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Five Things: UCLA vs. Arizona

Redshirt senior running back Demetric Felton now ranks second in the Pac-12 in rushing yards after carrying the ball over 200 yards in UCLA football’s win over Arizona. (Liz Ketcham/Daily Bruin senior staff)

By Jack Perez

Nov. 29, 2020 4:19 p.m.

UCLA football (2-2) came out on top Saturday, winning 27-10 at home against Arizona (0-3). The Bruins started out slow before taking a double-digit lead at the half – then it was all defense. Here are five key takeaways from the Bruins’ win against the Wildcats.

Offensive Player of the Year

If there were any doubts about UCLA’s running game with the departure of Joshua Kelley, redshirt senior running back Demetric Felton put those worries to bed.

The converted wide receiver ranks second in the Pac-12 with 537 rushing yards this year. After attempting just 86 rushes over 12 games as a backup running back last season, Felton already has 101 carries in four contests in 2020.

Helping Felton along in the backfield is graduate transfer running back Brittain Brown. Since coming over from Duke, he has taken over Kelley’s role as the power back, allowing the Bruins to utilize different types of runs depending on the personnel.

Felton did pull up late in the game with an injury, and while the team had no comment on Felton’s status immediately after the game, losing him for any amount of time would be a huge blow for the Bruins.

UCLA needs Felton to remain healthy if it wants a shot at upsetting Arizona State and USC over the last two games of the regular season.

In his last season with the team, Felton has put the offense on his back and shown he is one of the top players in the conference.

Hard work and humility

(Liz Ketcham/Daily Bruin senior staff)
(Liz Ketcham/Daily Bruin senior staff)

“Thank you all so much. God bless. Have a good night.”

Redshirt freshman quarterback Chase Griffin ended his postgame press conference with the sentiment minutes after he claimed his first collegiate win.

Coming in as a three-star recruit behind a player firmly planted in the starting role is tough for any quarterback. Griffin wasn’t even selected as the clear No. 2 option coming out of fall camp, but when his opportunity came, he seized the chance to take over.

Granted, he did not have the most electrifying stats. His one touchdown pass was mostly due to Brown’s yards after the catch, and his coaches did not ask him to do much.

The most important thing is to get the win, and Griffin was able to do that. Even if he loses his starting spot next week, he has shown the future is secure if the Bruins put the ball in his hands again.

No turnovers? Wins galore

(Liz Ketcham/Daily Bruin senior staff)
(Liz Ketcham/Daily Bruin senior staff)

Who would’ve guessed that keeping possession of the ball would be such a good thing?

Coach Chip Kelly said multiple times throughout the season that the turnover battle is one the Bruins have to win if they want to come out on top.

In UCLA’s two losses in 2020, the team turned the ball over four times in each game. Meanwhile, the two wins have come alongside just one giveaway – an interception from junior quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

The win over Arizona was the first time this season UCLA finished a game with a positive turnover differential because of two interceptions, both of which came late in the fourth quarter and stymied any possible comeback from the Wildcats.

Not all the turnover problems are fixed because of one or two games. UCLA is still near the worst in the country in turnover margin.

The Bruins also ran a relatively conservative offense, and Griffin attempted just 20 passes, but giving your defense room to operate is key to winning games, especially close ones.

UCLA needs to continue to protect the ball and give itself a shot to win its last few games.

Defense came to make a statement

(Liz Ketcham/Daily Bruin senior staff)
(Liz Ketcham/Daily Bruin senior staff)

While the offense is still hit-or-miss, the defensive side of the Bruins has bounced back from an awful 2019.

At the Rose Bowl this season, UCLA allowed just 10 points per game against two teams that took wins against the Bruins in 2019. More notably, the defense looks better in almost every single category than last campaign.

The rushing defense has gone from 52nd to 40th in the country in yards allowed on the ground per game so far this season. The total yards allowed per game for UCLA have shot them up the rankings from 112th to 34th.

But the most impressive increase comes from the pass defense. The historically bad passing yards per game allowed last year – when the Bruins ranked second-to-last in the country – now come in at 42nd.

The argument could be made that the defense has faced weaker opponents. Arizona lost quarterback Grant Gunnell early in the game, while Colorado and Oregon were starting new faces under center.

You can only go up against the teams put in front of you. So far, this UCLA defense has made it look a lot easier than last year.

Bruins closing strong

(Liz Ketcham/Daily Bruin senior staff)
(Liz Ketcham/Daily Bruin senior staff)

Someone needs to check the Bruin locker room, because something in there has caused Kelly’s team to come out sluggishly.

In the first and third quarters, UCLA is being outscored by a combined margin of 65-52. Yet when the team gets to the final 15 minutes of each half, the Bruins turn the tables, outscoring opponents 86-41.

The difference becomes even more dramatic in the final frame. UCLA has not allowed a touchdown in the fourth quarter through four games, racking up a 28-3 margin in the closing period. In 2019, the roles were flipped, as UCLA’s opponents won the final 15 minutes 115-57 over the course of the season.

This has allowed the Bruins to lose by just six and three points in their two defeats, while their two wins have come by margins of 24 and 17 points. UCLA would be an even scarier team if it came out stronger, but Kelly can at least be content with the knowledge that his defense has yet to break down in the final moments.

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Jack Perez | Alumnus
Perez was the Sports editor for the 2020-2021 school year. He was previously an assistant Sports editor for the men's volleyball, women's water polo and track and field beats during the 2019-2020 school year and a staff writer on the gymnastics, beach volleyball, women's water polo and men's water polo beats.
Perez was the Sports editor for the 2020-2021 school year. He was previously an assistant Sports editor for the men's volleyball, women's water polo and track and field beats during the 2019-2020 school year and a staff writer on the gymnastics, beach volleyball, women's water polo and men's water polo beats.
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