As wacky as predicted in this Pac-12 After Dark matchup, the UCLA Football team and Stanford Cardinal traded blows in a low scoring affair up at the Farm.
After starting the game with a good opening kickoff return that got them to their own 47-yard line, Stanford evened out their play calling for six plays, but could only settle for a field goal as the Bruins forced the Cardinal to settle for a field goal, 3-0 Stanford.
On offense, UCLA was a little off on their first few drives. They were forced to punt on their first, but on the kick, Stanford muffed it and long snapper Johnny Den Bleyker recovered it. UCLA pressured the Stanford D in the red zone but couldn’t connect on several passes and settled for a field goal themselves. Tied 3-3.
On the next drive, Stanford QB Keller Chryst took a shot from Adarius Pickett and Jacob Tuioti-Mariner trying to run the ball and had to leave the game, possibly with a concussion. Ryan Burns replaced him (who was later replaced).
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Later on that drive, Pickett was called for targeting and was ejected. That is the third UCLA player to be ejected in as many games. Defense played on fire after that and held Stanford to a field goal. On the next drive, UCLA still couldn’t get their offense going and looked to JJ Molson again, who hit his fourth field goal this year. Tied 6-6.
In the second quarter, UCLA kept the pressure on defensively and forced Stanford to punt for a third time. UCLA finally broke free of the tie when Rosen connected with Darren Andrews from inside the red zone and scored the first touchdown of the game. UCLA took the 13-6 lead.
The Cardinal was again forced into a punt and UCLA attacked as Caleb Wilson gained several yards on the next UCLA drive, but the Bruins could not capitalize as Howard dropped a sure touchdown at the goal line and the field goal attempt was blocked.
Stanford seemed to wake up around then as third-string QB K.J. Costello and Bryce Love moved the ball down the field for the first Cardinal touchdown by Cameron Scarlett. Tied at 13.
Costello turned it up for Stanford who ran in for the last touchdown of the half after a methodical and confident drive. With that, Stanford leads at the break, 23-13 with a final score off a field goal.