After slow start, Bruins fall behind Bearcats 10-7 in first half
Redshirt junior wide receiver Demetric Felton was UCLA football’s leading rusher and receiver in the first half Thursday, turning 14 touches into 115 all-purpose yards and a touchdown. Felton started at running back in place of redshirt senior Joshua Kelley, who was in uniform but did not take a snap. (Axel Lopez/Daily Bruin senior staff)
By Sam Connon
Aug. 29, 2019 5:54 p.m.
CINCINNATI — Year two of the Chip Kelly era has arrived, and it looks very similar to the start of year one.
UCLA football trails Cincinnati 10-7 at halftime of the 2019 season opener in Cincinnati. The Bruins trailed the Bearcats 17-10 at the half in the 2018 season opener at the Rose Bowl before eventually losing 26-17.
In that game, then-freshman running back Kazmeir Allen legged out a 74-yard touchdown. On Thursday, it was redshirt junior wideout Demetric Felton who took a 75-yard catch to the house for UCLA’s first score of the game.
The touchdown brought the Bruins within three, but they very nearly struck first 17 minutes earlier.
The Bruins’ offense drove 58 yards in seven plays to put the ball inside the five. But before UCLA could secure points, sophomore quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson rolled out to his left and fumbled the ball away.
Cincinnati followed up the forced turnover with an 83-yard drive – with most of the yards coming on a 52-yard prayer by quarterback Desmond Ridder – to go up 7-0.
The Bruins went three-and-out on the next possession and the Bearcats drove deep into the UCLA red zone again. Kicker Sam Crosa pushed the 32-yard attempt wide right to keep the lead at seven, but after another Bruin punt, Crosa made a 44-yarder to make it 10-0.
Graduate transfer punter Wade Lees was forced to punt from the UCLA endzone after a negative run and false start with less than two minutes remaining in the second quarter, giving Cincinnati the ball at the 20 after a 20-yard return. With 11 seconds remaining in the half, Ridder tossed one toward the end zone, but redshirt sophomore defensive back Jay Shaw picked him off on the goal line and returned it back into Bearcat territory.
An unsportsmanlike conduct call on Shaw – followed by a sack and an unsportsmanlike conduct call on senior center Boss Tagaloa – cost the Bruins a total of 25 yards before time expired.
The Bruins forced two turnovers in the second, but they totaled negative 39 yards on their final three possessions.
