UCLA followers who gave up and went to mattress ought to take into account themselves the good ones.
They solely missed extra disappointment.
A late begin for the Bruins on Saturday night time on the Rose Bowl got here with an early ending for hopes of an upset.
UCLA fell behind by a number of touchdowns, discovered a flicker of hope with a giant defensive play and finally got here up brief as soon as once more throughout a 34-13 loss to No. 8 Oregon.
Oregon defensive deal with Derrick Harmon (55) sacks UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers (4) within the second quarter on the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Occasions)
The Bruins performed the ultimate 9 minutes with backup quarterback Justyn Martin within the sport after starter Ethan Garbers, already limping, acquired walloped in the long run zone and got here out, a pat to the top from one in every of his coaches serving as no solace.
That’s three consecutive losses for the Bruins (1-3 total, 0-2 Huge Ten), with little hope of a reprieve subsequent weekend on the highway towards No. 9 Penn State.
It was principally the identical outdated unhappy story for UCLA: The Bruins couldn’t generate a go rush or do a lot within the working sport.
For a 3rd consecutive sport, UCLA didn’t register a sack. The dearth of strain allowed Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel to shrug off one shaky stretch to finish 31 of 41 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns to go together with one interception.
His Bruins counterpart was not practically as environment friendly whereas on the run all night time. In an indication of how issues have been going, Garbers misplaced a shoe on one play by which he threw the ball away whereas eluding defenders. He accomplished 12 of 20 passes for 118 yards and two interceptions earlier than his departure. Martin accomplished one in every of 4 passes for seven yards.
Trailing by 15 factors on the ultimate play of the third quarter, UCLA’s distant possibilities for a comeback ended when Garbers had a go intercepted on fourth down.
UCLA’s run sport ran the danger of ending in detrimental yardage earlier than some large runs from TJ Harden (53 yards in 13 carries) within the third quarter helped transfer the Bruins into constructive territory. UCLA completed with 47 yards on the bottom and averaged solely two yards per carry, although a giant a part of that got here because of the 21 yards misplaced on sacks.
The debut of “Big Ten After Dark” was practically a blackout for the UCLA offense, which managed simply two discipline objectives and has not topped 17 factors in a sport this season.
UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers drops a snap and proceeds to fall on the ball for a loss towards Oregon on the Rose Bowl Saturday.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Occasions)
UCLA’s 28-10 halftime deficit didn’t absolutely mirror the essence of what had occurred on condition that Oregon (4-0, 1-0) held a 304-54 benefit in complete yardage. The Geese completed the sport with a 433-172 edge in that class.
A former Duck spared his new group a blowout with some spunky play late within the first half. Bruins security Bryan Addison, who had walloped Oregon receiver Terrance Ferguson on an incomplete go earlier within the second quarter, stepped in entrance of a Gabriel go and returned the interception 96 yards for a landing that injected some life right into a listless crowd.
Issues had been all too straightforward for Gabriel earlier than that misfire on a play by which his meant receiver fell down. By halftime, Gabriel had accomplished 22 of 28 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns to go together with the interception. Not less than two of his incompletions got here on drops.
By comparability, UCLA’s offense appeared caught in mud. Garbers had one go intercepted and was sacked thrice. UCLA transformed solely one in every of 5 third downs. Its working sport generated minus-seven yards in 11 carries.
All of it had a well-known really feel.
