Bruins’ Costly Mistakes

Winning without injured quarterbacks Cory Paus and Drew Olson next week will be possible only if the Bruins find a way to cut down on mistakes. UCLA is the least-penalized team in the Pac-10 but was called for seven infractions against California, including five in the first half.

The first two came on special teams and cost the Bruins field position in the first quarter. A holding call nullified a 47-yard kick return by Tab Perry and forced UCLA to begin its first possession at its 13-yard line, and another holding call on a punt return pushed the ball back to the UCLA 30.

The most costly infraction was dubious. With seven seconds left in the half, Keith Short was called for not giving Cal punt returner Vincent Strang enough room on a fair catch.

Replays showed Short was blocked into the vicinity of Strang, who fumbled the ball trying to make an over-the-shoulder catch. Short recovered on the Cal 18, but the play did not stand and Cal took a 10-3 lead into the locker room.

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In addition to the quarterbacks, UCLA had another injury -- and an odd one at that.

Safety Jibril Raymo separated a shoulder thrusting his arms in the air in celebration after teammate Marcus Reese blocked a punt in the fourth quarter.

“I think I hurt it earlier, then when I [celebrated] it popped out and I couldn’t go back in,” Raymo said.

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A week after missing a 46-yard field-goal attempt that might have given UCLA a victory over Oregon, Chris Griffith made his first try, a 42-yarder that pulled the Bruins even, 3-3, in the first quarter.

However, he had a 21-yard attempt blocked in the fourth quarter with the Bruins trailing, 17-10.

Griffith, a senior, has had two field goals and one PAT kick blocked this season. He has struggled with a low trajectory, and has made only eight of 14 field goals. It is one more miss than in any previous season.

-- Steve Henson

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He is listed as 5-9 and 170 and Tyler Ebell had another busy day at the office. UCLA had 226 yards of total offense and Ebell accounted for 111 of them, including 102 yards rushing.

By the scratches, bruises and red marks on his back and shoulders, Ebell had the marks to show that he earned all of it.

The Bruins may have lost their top two quarterbacks, which may mean that Ebell is going to have to carry the football even more often than the 28 times he touched it against Cal.

“I’m always ready to shoulder the load,” Ebell said. “I know we’d be pounding the ball.”

Ebell has 424 yards rushing in the last three games, since he became a starter when Manuel White was injured against San Diego State.

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Cal quarterback Kyle Boller’s 24-yard scoring pass to Tom Swoboda in the second quarter was his 55th, a school record. Boller was tied with Pat Barnes (1993-96) with 54. Boller completed 13 of 30 passes for 133 yards.

The Bears, who had 19 sacks in their first seven games, had five in the first half against UCLA and seven in all. Cal’s defense had allowed an average of 26.4 points a game.

--Thomas Bonk