Chip Kelly says he isn’t focused on his job security after UCLA’s lopsided loss to Cal
It felt like so much of what had come before it under Chip Kelly.
A week after posting a riveting victory, UCLA sustained the sort of loss that made one question the whole operation.
Long, hard reflection was practically all that remained after the latest lurching left the Bruins with their most deflating defeat of the season Saturday night at the Rose Bowl.
Only seven days after pummeling its cross-town rival, UCLA fell flat during a 33-7 loss to California that left Kelly to answer for six seasons of one-step-forward, one-step-back results that put his record at an even .500 while serving as a sad senior night sendoff.
Was Kelly concerned about his job status? How would he evaluate his performance? Why didn’t he switch quarterbacks after Dante Moore committed three turnovers in relief of Ethan Garbers?
Did his team’s third loss in four games — and second at home in that stretch to a heavy underdog — make him worry school officials might rethink their recent support?
“I don’t worry about that,” Kelly said after his team finished the regular season 7-5 overall and 4-5 in the Pac-12, leaving his record at the school at 34-34. “I don’t worry about that dynamic. I know this team’s 24-13 in the last three years, and they compete every single day, and I’m proud of every single kid in that locker room.
“I think they represent the school the right way. So we understand where we are and we understand that we have to win games, and I get that. That’s part of the deal. But I don’t think about those things. I don’t worry about those things. That’s never been my M.O.”
UCLA fails to score on final drive
Cal 33, UCLA 7, end of fourth quarter
UCLA started on its 35 after the kickoff.
Dante Moore passed to Josiah Norwood for six yards. Moore ran for one yard. On third and three, Moore was sacked for a loss of five yards. On fourth and eight, Moore passed to J.Michael Sturdivant for 10 yards.
On first down at the UCLA 37, Moore passed to Carson Steele for 19 yards.
On first down at the Cal 44, Moore passed to Logan Loya for six yards. On second and four, Moore passed to Braden Pegan for seven yards.
On first down at the Cal 31, Moore was sacked for a loss of two yards. On second and 12, Moore passed to Sturdivant for 11 yards. On third and one with 47 seconds left, play stopped to treat a Bruins injury. When play resumed, Moore passed to Steele for eight yards and a first down.
On the next play, Moore was sacked for a 10-yard loss. On second and 20 with three seconds left, Moore heaved the ball out of the end zone to close out the contest.
After the high of a dominant win over rival USC, UCLA closes the regular season with a brutal loss to Cal at the Rose Bowl.
Cal hits field goal after long, clock-churning drive
Cal 33, UCLA 7, 3:45 left in the fourth quarter
Cal took over at its 46.
Jaydn Ott rushed for eight yards. On second and two, Ott ran for another eight yards.
On first down at the UCLA 38, Justin Williams-Thomas ran for four yards. On second and six, Williams-Thomas ran for three yards. On third and three, Williams-Thomas ran for five yards.
On first down at the UCLA 26, Ott ran for three yards. On second and seven, Ott ran for another five yards. On third and two, Williams-Thomas rushed for four yards.
On first down at the UCLA 13, Ott ran for no gain but the Bruins were called for a personal foul.
On first down at the UCLA 7, Williams-Thomas ran for four yards. On second and goal at the UCLA 3, Williams-Thomas rushed for a loss of one yard. On third and goal at the UCLA 4, Fernando Mendoza passed to Jack Endries for one yard. On fourth and goal at the UCLA 3, Chip Kelly called time out. After the break, Mateen Bhaghani hit a 20-yard field goal to extend the Golden Bears’ lead.
After a string of first downs, UCLA offense stalls again
Cal 30, UCLA 7, 11:27 left in the fourth quarter
UCLA started on its 20 after a brief return.
Dante Moore passed to TJ Harden for three yards. Harden appeared to be hurt during the play. On second down, Moore passed to Logan Loya for 22 yards. On first down, Moore then passed to Carson Steele for 16 yards.
