UCLA escaped its season opener at Virginia with a 28-20 win, one that required three defensive touchdowns in the second quarter.
“Everyone expects you to blow everybody out,” said head coach Jim Mora. “That’s just not reality. We got a win. It wasn’t pretty offensively. It was beautiful defensively.”
Charlottesville, Va. >> UCLA’s offense needed 43 minutes to score its first touchdown of the season.
Well, 43 minutes and 58 seconds, to be exact. In the third quarter of the No. 7 Bruins’ 28-20 win at Virginia, quarterback Brett Hundley took the handoff from six yards out, ran into a defender after three or four steps, and carried him the rest of the way. It was marvelous play, the type befitting someone who had graced two Sports Illustrated covers in three weeks this summer.
What didn’t fit the picture was … just about everything else. A team picked to make the inaugural College Football Playoff shouldn’t muster just 26 offensive yards in the second quarter. It shouldn’t have a offensive line that looked like Swiss cheese, even if the group isn’t at full health.
It shouldn’t need its defense to set historical milestones — not in the season opener against a 21-point underdog. Continue reading “UCLA defense scores three TDs in 28-20 win over Virginia” »
By at least one measure, UCLA has the toughest schedule in college football. Saturday’s 9 a.m. season opener against Virginia isn’t responsible for much of that weight.
Coming off a 2-10 season that ranks as the program’s worst in 15 years, the Cavaliers are 21-point underdogs against a team that more and more national pundits are starting to pick as the national champion. Do they have a chance to keep up?
UCLA offense vs. Virginia defense:
If Virginia has any hope of pulling the upset, it must look to its defense — now entering its second season under defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta and his blitz-heavy scheme. Nine starters return, including All-American safety Anthony Harris, who led the country last year with eight interceptions.
“He has extreme ball skills,” said UCLA receiver Jordan Payton. “He plays physical. He plays in coverage. … Now, you’re looking at a guy who almost plays like a receiver at safety. You definitely have to play the ball more and be a little more aggressive coming back to the ball.” Continue reading “What to watch: No. 7 UCLA at Virginia” »
After redshirting his first season on campus, UCLA receiver Eldridge Massington said he has fully recovered from the ACL tear he suffered two years ago — and is excited to finally hit the field again at Virginia on Saturday.