UCLA shut out during second half of loss to Arizona State
Arizona State pulled away in the second half for a 42-23 win over No. 20 UCLA, giving the Sun Devils an early edge in the Pac-12 South race.
The Bruins went scoreless in the second half and gave up 18 points to ASU (4-1, 2-0 Pac-12 Conference).
Dorian Thompson-Robinson was 21-of-32 passing for 235 yards and one touchdown with a team-high 93 rushing yards on 18 carries.
Arizona State outgained UCLA 458-432 despite running just 51 plays compared to UCLA’s 83.
Arizona State adds a field goal
Arizona State tacked on a field goal to make it a 42-23 lead with 2:42 remaining in the fourth.
The Sun Devils have outscored UCLA 18-0 in the second half, including Christian Zendejas’s latest 32-yard field goal.
Back-to-back-to-back sacks
Dorian Thompson-Robinson was dropped in the backfield on three straight plays, including on fourth-and-12, giving Arizona State the ball back at the UCLA 25-yard line late in the fourth quarter.
With the Bruins trailing 39-23 with 4:35 remaining, UCLA fans are streaming for the exits while ASU fans are taking over with a loud “ASU!” chant.
Thompson-Robinson still has a team-high 96 rushing yards, despite losing 17 yards on the three sacks.
Arizona State wears UCLA down with long touchdown drive
Arizona State extended its lead with a one-yard touchdown run from Rachaad White to go up 39-23 with 6:43 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The play capped off ASU’s longest drive of the night, which totaled 11 plays and 96 yards. The next-longest drive for the Sun Devils, who have been moving the ball on huge chunk plays, was seven plays, 75 yards and less than three minutes.
Although the drive became a methodical march, it started out with the same fireworks that have burned UCLA all night. The Bruins gave up a 48-yard pass on the first play after turning it over on downs, immediately putting Arizona State in UCLA territory and allowing quarterback Jayden Daniels to take his time and wear down a short-handed UCLA defense.
Daniels is 13-of-18 passing for 286 yards and two touchdowns with 51 rushing yards on 10 carries.
UCLA turns it over on downs
Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s ability to run has defined UCLA’s offense tonight, but when the Bruins needed just two yards, the quarterback couldn’t come up with the necessary plays.
Thompson-Robinson was held to one yard on third-and-two from the ASU, then kept the ball on fourth-and-one and lost one yard, turning the ball over on downs with UCLA trailing 32-23 with 13:35 remaining.
Bruins threatening as third quarter ends
Dorian Thompson-Robinson slid as the third quarter ended and drew a late-hit penalty, giving the Bruins the ball at the Arizona State 11-yard line at the start of the fourth quarter. ASU linebacker Kyle Soelle was ejected for targeting on the play.
UCLA will have a prime chance to cut into a 32-23 deficit after the penalty yardage.
Thompson-Robinson’s rushing has been the best source of offense for UCLA tonight as he has 112 yards on the ground on 11 carries. He is also 16-of-24 passing for 200 yards and one touchdown, connecting primarily with Greg Dulcich, who has 126 receiving yards on eight catches.
UCLA has run 67 plays to ASU’s 32 but are only outgaining the Sun Devils 408-345. ASU is averaging 10.8 yards per play compared to UCLA’s 6.1.
Safeties Quentin Lake and Kenny Churchwell III have not been on the field in recent drives, leaving walk-on Alex Johnson at free safety. Lake and Churchwell remain on the sideline in their pads, but don’t appear to have their helmets.
UCLA comes up empty on field-goal attempt
Nicholas Barr-Mira missed a 47-yard field goal with 7:09 remaining in the third quarter and the score remains 32-23 with Arizona State leading.
Although Barr-Mira’s kick sailed wide left, the yell leaders responsible for celebrating on the sidelines didn’t get the message, running behind the UCLA bench with their UCLA flags. They made it past midfield before realizing no one else was celebrating with them.
Thompson-Robinson scrambled for big gains three times on the drive, breaking off runs of 16, 14 and 25 yards. He is UCLA’s leading rusher with 89 yards on eight carries. He also his tight end Greg Dulcich for a big 14-yard completion on third-and-eight.
UCLA got a key stop on defense the previous drive, holding Arizona State to a punt for the first time since the first quarter.
Arizona State breaks off another big touchdown play
Arizona State has already hit UCLA for big touchdown plays through the air and now the Sun Devils have taken their attack to the ground.
Rachaad White ripped off a 49-yard touchdown run for ASU’s fourth straight touchdown drive and the Sun Devils lead 32-23 with 13:32 to go in the third quarter after a successful two-point conversion.
UCLA entered the game allowing just 64 rushing yards per game and the Sun Devils now have 124 yards on the ground.
Shaping up to be another Pac-12 After Dark classic
UCLA and Arizona State are locked in a one-point game at halftime and it feels like neither team has clear control of this game as the second half begins.
UCLA has run twice as many plays (48 to 22) but is only outgaining the Sun Devils by six yards (280 to 274). Both teams have one turnover, each losing a fumble.
Arizona State is capitalizing on UCLA’s struggling passing defense and is averaging 12.5 yards per play, an average boosted by huge 65- and 54-yard touchdown passes from Jayden Daniels to Ricky Pearsall.
