quarter at Rose Bowl / Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Aside from UCLA’s QB Thompson-Robinson, the Bruins utilized only Zach Charbonnet as a rusher in the first half. Charbonnet rushed for 44 yards and 49 yards on two separate drives that led to UCLA’s two first-half touchdowns. 

Through the second half, the first line of Utah’s defense seemed to miss crucial tackles that allowed UCLA to get within short yardage of first downs. Charbonnet finished the game with 22 carries for 198 yards and a touchdown (more than the entire Utah running room combined). 

The Ute’s run defense which showed some signs of bend against Oregon State eventually broke against UCLA.

Positive - Cam’s Feet

Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising (7) looks to pass during the second quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl / Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Something we’ve become very accustomed to is Cam Rising using his feet. His first-quarter performance throwing wasn’t something worth writing home about. However, his roughly 30 yards rushing in the first helped convert a few first downs for Utah. 

With Utah down 11 midway through the third quarter, Cam again used his feet to get into the end zone squeezing through a tight defense. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty called on UCLA after the touchdown led to Utah deciding to go for the 2-point conversion from 1.5 yards. Cam again made a diving effort to convert and get the Utes within a field goal. 

With 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Cam again rushed through traffic for a much-needed TD to keep within a field goal of UCLA. 

Aside from the fumble on a crucial 4th and 1, Cam’s decisions to run when plays collapsed helped keep Utah in the game.

Negative - Special Teams

While the offense were able to get on the scoreboard, the ensuing kick-offs were detrimental to Utah’s defensive stance. 

The special teams were unable to contain UCLA’s returners, often returning out to around the Utah 40 to begin their drives. Utah dominated in terms of the time of possession, but that makes sense considering the Bruins started their drives much further up the field than the Utes did. 

After a well-crafted drive at the end of the first half with excellent clock management, kicker Jordan Noyes missed a 43-yard field goal which would’ve tied his career long. The ball sailed wide left which left Coach Kyle Whittingham along with many fans very confused. If converted, it would’ve kept the Utes within 1 point going in at the half.

Positive - Individual Performance

Parks was on the money when it came to receiving. Targeted three times, Money Parks had three catches for 46 yards.

RJ Hubert had a second successive game leading the team with double digit tackles (11) including two tackles for loss in the first half, the first of his career.

Clark Phillips III registered his fourth career pick-six, the second in two games, this time running it back for 80 yards for the final score of the game.

Negative - BIG Plays

Aside from Phillips’ 80-yard pick six, Utah’s longest play was a 25-yard pass to Money Parks. On the other side of the field UCLA had four plays longer than 40 yards including a 70-yard touchdown pass. 

We saw glimpses of the defense allowing big yards against Oregon State, something UCLA must’ve studied during the week and exploited often. 

This team has shown strength through the first six weeks but simple mistakes have led to losses against Florida and UCLA. With a strong USC Trojans offense up next at Rice Eccles, what can Utah bring to the table?

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