On first down at the Cal 39, Moore tossed the ball behind him and it skidded out of bounds, leading to a seven-yard loss. On second and 17, Moore tossed an incomplete pass. On third and 17, Moore tossed an incomplete pass and UCLA was called for hands to the face but Cal declined the penalty.
On fourth and 17, Moore tossed the ball deep and out of bounds along the left sideline.
Another turnover on downs for the Bruins.
UCLA fumbles kickoff return, setting up another Cal touchdown drive
Cal 30, UCLA 7, 13:35 left in the fourth quarter
Colson Yankoff received the Cal kickoff and fumbled the ball as he charged forward. Cal took over at the Bruins’ 25.
Fernando Mendoza passed to Mavin Anderson for an 11-yard gain.
On first down at the UCLA 14, Justin William-Thomas ran for one yard. On second down, Mendoza’s pass to the end zone was well covered by UCLA’s secondary and fell incomplete. On third-and-nine, Mendoza passed to Jeremiah Hunter in the back left corner of the end zone for a touchdown. The Golden Bears hit the extra point to extend its commanding lead.
This has been a brutal letdown by UCLA, which lost starting quarterback Ethan Garbers in the first quarter to an injury and has not recovered.
Cal hits field goal to open fourth quarter
Cal 23, UCLA 7, 14:56 left in the fourth quarter
Mateen Bhaghani hit a 32-yard field goal to open the third quarter.
UCLA defense on its heels as third quarter ends
Cal 20, UCLA 7, end of third quarter
Cal started on its 37 after UCLA stalled on fourth down.
Jadyn Ott ran for six yards and 12 yards before Fernando Mendoza tossed an incomplete pass. Otts then ran for four yards and five yards on a pair of carrie sbefore Justin Williams-Thomas gashed the UCLA defense for a 15-yard gain.
On first down at the UCLA 26, Cal was called for a false start. On first-and-15, Williams-Thomas rushed for three yards. On second-and-12, Mendoza passed to Monroe Young for a nine-yard gain. On third-and-three, Ott ran for a one-yard loss and the third quarter ended.
UCLA moves into Cal territory, then fails to convert on fourth down
Cal 20, UCLA 7, 4:46 left in third quarter
UCLA started on its 5.
Carson Steele ran for one yard. On second-and-nine, Dante Moore tossed an incomplete pass on a screen play. On third-and-nine, Moore faced pressure and hit Loya in traffic for a 19-yard gain.
On first down at the UCLA 25, Steele ran for three yards. Steele then ran for five yards. On third-and-two, Steele powered through the Cal defense for 11 yards.
On first down at the UCLA 44, Keegan Jones ran for one yard. On second-and-nine, Moore passed to Kyle Ford for five yards. On third-and-four, Moore passed to Carson Ryan for two yards.
On fourth-and-one, UCLA sent in three running backs to push Moore and he kept the ball for a three-yard gain
On first down, Moore passed to Loya for 11 yards.
On first down at the Cal 33, TJ Harden ran for four yards. On second-and-six, Moore tossed an incomplete pass. On third-and-six, tried to evade pressure as the pocket collapsed and eventually he was sacked for a loss of eight.
On fourth-and-13, Moore’s pass was deflected and fell incomplete.
It was a brutal sequence for UCLA, which showed it could move the ball before turning the ball over on downs.
UCLA defense forces Cal to punt after Dante Moore interception
Cal 20, UCLA 7, 10:31 left in third quarter
Cal started on its 34 after the Dante Moore interception.
On first down, Jaydn Ott ran for 14 yards and then ran for another four yards. On second-and-six at the UCLA 48, Ott ran for one yard. On third-and-five, Mendoza’s pass was tipped at the line and fell incomplete.
Cal punted and it was downed at the UCLA 5.
Dante Moore tosses his second interception
Cal 20, UCLA 7, 12:43 left in third quarter
UCLA started on its 12.
TJ Harden ran for nine yards and then was stuffed for no gain. On third-and-one, Harden ran for 24 yards.
On first down at the UCLA 45, Dante Moore passed for 15 yards.
