Bruins return to their winning ways
Thompson-Robinson and others back from absences help Kelly finally get over .500.
In this strangest of seasons, UCLA enjoyed the return of several top players in its bid to finally secure a winning record under Chip Kelly.
But one who never left put the Bruins over the top.
On a relatively quiet night in which his usage was limited, running back Demetric Felton Jr. crossed the goal line on a strange touchdown with 69 seconds left to lift UCLA to a 25-18 victory over Arizona State on Saturday at Sun Devil Stadium.
Felton paused momentarily before crossing the goal line on his two-yard run with the Bruins in no hurry to score and the Sun Devils trying to let him into the end zone to preserve more time for a drive.
The Sun Devils had given UCLA a first and goal at the two after pushing wide receiver Chase Cota out of bounds on the previous play for pass interference. Cota got revenge when he snagged the two-point conversion pass.
Bruins safety Quentin Lake broke up a desperation heave in the end zone on Arizona State’s final offensive play, giving UCLA (3-2, 3-2 Pac-12) a winning record for the first time in three seasons under Kelly.
Lake was among several UCLA players who returned after sitting out the last two games because of issues related to COVID-19 positive tests or quarantine as a result of contact tracing protocols.
Once ahead by 17 points and on the way to what looked like a runaway victory, the Bruins found themselves trailing 18-17 after Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels cut outside for a oneyard touchdown run with 4:26 left in the game.
That meant a UCLA offense that had stalled for most of the second half was going to have to drive for the winning score behind quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, one of the Bruins who was back after sitting out the last
two games. Thompson-Robinson completed a couple of first-down passes to tight end Greg Dulcich before Felton ran for another first down and the Bruins gained additional yardage on a facemask penalty against the Sun Devils that put the ball at the six-yard line.
Felton finished with a season-low 41 yards and a touchdown in 10 carries but won’t mind given the outcome.
UCLA found itself in come
back mode after Arizona State (0-2, 0-2) had driven for a touchdown on its first drive of the third quarter with the benefit of a trick play and was one yard away from tying the score on its next drive when the Sun Devils botched the snap for a fumble, allowing UCLA linebacker Caleb Johnson to pounce on the ball.
But the Bruins committed their own blunder three plays later when Thompson-Robinson was called for an intentional grounding penalty while under pressure in the end zone, resulting in a safety and shaving the Bruins’ advantage to 17-12.
UCLA defensive back Jay Shaw saved the Bruins from possibly surrendering the lead when he intercepted a Daniels pass in the end zone, ending the former San Bernardino Cajon standout’s streak of 202 passes without an interception.
It was all UCLA in the game’s early going thanks mostly to Thompson-Robinson and wide receiver Delon Hurt.
Thompson-Robinson made the highlights late in the second quarter when he hurdled a defender on a 27-yard scramble and then eluded pressure in the backfield, sprinting for an 11-yard touchdown after his foot clipped the pylon in the end zone.
Center Sam Marrazzo hoisted Thompson-Robinson into the air in celebration, the Bruins up 17-0 and on their way to what looked like an easy evening.
Hurt, who had only one catch in his college career before Saturday, scored the game’s first touchdown and saved Thompson-Robinson from what looked like a sure interception when he snatched a pass that was thrown up for grabs and appeared headed for the hands of Arizona State’s DeAndre Pierce. That was before Hurt materialized in front of the ball and wrested it away for a 38-yard gain.
Hurt capped the drive early in the second quarter when he took a pass at the five-yard line before extending the ball across the goal line for a nine-yard touchdown. The Bruins tacked on a 44yard field goal to make it 10-0 later in the quarter after a promising drive stalled when Marrazzo sent a third-down snap sailing over ThompsonRobinson’s head, leading to a big loss of yardage.
UCLA’s defense also showed up in a big way during the first half, sacking Daniels three times. Back-to-back sacks by defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa and defensive back Mo Osling pushed back the Sun Devils before Cristian Zendejas missed a 45-yard field goal, ending the nation’s longest active streak of consecutive made field goals at 13.