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UCLA vs. California: Bruins earn first victory with 37-7 defeat of Golden Bears

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The UCLA Bruins earned their first victory of the season in dominating fashion with a 37-7 victory over the California Golden Bears on Saturday evening at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley. Joshua Kelley rushed for 157 yards in 30 carries and had three touchdown runs for the Bruins (1-5, 1-2 in Pac-12 Conference play). Cal fell to 3-3 overall, 0-3 in Pac-12. UCLA freshman quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson completed 13 of 15 passes for 141 yards and rushed for 27 yards.

UCLA defeats Cal 37-7 for first win of the season

The UCLA Bruins earned their first victory of the season in dominating fashion with a 37-7 victory over the California Golden Bears on Saturday evening at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley.

Joshua Kelley rushed for 157 yards in 30 carries and had three touchdown run for the Bruins (1-5, 1-2 in Pac-12 Conference play).

UCLA freshman quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson completed 13 of 15 passes for 141 yards and rushed for 27 yards.

Brandon McIlwain completed 20 of 40 passes for 168 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions for the Golden Bears (3-3, 0-3). Patrick Laird led Cal with 94 yards rushing in 17 attempts.

Kevin Lucier-South had one of the interceptions and he returned a fumble 38 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter after teammate Odua Isibor forced the turnover with a sack. Krys Barnes had the other interception.

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UCLA seals first victory with fumble return for touchdown

UCLA has sealed its first victory of the season when Keisean Lucier-South returned a fumble after a sack for a 38-yard touchdown with 5:58 left in the fourth quarter.

The Bruins have an insurmountable 37-7 lead with a handful of minutes left in the game.

Cal was attempting a pass when Odua Isibor was about to sack Brandon McIlwain. Isibor stripped the ball from McIlwain and Lucier-South was able to scoop it on the move and rambled to the end zone.

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Joshua Kelley’s third touchdown gives UCLA a 27-7 lead early in fourth quarter

UCLA just might get its first victory of the Chip Kelly era.

And it would largely be thanks to Joshua Kelley. The tailback just ran for his third touchdown of the game on third and goal from California’s one-yard line, to give the Bruins a 27-7 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Kelley has been quite productive, with 154 yards rushing in 28 carries.

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UCLA answers with a touchdown to take a 20-7 lead late in third quarter

UCLA responded to California’s lengthy drive with one of its own to restore its two-score lead.

Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson made both of the big plays on the 68-yard drive, completing a 24-yard pass to Theo Howard and scrambling for a 15-yard gain to the Golden Bears’ one-yard line.

Tailback Joshua Kelley ran it in from there to give UCLA a 20-7 lead late in the third quarter.

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California scores on first drive of second half to pull within 13-7 against UCLA

California sustained its first lengthy drive of the game, taking the opening kickoff of the second half 75 yards for a touchdown that pulled the Golden Bears to within 13-7 with 8:38 left in the third quarter.

Cal quarterback Brandon McIlwain completed all five passes he threw on the drive and Patrick Laird ran for 23 yards, including a one-yard touchdown.

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UCLA takes a 13-0 halftime lead over Cal

The breaks might be starting to go UCLA’s way.

The Bruins took a 13-0 lead over California into halftime on Saturday at California Memorial Stadium after the Golden Bears’ 32-yard field goal attempt with a few seconds left in the second quarter bounced off the right upright.

UCLA coach Chip Kelly called back-to-back timeouts in an attempt to ice kicker Greg Thomas. The second timeout prompted some heavy booing from Cal fans. But it worked.

UCLA tailback Joshua Kelley has rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown in 19 carries, becoming the first Bruins ball carrier to hit triple digits in three consecutive games since Jordan James in 2013.

The Bruins are clicking in all phases of the game, holding Cal to only one of six third-down conversions after giving up 53.8% in those situations earlier this season to rank last in the country. UCLA has held the Golden Bears to 108 yards of total offense.

Adarius Pickett returned a punt 40 yards and recovered a fumble that had been forced by cornerback Darnay Holmes.

UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson completed his first nine passes on the way to going 10 of 12 for 107 yards.

The Bruins could be halfway to their first victory of the season and the Kelly era.

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J.J. Molson’s second field goal gives UCLA a 13-0 lead late in second quarter

UCLA got more points but left some on the field.

The Bruins took a 13-0 lead over California late in the second quarter after J.J. Molson’s second field goal, this one from 29 yards.

But UCLA oddly went away from Joshua Kelley after getting a first down at Cal’s 16-yard line, just like the Bruins went away from Kelley on their previous drive that ended in a field goal.

Kelley has been almost unstoppable, running for 98 yards in 15 carries.

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UCLA converts a Cal turnover into a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter

UCLA forced the game’s first turnover when cornerback Darnay Holmes knocked the ball out of Cal tailback Patrick Laird’s grasp and Bruins safety Adarius Pickett recovered.

UCLA then put together an impressive drive while playing with a quicker pace than it has for most of the season, the Bruins scoring the game’s first points on Joshua Kelley’s five-yard touchdown run.

The big play on the drive came when quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s third-down pass deflected off the hands of receiver Michael Ezeike and into the hands of tight end Caleb Wilson at the Golden Bears’ five-yard line.

Kelley scored on the next play to give UCLA a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter.

Thompson-Robinson has completed all seven of his passes for 45 yards but has been sacked twice. Kelley is off to an impressive start with 47 yards in seven carries, with many of the yards coming after initial contact.

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UCLA takes a 10-0 lead over Cal early in second quarter

UCLA was in perfect position to take a two-touchdown lead, with a second and goal from the Cal one-yard line, but had to settle for J.J. Molson’s 25-yard field goal that gave the Bruins a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter.

The Bruins brought in three tight ends on the second down and handed off to receiver Michael Ezeike, who was brought down for a two-yard loss while trying to run outside. Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson was then brought down for a five-yard loss on third down, bringing in Molson.

Thompson-Robinson completed a nice 46-yard pass to tight end Caleb Wilson on the drive and has completed all eight of his passes so far for 92 yards. But he appeared to have some miscommunication, twice trying to hand off to no one.

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UCLA will take on Cal without a handful of players

It appears as if UCLA will be shorthanded on Saturday as it attempts to beat California for its first victory of the season.

Tailback Soso Jamabo, receiver Kyle Philips, linebacker Jaelan Phillips and offensive tackle Justin Murphy did not dress for warmups, indicating that they won’t play against the Golden Bears.

Murphy had been the only one of the bunch to appear at practice this week, though he wore a yellow non-contact jersey and was working off to the side with the strength and conditioning staff during the portion of practice open to the media.

Jamabo played last week against Washington, but the others all sat out the Bruins’ 31-24 loss to the Huskies.

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