By: Ethan Horner
(Photo/UCLA Athletics)
The UCLA Bruins opened the Bob Chesney era with a 45-24 win over the California Golden Bears in a game that was much closer than the final score showed. We were there in person to watch the Bruins and Golden Bears battle it out, with the game staying within one score for most of the afternoon before UCLA pulled away late.
Cal got things started with a strong opening drive, going 10 plays for 75 yards before quarterback Sagapolutele found Chase Hendricks for a 9-yard receiving touchdown to give the Golden Bears an early 7-0 lead.
UCLA answered right back with a 7-play, 71-yard drive of its own. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava capped off the drive with a 9-yard rushing touchdown to tie the game at 7-7.
Both defenses then settled in, with UCLA forcing Cal into a three-and-out before the Golden Bears returned the favor and forced UCLA to punt.
Second Quarter
Cal started to find some momentum early in the second quarter. The Golden Bears went for it on fourth-and-2 from the UCLA 22-yard line and were able to keep the drive alive after a defensive pass interference call gave them a new set of downs at the 7.
The drive stalled after a penalty backed Cal up, forcing the Golden Bears to settle for a 28-yard field goal. Cal took a 10-7 lead.
The Bruins responded with another big play, as Anthony Woods broke loose for an electrifying 31-yard touchdown run to put UCLA back in front, 14-10.
Cal went three-and-out on its next possession, and UCLA took advantage.
On third-and-13, Iamaleava found Landon Ellis for a 20-yard gain to extend the drive and move the Bruins down to the Cal 26-yard line. Transfer running back Wayne Knight finished off the 76-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown run, giving UCLA a 21-10 lead.
The Bruins then came up with a strip sack on Cal's 43-yard line, but the Golden Bear defense responded with a turnover of its own. Kingston Lopa read the play perfectly and jumped the route for an interception of Iamaleava.
Cal's offense took advantage of the opportunity. Sagapolutele rolled out to his left and found Ian Strong for a huge 49-yard gain. Just one play later, he connected with Chase Hendricks for another 30 yards on a perfectly placed ball.
The drive ended with an 8-yard touchdown reception by Mason Mini, cutting UCLA's lead to 21-17 with just 38 seconds left in the half.
UCLA wasn't done yet.
With only six seconds remaining, Iamaleava found Mikey Mathews over the middle for a 43-yard gain, putting the Bruins in position to kick a 38-yard field goal. UCLA took a 24-17 lead into halftime.
Third Quarter
Cal's defense came out strong to start the second half. On UCLA's first possession, Daniel Harris came up with a big sack on third-and-6 to force the Bruins to punt.
The Golden Bears then put together one of their best drives of the game.
Cal marched 81 yards on 14 plays, with running back Adam Mohammed doing most of the damage. Mohammed rushed for 45 yards on the drive before finishing it off with a touchdown to tie the game at 24-24.
The Golden Bear defense continued to play well, forcing another UCLA punt and giving Cal an opportunity to take control of the game.
Fourth Quarter
Cal had a chance to take the lead early in the fourth quarter but couldn't capitalize.
The Golden Bears drove all the way to the UCLA 35-yard line and lined up to go for it on fourth-and-3. However, a miscommunication led to the snap hitting the ground, resulting in a turnover on downs and giving UCLA the ball at midfield.
Cal's defense responded by forcing a three-and-out, helped by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against UCLA that pushed the Bruins behind the sticks.
But the game quickly turned in UCLA's favor.
Sagapolutele threw an interception to Ta'Shawn James, and the Bruins wasted no time capitalizing. On UCLA's very first offensive play following the turnover, Wayne Knight broke free for a 31-yard rushing touchdown, his second of the game, to give UCLA a 31-24 lead.
Cal's next drive ended in another interception, with James once again coming up with the play. That turnover put the Bruins firmly in control.
Knight eventually found the end zone for a third time, as UCLA's running backs completely took over the game late. The Bruins' running backs combined for 200 rushing yards and five total touchdowns.
What started as a back-and-forth game quickly turned into a dominant finish for UCLA.
The Bruins came away with a 45-24 victory over the California Golden Bears, giving Bob Chesney his first win as UCLA's head coach.
We were there to see it all unfold, from Cal's strong start to UCLA's late fourth-quarter takeover. The Bruins showed plenty of fight throughout the game, but their ability to create turnovers and run the football in the second half ultimately made the difference.