On first down at the Cal 40, Moore tossed an interception and Cal will take over its 34.
Another promising drive for UCLA was cut short by a Moore’s third turnover of the contest.
UCLA defense opens second half with a stop
Cal 20, UCLA 7, 14:08 left in third quarter
Cal returned the kickoff to its 18-yard line.
Fernando Mendoza tossed two incomplete passes and was sacked, forcing Cal to quickly punt.
Logan Loya was back awaiting the punt for UCLA and seemed to lose the ball in the lights, allowing a favorable Cal bounce that put the ball on the Bruins’ 12-yard line.
UCLA runs out the clock and heads to the locker room to regroup
Cal 20, UCLA 7, end of second quarter
UCLA returned the Cal kickoff to the Bruins’ 45.
Dante Moore then took a knee to run out the clock on a rough first half for the Bruins.
Last week, UCLA rolled past rival USC in a game that helped take heat off embattled coach Chip Kelly. A letdown against Cal seemed inevitable. Ethan Garbers was injured early in the game and Dante Moore continued his season-long struggle with avoiding turnovers. UCLA now faces a double-digit halftime deficit and more pressure will be on the Bruins’ defense with Cal set to receive the kickoff to open the second half.
Cal forces Dante Moore fumble, setting up Golden Bears touchdown drive
Cal 20, UCLA 7, 10 seconds left in the second quarter
UCLA started on its 19.
Dante Moore was sacked and the ball popped out. Cal recovered at the UCLA 11.
Fernando Mendoza passed to Jeremiah Hunter for a three-yard loss. On second-and-13, Mendoza passed incomplete to the end zone with 14 seconds left. On third-and-13, Cal ran down the play clock and called timeout. After the break, Mendoza passed to Hunter for a 14-yard touchdown.
Cal hit the extra point and extended its lead late in the second quarter.
UCLA defense forces Cal to punt
Cal 13, UCLA 7, 58 seconds left in the second quarter
Cal started at its 16 after the UCLA punt.
Fernando Mendoza passed to Jeremiah Hunter for 11 yards.
On first down at the Cal 27, Jaydn Ott ran for no gain. On second-and-10, Mendoza passed to Hunter for 11 yards.
On first down at the Cal 38, Ott ran for four yards. On second-and-six, Ott ran for four yards. UCLA then called timeout, stopping the clock at 1:14. On third-and-two, Mendoza passed as UCLA’s defense was closing fast and completed a pass to Hunter for four yards and a first down. However, the refs called Cal for a block in the back penalty. On third-and-10, Mendoza was hit as he tossed an incomplete pass.
On fourth-and-10 at the Cal 38, Cal punted and Logan Loya made the fair catch at the UCLA 19.
UCLA goes three-and-out
Cal 13, UCLA 7, 3:38 left in the second quarter
UCLA started on its 26.
Dante Moore passed to Carsen Ryan for 17 yards.
On first down at the UCLA 43, Moore ran for three yards. On second-and-seven, Moore tossed an incomplete pass. On third-and-seven, Moore was sacked for a loss of two yards.
UCLA punted and Cal signaled a fair catch at the Golden Bears’ 16.
Cal returns UCLA kickoff for a touchdown
Cal 13, UCLA 7, 5:27 left in the second quarter
Jadyn Ott cut to the right side of the field and returned UCLA’s kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown.
Cal hit the extra point to immediately reclaim the lead.
UCLA scores after Bruins’ defense forces a second interception
UCLA 7, Cal 6, 5:39 left in second quarter
Cal started at its 20.
Fernando Mendoza passed for four yards to Jeremiah Hunter. On second-and-six, Laiatu Latu intercepted Mendoza’s pass and returned it 21 yards to the Cal 8.
Carson Steele rushed for three yards. On second-and-goal at the Cal 5, Dante Moore’s pass to Logan Loya on the right side sailed high and incomplete. On third-and-goal at the UCLA 5, Moore passed to Loya for a five-yard touchdown. The Bruins hit the extra point to take the lead after trailing all game.
