Cloudy QB situation arrives amid modest UCLA winning streak
Quarterback Wilton Speight had not taken a snap for UCLA since coming out during the second quarter of the Bruins’ season-opening loss to Cincinnati. He showed no rust when stepping back into the lineup Saturday night against Arizona, throwing two touchdowns in a 31-30 win.
With UCLA (2-5, 2-2 Pac-12) rebounding from its 0-5 losing streak to open the season, the Bruins are, remarkably, tied with three other teams in the loss column at the top of the Pac-12 South.
One of those four teams is No. 23-ranked Utah (5-2, 3-2), which visits the Rose Bowl on Friday night for a suddenly pivotal South matchup. Perhaps just as unexpectedly, UCLA welcomes the Utes to town with quarterback uncertainty after Speight’s strong outing.
Speight replaced freshman Dorian Thompson-Robinson under circumstances similar to when the roles were reversed Week 1. Thompson-Robinson came out Saturday after taking a sack, then went to the locker room upon emerging from the sideline injury tent.
“(The athletic training staff) just told me if they’re in or out,” UCLA coach Chip Kelly said in his postgame press conference. “I don’t know what he (injured). I’ll get that information.”
Kelly may have that information now, as well as some idea whether Speight or Thompson-Robinson will start against Utah. The coach has not offered any indication on either topic, although Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Daily News reported following Monday’s practice that Thompson-Robinson did not participate in “significant activity.”
Thompson-Robinson produced modest statistics, playing in at least a portion of each of UCLA’s first seven games. He has completed 103 of 171 passes for 1,176 yards and six touchdowns, with three interceptions.
Speight’s two touchdowns against Arizona were his first since throwing a pair of scores against Cincinnati on Sept. 9, 2017, while still at Michigan.
Saturday marked just the second game this season in which UCLA reached the end zone twice via the pass, with running back Joshua Kelley shouldering much of the offensive load of late. In terms of introducing a new dynamic to the Bruins offense, the play most indicative of that for the veteran Speight came on a 24-yard scoring strike to tight end Devin Asiasi — also a Michigan transfer.
“You look back to the year 2016, we had a lot of success,” Speight said in the postgame press conference. “Devin Asiasi came in as a true freshman and balled out. I remember throwing him his first touchdown pass (at Michigan). That was a special moment, and tonight was just as special.”