San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
FAMILIAR STORY FOR UCLA
It was the latest start in UCLA football history, a season twice delayed culminating in the game’s first kickoff sailing into cool November air.
Somehow, it felt like a repeat.
There were the turnovers. The defense getting smushed. The huge early deficit.
The Bruins’ bid to reverse their plunging fortunes under coach Chip Kelly hit a new low Saturday evening at Folsom Field. In a game it was widely expected to win, UCLA was outclassed by Colorado during a 48-42 loss in the debut of Karl Dorrell, the Buffaloes coach whose final act in the same post with the Bruins was walking stonefaced up the Coliseum tunnel after a 2007 loss to USC.
Those might have qualified as the good old days compared to what happened Saturday.
Four turnovers in the first 11⁄2 quarters sent UCLA spiraling toward what became a 28-point deficit. It would have been unimaginable had the Bruins not experienced similar messes in recent seasons. Anyone remember the quick 21 points UCLA spotted Oregon State or the 32-point hole against Washington State in 2019?
This has become routine for UCLA under Kelly, who
Colorado 48, UCLA 42
has started 0-5 in 2018, 0-3 in 2019 and now 0-1 in 2020. His 718 record in three seasons has not yielded much return on investment, particularly given he’s making $4.3 million this season.
The Bruins momentarily looked as if they might write a better ending to their latest tale of woe.
Redshirt freshman Keegan Jones pulled UCLA to within 42-35 late in the third quarter after he caught a screen pass for a 26-yard touchdown, prompting some momentary drama for the 554 family members of both teams permitted to attend the game amid a global pandemic.
But the Buffaloes tacked on two field goals and got two fourth-down stops.
No. 12 Oregon 35, Stanford 14: Tyler Shough picked up where Justin Herbert left off, throwing for 227 yards and a touchdown and running for another score to lead the Ducks over Stanford in the opener for both teams. CJ Verdell (Mater Dei High) rushed for 105 yards and a TD for Oregon.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.