UCLA misses field goal, failing to capitalize on interception
Cal 6, UCLA 0, 6:58 left in second quarter
TJ Harden rushed for two yards. On second-and-eight, Dante Moore passed to Moliki Matavao for 11 yards.
On first down at the Cal 37, Moore rolled out of the pocket and passed to Ryan Cragun for 24 yards.
UCLA was called for holding on the next play, bringing up first-and-19 at the Cal 22. Moore passed to Harden for 16 yards to Cal 6. Harden ran for one yard to the Cal 5. On third-and-two at the Cal, Moore tossed an incomplete pass that was nearly intercepted.
Blake Glessner lined up for a 23-yard field goal at the left hash mark and missed it.
UCLA seemed poised to take the lead and instead generated no points off the defense’s interception.
Cal tosses an interception and UCLA takes over at the 50-yard line
Cal 6, UCLA 0, 10:12 left in second quarter
Cal started on its 23 after forcing the turnover on downs.
Jaydn Ott rushed for three yards. On second-and-seven, Fernando Mendoza passed to Trond Grizzell for five yards. On third-and-two, Mendoza passed to Jack Endries for a 15-yard gain.
On first down at the Cal 46, Mendoza passed to Mavin Anderson for one yard. On second-and-nine, Kamari Ramsey intercepted a Mendoza pass and was down at the UCLA 35. After the play, Cal was called for a personal foul, moving the Bruins to the 50-yard line.
UCLA fails to convert on fourth down after promising drive
Cal 6, UCLA 0, 11:57 left in second quarter
UCLA started the second quarter facing second-and-five at the Bruins’ 42.
Carson Steele ran for three yards and then rushed for another 12 yards.
On first down at the Cal 43, Moore rolled away from pressure and tossed an incomplete pass. On second-and-10, Moore passed to Kyle Ford for a 14-yard gain.
On first down at the Cal 29, UCLA was called for a false start. On first-and-15, Moore passed to Moliki Matavao for 13 yards. On second-and-two, Steele was stopped for no gain. On third-and-two, Steele ran for one yard.
Before fourth-and-one, a Cal player injury triggered a timeout. After the break, Steele carried the ball and was dropped for a three-yard loss after a Cal defender was left unblocked.
UCLA turned the ball over on downs at the Cal 23.
Dante Moore completes his first pass as first quarter closes
Cal 6, UCLA 0, end of first quarter
UCLA started on its 25 after the touchback.
Dante Moore remained in the game. He handed off to Carson Steele, who ran for 12 yards.
On first down at the UCLA 37, Moore passed to Logan Loya for five yards before time expired at the end of the first quarter.
It was a brutal first quarter for the UCLA offense, but the Bruins closed with Moore’s first complete pass.
Cal hits another field goal
Cal 6, UCLA 0, 37 seconds left in the first quarter
Cal started at its 38 after a short UCLA punt.
Fernando Mendoza passed to Jaydn Ott for one yard, but Cal was called for holding. On first-and-19, Mendoza passed to Jack Endries for a 21-yard gain.
On first down at the 50-yard line, Mendoza tossed an incomplete pass but UCLA was called for pass interference.
On first down at the UCLA 35, Ott ran for one yard. On second-and-nine, Mendoza passed to Anderson for no gain. On third-and-nine, Justin Williams-Thomas ran for eight yards.
After lining up to go for it on fourth-and-one at the UCLA 26, Cal called timeout right before the snap. After the brief break, UCLA was called for delay of game. The five-yard penalty gave Cal the first down.
On first down at the UCLA 21, Mendoza’s pass to the right corner of the end zone sailed long and was incomplete. On second-and-10, Ott ran for two yards. On third-and-eight, Mendoza tossed an incomplete pass. On fourth-and-long, the Golden Bears opted for the field-goal attempt.
Mateen Bhaghani hit the 36-yard field goal as UCLA was called offsides. Cal declined the penalty that would have set up fourth-and-three, taking the points instead.
