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Bruins look to lasso Buffaloes’ offense in upcoming football game at home

UCLA football sophomore quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson ranks fifth in the Pac-12 with 15 touchdown passes this season. Thompson-Robinson and the Bruins are coming off back-to-back wins heading into Saturday. (Kanishka Mehra/Assistant Photo editor)

Football


Colorado
Saturday, 6 p.m.

The Rose Bowl
Pac-12 Network

By Jacqueline Dzwonczyk

Nov. 1, 2019 1:10 a.m.

The Bruins are riding a two-game winning streak for the first time this season heading into this weekend.

UCLA football (3-5, 3-2 Pac-12) has won its previous two games heading into Saturday’s matchup with Colorado (3-5, 1-4), and the Bruins have put up 30-plus points in their last three contests – including one in which they lost.

UCLA’s average of almost 36 points across the past three games is more than double its 14-point average over its opening three.

“The offense as a whole is really executing on a high level right now,” said sophomore quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. “(Coach Chip Kelly has) just made it really simple for us, you know, just go out there and play football. … It has something to do with coach Kelly just getting us right and also us just going out there and executing what he calls.”

The Bruins’ 3-2 conference record ranks third in the Pac-12 South, in comparison to the Buffaloes’ 1-4 record, which lands at the bottom of the standings.

Thompson-Robinson’s 15 touchdown passes are good for fifth in the Pac-12, and after Joshua Kelley’s four scores against then-No. 24 Arizona State on Saturday, the redshirt senior running back has eight rushing touchdowns – the second-most in the conference.

Sophomore running back Kazmeir Allen made his 2019 debut against the Sun Devils, running the ball eight times for 22 yards. In the same matchup, sophomore running back Martell Irby played his first Pac-12 game of the year and logged three receptions for 29 yards.

“Now you can have an offense when you have (redshirt freshman wide receiver Kyle Philips), (redshirt junior running back Demetric Felton), and (Allen) on the field too – a bunch of speed guys running,” Thompson-Robinson said. “It definitely opens up our offense a little bit more, and you guys will see that coming up this week and in the weeks to follow, too.”

This week, UCLA will host Colorado, which boasts a triple-threat in wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr.

Shenault is the Buffaloes’ second-best receiver – with 514 receiving yards – and third-best rusher – with 99 yards on the ground. Kelly said he and the Bruin coaching staff have scouted the unpredictability of Shenault, including the possibility of him lining up in the pocket.

“You have to be cognizant of where (Shenault) is every time he lines up, and what we can do to make sure we know where he is and what routes they like to throw to him,” Kelly said. “They’ll line him up at quarterback, so you have to make sure: How do you handle the wildcat stuff that he does?”

But Shenault’s success hasn’t been without Colorado’s quarterback Steven Montez, who has led the Buffalo offense for three years, throwing for 255.9 yards per game in 2019, good for third-most in the Pac-12.

Kelly said the Bruin defense will have to focus on containing the veteran.

“I’ve always been a big fan of (Montez) ever since the first time I saw him play,” Kelly said. “We have a ton of respect for him; I think he’s a heck of a quarterback, and that’s going to be (what) one of the battles is: How do we defend him? Because I think he runs that offense so well.”

Kickoff will be at 6 p.m. at the Rose Bowl, where the Bruins are 1-3 after their first home win of the year on Saturday.

“(The first win at the Rose Bowl) felt good,” said freshman offensive lineman Duke Clemens. “It was nice to have the fans on our side this game.”

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Jacqueline Dzwonczyk | Sports senior staff
Dzwonczyk is currently a Sports senior staff writer on the women's soccer beat. She was previously an assistant Sports editor for the women's basketball, women's soccer, beach volleyball, men's golf and women's golf beats. Dzwonczyk was previously a staff writer on the women's soccer, beach volleyball and women's tennis beats.
Dzwonczyk is currently a Sports senior staff writer on the women's soccer beat. She was previously an assistant Sports editor for the women's basketball, women's soccer, beach volleyball, men's golf and women's golf beats. Dzwonczyk was previously a staff writer on the women's soccer, beach volleyball and women's tennis beats.
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