Losing skid now history, UCLA can start a winning streak
UCLA’s 0-5 start was the program’s worst beginning since 1943, but evident progress in each loss suggested it was only a matter of time until the Bruins broke through.
That breakthrough came in an emphatic 37-7 rout of Cal on Saturday for the first win coach Chip Kelly’s tenure at UCLA.
“Last week (Oct. 6 vs. Washington), we were there; we were positive, we were just short,” said linebacker/defensive end Keisean Lucier-South in his postgame interview with Pac-12 Network. “This week, we just improved in our practice, got our energy up, and it showed (at Cal).”
Lucier-South’s monster performance, which included a fumble returned for a touchdown, paced the best effort for a UCLA defense since holding Oregon State scoreless in November 2015.
“That’s what we’ve preached all week, and these guys have really taken it to heart,” Kelly said of UCLA’s defensive performance.
UCLA (1-5, 1-2 Pac-12) may be well-positioned to ignite a modest winning streak. The Bruins return home Saturday to face Arizona (3-4, 2-2), an up-and-down team that hasn’t won in Rose Bowl Stadium since 2010.
The Wildcats went down early on Friday night at Utah, falling behind 28-0 by halftime. Exacerbating the lopsided score, Arizona lost quarterback Khalil Tate to an ankle injury that hobbled him much of the first half of the season.
His status for Saturday night’s Pac-12 South matchup is uncertain. No Tate in the lineup likely means the first career start for Rhett Rodriguez, the son of former Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez. Rhett came in to throw for 226 yards and a touchdown in last week’s blowout loss.
While Arizona faces uncertainty at its quarterback position, UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson has settled in effectively over the past couple of games. He went 13-of-15 passing for 141 yards at Cal, and added another 27 yards rushing. Meanwhile, running back Joshua Kelley has emerged as a burgeoning star, the program’s first clear every-down ball-carrying option since Paul Perkins in 2015.
Kelley’s third consecutive 100-plus-yard rushing game carries him into a matchup with an Arizona defense ranked No. 107 in the nation against the run. The Wildcats gave up 230 yards and three rushing touchdowns at Utah.