Bearcats spoil Kelly’s UCLA debut

Even PASADENA, CALIF. — before Chip Kelly took the field for the first time with UCLA, he realized he’s facing plenty of work to build a program that can measure up to his creation at Oregon.

The Cincinnati Bearcats were happy to show just how much work they’ve already done on their own rebuilding project. Michael Warren II rushed for 141 yards and three touchdowns as Cincinnati spoiled Kelly’s debut with a 26-17 victory at the Rose Bowl on Satur- day night.

Bryan Wright forced a fumble that led to a tiebreaking safety with 9:45 to play, and the Bearcats’ defense limited UCLA to 306 yards in the first game of Kelly’s return to collegiate coaching after a six-year absence.

Kelly lost only seven combined games during his wildly successful fouryear tenure with the Ducks, but after two unsuccessful NFL stops, he’s leading a rebuilding project at UCLA.

In his debut, he frequently tried to run his f amed offense with a freshman quarterback, center and running back after his starting QB got hurt.

Thanks largely to solid work by UCLA’s defense, the game was even in the fourth quarter. But shortly after Wright stripped UCLA freshman quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and forced a safety, the Bearcats stopped the Bruins on downs at the UCLA 36.

Cincinnati then got its only offensive points of the second half with 1:44 to play on Warren’s third 1-yard TD run.