Pasadena, CA –
What can you make after a UCLA win like this?
Still without Dorian Thompson Robinson, the Bruins seemed like all they wanted to do was get just enough to squeak by a 27-10 win over Arizona. Chase Griffin’s stats were not all that impressive, but he got the job done with a 129 yard and one touchdown night. Demetric Felton had nearly 200 yards rushing along with another touchdown. But it was the UCLA defense and bad Arizona miscues that gave the Bruins control of the game from the second quarter on.
“I am proud of our guys tonight,” Bruins head coach Chip Kelly said. “Demetric played his heart out and had a career night. Chase was also great as well. I preached all week long about ball security and our offense protected the ball when they needed to.”
“It is a blessing to be where we were tonight,” Griffin said. “Our offense did a great job doing the job that we needed to get the win. Our defense and special teams were als stellar. Clearly it was a team win tonight that we all earned together.”
After going down 7-3 in the first, the Bruins eventually got comfortable, taking the lead on a 16 yard pass to Brittain Brown. After forcing a turnover on downs, the Bruins got Felton involved, needing just five plays with all on the ground leading him in to his only score. While the Bruins were unable to get anything on the offensive end in the third quarter with three straight three and outs, UCLA’s defense came through when they were need most, only allowing a field goal the rest of the way.
UCLA also snagged two interceptions, both coming on the final drives for Arizona.
“It is a combination of our entire defensive crew,” Kelly said. “At the beginning of the season we talked about bringing the best guys possible in order to win football games. Credit our defense and our defensive staff to get the job done, especially tonight.”
UCLA, now at 2-2, has looked far better in comparison to their Colorado game. While hanging around against Oregon last week, the Bruins have given a lot to work with for Kelly. Losing their starting quarterback seems to have made this more than just a next man up kind of scenario, possibly proving that Kelly’s recruits may be a benefit for the future of the program.
“With our guys, and with Chase who had to step up like he had to tonight,” Kelly said. “It is nice to have players who can adjust under times like this. We have smart football players and our dedication is pretty high.”
UCLA will have their chance to go above .500 again as they head to Tempe to face Arizona State. The Sun Devils have not played since week 1 of the Pac-12 season as they have dealt with COVID and roster issues, missing out on three straight games.