UCLA Football: The good, the bad and the Bruins vs. Colorado
The UCLA football team is 0-4 after they could not continue the fine work they did in the first half against Colorado in the second half, but there were signs of hope.
In this edition of “The Good, The Bad and The Bruins”, the UCLA football team had more positives against Colorado than they did against Fresno State, but then the second half happened.
RELATED: UCLA Shows Signs of Progress, But Only for a Half
Still, we can’t ignore the progress that was evident despite the 18 steps back (give or take) they took after halftime. Let us hope that we see more good as the season struggles on.
The Good
The first half against Colorado was something we have all been waiting for the offense to do since Chip Kelly was hired. There were new formations, interesting motions, multiple running options which all led to a decent running game. The Bruins amassed 151 yards total, which is more than their average through the first three games.
They even did a great job balancing their attack. By halftime, they gained 191 yards with 95 yards on the ground and 96 yards through the air. It was quite impressive.
It was the best half of football Chip Kelly’s Bruins have put together this season and gave a lot of hope to Bruins fans. Unfortunately, they had the second half of football to play and that it when things went south.
The Bad
The second half was one to forget, especially Dorian Thompson-Robinson who did not have the spark he had in the first half. He finished the game 17/35 for only 138 yards. What was worse was his passing average, as he only managed to get 3.9 per pass.
Actually, the entire offense did not have the same spark. After gaining 191 yards in the first half, the Bruins were only able to get 98 in the second.
After trailing 14-13 at halftime, UCLA fell to pieces in the second and allowed Colorado to go on a 24-3 run. The offense did not sustain drives, keeping them off the field which resulted in the defense having to play more minutes which eventually wore them down and caused a lot of missed tackles and sacks. No bueno.
I’m not exactly sure why UCLA had such a bad half but it was a prime example of what has been limiting these Bruins this season.
The Bruins
Offense – Joshua Kelley had himself a game (at least when the Bruins were able to move the ball. He collected 124 yards (only the second 100+ yard performance by a running back this year) on 12 carries, giving him 10.3 yards per carry.
Special Teams – We also have to mention JJ Molson who nailed three field goals, one of which from 50 yards out.
Defense – Despite running out of gas in the second half, the defense made some impressive plays. The Bruin that gets the top nod on defense is Keisean Lucier-South who ended the game with seven total tackles, three of which went for a loss of yards.
Next. The Top 10 Bruin Quarterbacks of All-Time. dark
UCLA’s next game is this Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at the Rose Bowl as the Bruins welcome the Washington Huskies.