Dante Moore stays in at quarterback, Bruins go three-and-out
Cal 3, UCLA 0, 3:56 left in the first quarter
UCLA started on its 25 after the touchback.
Dante Moore’s first pass was tipped, falling incomplete. On second-and-10, TJ Harden ran for four yards. On third-and six, Moore stumbled forward out of a collapsing pocket for no gain.
UCLA punted and downed it at the Cal 38.
Cal hits field goal after Golden Bears’ defense picked off Dante Moore
Cal 3, UCLA 0, 5:25 left in the first quarter
Cal opened on its 20-yard line after the Golden Bears’ defense earned the interception.
Fernando Mendoza passed for seven yards. On second-and-three, Jaydn Ott was dropped for a loss of three. On third-and-11, Mendoza passed to Jeremiah Hunter for 49 yards.
On first down at the UCLA 32, Ott was dropped for a loss of four yards, On second-and-14, Mendoza passed to Taj Davis for six yards. On third-and-eight, Ott ran for four yards.
Mateen Bhaghani hit a 43-yard field goal to give Cal an early lead.
Dante Moore replaces injured Ethan Garbers and tosses an interception
UCLA 0, Cal 0, 9:05 left in the first quarter
UCLA received the opening kickoff and started at its 25.
Ethan Garbers started at quarterback, passing to TJ Harden for nine yards. On second-and-one, Garbers passed to J.Michael Sturdivant for a loss of four. On third-and-five, Garbers passed to Logan Loya for six yards.
On first down at the UCLA 36, Garbers passed to Kyle Ford for 16 yards.
Garbers tossed an incomplete pass before Carson Steele rushed for five and Garbers passed to Loya for nine yards.
On first down at the Cal 34, Garbers ran for five yards before sliding to avoid a big hit. On second down-and-five, Harden rushed for two yards. On third-and-three, Harden was dropped for no gain.
UCLA went for it on fourth down. Garbers tossed Loya, who leaned out and turned up field to for a five-yard gain and the first first down.
On first down at the Cal 22, Garbers passed to Keegan Jones for a one-yard gain. On second-and-eight, Garbers was hit and appeared to toss an incomplete pass. Cal scooped up the ball tumbling toward the Golden Bears’ end zone and ran it back for a touchdown after the refs never blew a whistle to call the play dead.
Garbers, meanwhile, got up gingerly and appeared to favor his right arm and shoulder.
After a review, the play was called an incomplete pass.
On third-and-eight, Dante Moore took over for Garbers. He threw to the end zone, Cal tipped it and intercepted the pass in the end zone.
And we’re off ...
UCLA received the opening kickoff and Ethan Garbers is starting at quarterback.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson leans on lessons from UCLA, high school to find NFL success
Dorian Thompson-Robinson threw three interceptions, no touchdowns and was sacked four times in his first NFL start. His Cleveland Browns got crushed 28-3. But his mother, Melva Thompson-Robinson, didn’t worry about her son, whose first taste of being an NFL starter turned out so sour.
Amid the disappointment, Melva remembered a conversation she had with Thompson-Robinson when he was still starring at UCLA. He called her one day to share Chip Kelly’s latest wisdom. The coach had told the team to be goldfish, echoing the popular phrase from the TV show “Ted Lasso.” Through the ups and downs of his first NFL season, Thompson-Robinson’s ability to have a goldfish’s 10-second memory has become more important than any pinpoint throw.
“All the lessons that people have tried to instill in him over the years are what’s guiding him to now being successful,” Melva said recently.
Hardened by a five-year, record-setting career at UCLA and a high school tenure that tested his patience, Thompson-Robinson is getting his shot to thrive in the NFL. TV cameras caught him wiping away tears on the sideline last week after he led the game-winning field goal drive against the Steelers for his first win as an NFL starting quarterback.
Crikey! Meet Crocky-J, the pet alligator that makes UCLA’s Carson Steele a rare breed
The slippery beast didn’t come with an instruction manual, only trial and terror. Its kid owner quickly developed a routine for getting a hold of the thing.
