UCLA topples Utah to go 6-0
Wins ninth straight dating to last year
PASADENA, Calif. — Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s knocked another item off his revenge list Saturday by leading No. 18 UCLA past No. 11 Utah42-32.
The fifth-year senior said during the week leading up to the game that he had something to prove against the Utes, who had handily won fivestraight in the series by an average of 27 points.
Thompson-Robinson made sure that streak ended, passing for 299 yards and four TDs while also running for a score to lead the Bruins to their first 6-0 start since 2005. The fifthyear senior also became UCLA’s career leader in passing touch downs.
“I definitely wanted this one. We all know the history between UCLA and Utah, the point differential has been crazy,” said Thompson-Robinson, who completed 18 of 23 passes. “So we knew the beast at hand coming in here, and I think my boys went out there and went to work.”
The Bruins also improved to 3-0 in the Pac-12 and picked upthe biggest victory in coach Chip Kelly’s five years in Westwood. They have won nine straight dating back to last season, which is their longest streak since running off 20straight victories in 1997-98.
After Cameron Rising’s 9yard keeper got the Utes within28-25 early in the fourth quarter, Thompson-Robinson connected with Logan Loya for a 70-yard touchdown. That score with 11:17 remaining was the 76th touchdown pass of Thompson-Robinson’s career, passing Brett Hundley forthe most in school history.
“It’s pretty cool for what Dorian has done. He has invested a ton in himself and he’s reaping the rewards of that,” Kelly said. “Really happy for him, seeing how he has grown as a person and grown as a leader.”
Thompson-Robinson’s only mistake came late in the fourth quarter when he was
picked off by Clark Phillips III, who returned it 80 yards for a touchdown. It was the second straight week Phillips had a pick-six.
Zach Charbonnet had a career-high 198 rushing yards and a touchdown. It was the junior’s fourth 100-yard game ofthe season.
Cameron Rising passed for 287 yards and ran for a pair of scores for the Utes (4-2, 2-1), who had won five straight in the series by an average of 27 points.
Rising started slow, hitting just one of his first five throws for 14 yards and an interception before finishing 23 of 32. Tavion Thomas rushed for 91 yardsand a score.
“We put bad ball on tape, and really not something that we’re looking to do,” said Rising, who also had 59 yards rushing. “There’s a lot of stuff that I need to clean up to make sure that we’re rolling as an offense to be better.”
UCLA led 14-10 at halftime and scored on its first four drives of the second half. The Bruins got the ball to begin the third quarter and pushed the lead to double digits on Kam Brown’s5-yard TD catch.
“They had a bunch of big plays both in the receiving game and the rushing game,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. “That really is what did us in was their big play capability.”