Pasadena, CA – It is time to start taking UCLA seriously.
If you haven’t been following this team by now, you have missed what a complete football team is in the West Coast. Each win the Bruins have had this season has all been done by complete games by their offense and stellar play by their defense. Even in their loss to Oregon the Bruins showed they weren’t afraid to keep up with the Ducks. Dorian Thompson Robinson threw for nearly 300 yards and two touchdowns, while Zach Charbonnet ran for over 140 yards. Combined the two teams punted the ball just once.
In their 38-13 win over Stanford, the Bruins rarely took their foot off the gas pedal. Forced turnovers resulted in points. Touches by Thompson Robinson and Charbonnet made the UCLA offense very difficult to stop. Once they got to a three score lead, the short game came out. While the Bruins struggled to convert on third downs (5-15), they converted all five of their fourth down plays, one resulting in a 30 yard touchdown run by Charbonnet. Everything and then some is going right for this Bruin football team.
“It was a collaboration for our entire defensive group,” Bruins head coach Chip Kelly said. “Our first defense did an unbelievable job. Our receiver coverage and run stop was solid. Our offensive line did an amazing job helping the run game and giving our guys on the ground and in the air a great game.”
Thompson Robinson finished 18-29 for 199 yards. He also ran for 50 yards. Charbonnet, proving again to be more than just a Pac-12 Player of the Year candidate, ran for 198 yards and three touchdowns. Defensitley UCLA only allowed 95 yards in the first half. Stanford only converted four third downs on 13 attempts. They also held the Cardinal to just 17 first downs.
“Charbonnet did everything, and he helped in our pass game,” Kelly said. “There is a reason why he will be playing at the next level when he is done here.”
This certainly has taken Chip Kelly years to build a program that he wants, and he is having fun doing it. The players he has have bought into what the program needs to be successful. While UCLA may not return back to the top 10 after their win over Stanford, each game now means much more to stay alive for a possible Pac-12 championship. That is definitely different compared to playing in games late in the season just to be bowl eligible.
While the Bruins don’t have very many challenging games the rest of the season as well, the most difficult part now in their season is to not look ahead. Sure they have USC at home on their schedule in three weeks, but that doesn’t mean Arizona State and Arizona are automatic wins. The Sun Devils have improved since firing head coach Herm Edwards, and the Wildcats hung around against USC Saturday night. If they want the Trojan game to have meaning, checklists need to be completed first.
“Our world is all about the future,” Kelly said. “When we live our life in the past I feel bad for those who do. We always set our sights on Monday morning and get ready for next week. Everyone is buying into our philosophy.”