Carson Steele would start by grabbing the tail and tucking it under his arm. Next, he’d put a hand on the belly to get a firm grip and prevent it from snapping one way or the other.
The worst thing that could happen is to have any piece of flesh you wanted to preserve on either side of its head. That’s just inviting it to spin around and chomp you in an awful instant.
Filtration systems, portable heaters and cellphones have all met that fate. Holding out his hands to reveal some redness around the knuckles, Steele tells a reptilian war story that long preceded his arrival at UCLA as a transfer from Ball State. As a boy, he lost one early battle with the pet alligator that’s now grown to about 5½ feet long back at his Indiana home.
“I don’t even know if my mom and dad know this one,” Steele said with a laugh, “but when I was younger, I was trying to show him to my friends and something happened, one of my friends moved or something and I turned and looked the other way and he got me a little bit. That was the one time.”
Thriving on the edge of destruction, UCLA’s Laiatu Latu is an unstoppable force
Before each play, as he hovers menacingly near the line of scrimmage, Laiatu Latu must decide how he’s going to humiliate the guy standing across from him.
Does he go with a swim move, the UCLA edge rusher twisting his body before raising his arm above his head like he’s doing the breaststroke?
How about a double swipe, where he knocks down the offensive tackle’s arms multiple times?
Maybe he’ll go with his favorite, the Euro step. Like its counterpart in basketball, this move involves a head-fake and a step one way before cutting the other.
That was exactly how Latu made a 294-pound offensive tackle look like he was stuck in mud last weekend before wrapping his arms around Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels and dragging him to the ground.
Thriving on the edge of destruction, Latu is pummeling almost everyone in his path a little more than a year after returning from a neck injury that threatened his career.
He’s gone from a comeback player of the year to a player of the year candidate on the best defense UCLA has fielded in decades. The senior no longer thinks about being told he’d never get back on the field, only what he can do every time he’s on it.
“Really, it’s just football,” said Latu, who could become the first UCLA first-team All-American on defense since linebacker Eric Kendricks in 2014. “That’s why I like it. I just go out there and do me and don’t think too much about anything else but the game that week, the scheme and how we’re going to beat whoever it is that we’re playing.”
Eager to serve, retired Marine Capt. Bryce McDonald continues a legacy at UCLA
Once bustling with activity, UCLA’s football practice field nearly has emptied on a warm morning. Heat glimmers off the artificial turf. The only sound is the squish of sneakers on that turf as Bryce McDonald jogs around the perimeter with a friend, savoring every step.
Each one is a small victory, a reminder that he’s here. He’s alive. He’s doing something he enjoys. He has a purpose as the Bruins’ chief of staff.
The next day, sitting outside the Wasserman Football Center, McDonald glances at the footlong scar on his left leg. It’s a reminder of that dark day in Iraq. Of his unknown fate while hanging upside down inside an overturned Humvee amid a haze of dirt and blood.
Seventeen years later, every moment is a gift. Each morning, as soon as the retired U.S. Marine Corps captain sees Ken Niumatalolo, his old boss at the Naval Academy who recently joined UCLA’s staff, the men embrace. They take turns saying how much they love each other.
McDonald’s presence is a reminder that life goes on no matter what happens on fall Saturdays. The Bruins lost a football game? Well, there’s a lot more anyone can lose.
McCollough: Chip Kelly’s ceiling didn’t change after beating USC, but it’s enough for UCLA right now
Put away the pitchforks, UCLA fans.
Would school administration have made a move on Chip Kelly if his Bruins had backed up their lifeless performance against Arizona State by rolling over for USC in the Coliseum? Only UCLA president Gene Block, athletic director Martin Jarmond and a handful of others know the answer — which is now irrelevant.
UCLA outclassed the Trojans on Saturday, further exposing the alarming state of Lincoln Riley’s program and making it clear that despite some obvious warts in Westwood, only one team in town is potentially built for Year 1 in the mettle-testing Big Ten.
