UCLA Coach Jim Mora and Bruins players take combative stance after win over Cal

UCLA Coach Jim Mora was heard before he was seen after the California game Thursday night at the Rose Bowl.

He was loudly cursing at a UCLA official as he entered a news conference.

This after the Bruins won.

UCLA’s 40-24 victory over No. 20 Cal, which came after back-to-back losses, did little to immediately ease the tension around Westwood.

Mora provided the first example. Then safety Randall Goforth entered the interview room and loudly proclaimed, “We hear what the outside noise is. I’m not going to sugarcoat anything. All we do is do what we do every day. We work hard, we come to practice, we go to meetings, and we’re just like everybody else.

“Everybody believes just like we believe, so we don’t fear anybody, and we’re ready to play with whoever’s out there on the field,” Goforth said. “So, you know, I don’t think a lot of people understand the coverage contours or the sequence of what happens on the field on every play. So, you know, all we do is go out there and play, and as you can see, it shined tonight.

“So, like I said, everybody continue to doubt us, and all we’re going to do is sit there and work. Thank you guys.”

He then left without taking questions.

UCLA was favored to win Thursday’s game, but Mora managed to foster a no-one-believes-in-us chip on his players’ shoulders.

The Bruins will be expected to win their next two games, too. They play Colorado and Oregon State, which occupy the bottom rungs of the Pac-12 Conference standings.

Colorado has lost 14 consecutive conference games. Oregon State has lost 10 of 12.

UCLA has its own challenges to overcome, however. Running back Paul Perkins (leg), receiver Devin Fuller (head) and linebacker Isaako Savaiinaea (leg) sustained the most recent injuries. Their status is unclear.

Perkins, who has 754 yards rushing, has taken pressure off freshman quarterback Josh Rosen. Fuller is a productive receiver and kick returner. Savaiinaea is the team’s leading tackler. Of the three, Perkins’ injury looked the least serious; he worked out on a stationary bike after leaving the game.

Mora’s weekly day-after-game conference call with reporters was canceled Friday, so there were no updates.

Reboot

Ka’imi Fairbairn almost didn’t get a chance to set a UCLA record for longest field goal at the end of the first half against Cal.

Fairbairn made a 55-yard kick — which would have been short of the record — only to have it wiped out by a false-start penalty.

Mora was about to send the offense back out for a Hail Mary pass attempt when holder Jerry Neuheisel interceded.

“Jerry said, ‘He’s got it,’” said Mora, speaking after the game. “I asked him at halftime how he knew and Jerry said, ‘I heard the boom of the ball on that 55-yarder.’”

Fairbairn was also lobbying.

The first try, he said, “was a good warmup kick. I gave coach a thumbs up, ‘Let’s kick it.’”

Fairbairn’s 60-yard kick was the second-longest in Pac-12 history. Washington State’s Jason Hanson kicked a 62-yard field goal against Nevada Las Vegas in 1991.

Fairbairn’s field goal gave the Bruins a 26-10 halftime lead.

“That was a big adrenaline rush,” Mora said.

More kicks

Punter Matt Mengel did not get off the bench against Cal.

The Bruins punted three times. Receiver Kenneth Walker III handled two, averaging 36.5 yards per kick. Rosen had a pooch punt for 25 yards that left Cal at its 10-yard line in the fourth quarter

Mengel has averaged 38.0 yards per kick this season.

chris.foster@latimes.com

Twitter: @cfosterlatimes