I feel for the die-hard Bruin backers after Saturday. They want the program to take the next step — to win a conference championship for the first time since 1998 — and have plenty of evidence to suggest that won’t be happening under Kelly. Those UCLA fans will be able to separate the fun of whipping a flawed USC team from the reality that the Bruins probably have a 9-3 ceiling as they’re currently constructed.
But, ultimately, even the most ardent supporters won’t factor into this decision. What do Block and Jarmond want UCLA football to be?
UCLA vs. Cal: Top five games include overtime thrillers
With USC and UCLA playing their final season in the Pac-12, The Times is revisiting the top five games in the history of each series. This week: Bruins vs. the Bears.
Oct. 22, 1983: UCLA 20, Cal 16
Rick Neuheisel covered up two fourth-quarter fumbled snaps with two late touchdown drives to help UCLA maintain its longest winning streak in the rivalry. The Bruins trailed 16-7 in the fourth quarter but scored two touchdowns in the final 5 minutes and 37 seconds to win their 12th consecutive game over the Bears, part of an 18-game, head-to-head winning streak. Neuheisel sparked the comeback with a 32-yard pass to Karl Dorrell, then converted a fourth-and-two play on the following drive with a 25-yard pass to tight end Paul Bergmann. Frank Cephous scored the go-ahead touchdown on an eight-yard run with 2:12 remaining.
McCollough: Big Ten needs to make sure UCLA ends its regular season against USC
At the beginning of the season, many assumed that USC would be spending this week off getting healthy for the Pac-12 Conference championship game, fresh off a win over UCLA in the Coliseum.
The Bruins would be trying to salvage the end of their season, then, against California at the Rose Bowl.
Instead, UCLA sent the Trojans hobbling into a long offseason with a 38-20 humbling. It was the kind of dominant rivalry performance that deserved to be the Bruins’ ending note to the 2023 regular season.
UCLA rightfully celebrated over the weekend as the toast of the town. Chip Kelly rang the Victory Bell and looked about as buoyant as anyone could remember afterward. Quarterback Ethan Garbers and his teammates crafted a mocking Instagram post that mimicked the one Caleb Williams posted after the Trojans’ victory last year. The whole thing, especially coming off a loss to Arizona State loss a week earlier, seemed cathartic.
And now? Now the Bruins have to get up for Cal, a competent opponent that desperately wants to win the last Pac-12 contest between the programs and clinch bowl eligibility.
The privileged program across town nearly always finishes its season with a rivalry home game, alternating between UCLA and Notre Dame. Next year will mark the ninth straight season the Bruins have played another game after facing the Trojans.
On Monday, I asked Kelly whether he would prefer that UCLA finish with USC. He recalled a conversation he had with Ken Niumatalolo, the program’s director of leadership who coached at Navy the previous two decades.
“He mentioned to me that he wanted to see what the [team’s] reaction was on Sunday, and I was like, ‘I’m confused, Ken, what do you mean?’ ” Kelly said. “And he goes, ‘Well, our game is Army-Navy. I could never imagine playing a game the week after the Army game, because of what goes into that game.’ So, it’s always kind of been like that in the Pac-12. We’ll see as we go forward.”
UCLA seniors are eager to beat Cal during their final game at the Rose Bowl
As the UCLA football team prepared for its season finale in the Rose Bowl at 7:30 p.m. Saturday against Pac-12 foe California, coach Chip Kelly acknowledged the Bruins’ seniors and what they have meant to his program.
“It’s a special group, there’s a bunch of them who have been here a while … you still have remnants of the COVID kids,” said Kelly, whose roster features 13 redshirt seniors and 21 seniors. “Alex Johnson and Kenny Churchwell are in Year 6 and some of these kids who got the extra year of eligibility have been the standard for this team. The work ethic they show up with every day, the attention to detail, how involved they are in the meetings, the training sessions, strength and conditions stuff, they’ve been fantastic. We have great group of senior leaders here.”
Senior inside linebacker Darius Muasau hopes to make his family proud in his final home game.