We’ve already had one Pac-12 game go to overtime today (hello, Stanford) and one go down to the last play in regulation (first-place Oregon State, stand up). This could be another one that goes to the wire.
Arizona State’s miserable punt return allows UCLA to tie game
We’ve watched UCLA make a lot of bone-headed mistakes in recent years, but what Arizona State’s D.J. Taylor attempted at the end of the first half may take the cake.
With less than 10 seconds remaining before halftime and Arizona State up three, Taylor tried to field a UCLA punt on the bounce deep in his own territory. The ball squirted away from him, allowing UCLA linebacker Kain Medrano to jump on it and give the Bruins the ball at the Arizona State eight-yard line.
UCLA was able to turn its first punt of the night into a field goal to make it 24-23 at halftime.
Arizona State scored on its last four drives of the first half, including three straight touchdowns to take the lead. Quarterback Jayden Daniels has hit the vulnerable UCLA pass defense with long plays and racked up 210 passing yards on just eight completions. He has two touchdowns on his 11 pass attempts.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson is 13-of-19 for 159 yards and one touchdown and also leads UCLA in rushing with 64 yards on seven carries.
Arizona State takes its first lead
Ricky Pearsall dusted Elisha Guidry for a 54-yard touchdown catch to put the Sun Devils up 24-20 with 2:44 remaining in the second quarter. It’s the second straight long touchdown pass for Pearsall, who has also scored on a 65-yard pass from quarterback Jayden Daniels.
The Sun Devils have now scored touchdowns on three straight drives and lead for the first time. The Arizona State fans sitting in the south end zone are fired up with a loud “Let’s go Devils” chant.
Pearsall has 124 receiving yards on three catches with two touchdowns. Daniels is eight-of-11 passing for 210 yards.
UCLA offense flinches for field goal
Dorian Thompson-Robinson has been surgical to start the game, but overthrew Kyle Philips on third-and-goal, forcing the Bruins to settle for a 21-yard field goal from Nicholas Barr-Mira.
The field goal broke a string of four straight touchdown drives from the teams. UCLA leads 20-17 with 3:51 to go in the second.
Thompson-Robinson is 11-of-16 passing with 142 yards and one touchdown with 45 rushing yards on 12 carries. He found Greg Dulcich for a big 31-yard completion on the drive that brought UCLA to the Arizona State four-yard line, setting up the field goal four plays later.
With fourth-and-five from the UCLA 47-yard line, it looked like the Bruins would have to punt for the first time tonight, but a penalty on Arizona State gave the UCLA another chance on fourth-and-one. Zach Charbonnet rushed up the middle for three yards to keep the drive going.
Football game? Or track meet?
UCLA and Arizona State have combined to score touchdowns on four consecutive drives with Arizona State’s latest attack tying the game at 17-17 with 8:26 remaining in the second quarter.
The Sun Devils scored on a 65-yard touchdown pass from Jayden Daniels to Ricky Pearsall, aided by a key block on the outside from LV Bunkley-Shelton, who cleared out two UCLA defenders by himself.
The big play answered a touchdown drive from UCLA that ended with a one-yard score from Zach Charbonnet, who put the Bruins up 17-10.
A 35-yard run from Dorian Thompson-Robinson highlighted UCLA’s touchdown drive as the quarterback used a unique formation to clear the middle of the field and run untouched for UCLA’s longest rush of the night.
Arizona State answers
Arizona State’s offense has entered the chat.
The Sun Devils answered UCLA’s touchdown drive with seven points of their own, tying the game at 10-10 with 11:59 remaining in the second quarter.
Arizona State’s Geordon Porter burned UCLA safety Kenny Churchwell for a 47-yard catch on first down to get the drive going. It was the first of six straight passing plays from the Sun Devils. ASU then rushed twice against UCLA’s vaunted rushing defense, gaining four yards on second-and-five from the UCLA 10, then scoring on a six-yard run from DeoMonte Trayanum on third-and-one.
UCLA is allowing just 64 rushing yards a game. Arizona State has 25 rushing yards on six carries, led by Trayanum’s 21 yards.
Thompson-Robinson finds Philips for UCLA’s first touchdown
UCLA scored on the first play of the second quarter to go up 10-3 with 14:57 remaining before halftime.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson found Kyle Philips wide open in the middle of the end zone for a three-yard touchdown pass.
Thompson-Robinson is off to a nearly perfect start, completing five of seven passes for 62 yards and a touchdown. One of the incompletions was a drop from Philips, who now has two catches for 14 yards. Tight end Greg Dulcich is UCLA’s leading receiver with 48 yards on three catches.
Thompson-Robinson has 29 rushing yards on six carries and Zach Charbonnet is leading the way on the ground with 39 yards on eight carries.
Bruins driving as first quarter ends
UCLA has third-and-goal from the three-yard line as the first quarter ends in a 3-3 tie.
A key play from Dorian Thompson-Robinson kept the drive alive as the quarterback slithered out of a sure sack on fourth-and-four and turned it into an eight-yard scramble.
Even after getting the first down, Thompson-Robinson added extra embellishment by trying to hurdle a defender. He’s been known to test his luck and athleticism by jumping over defenders, but considering his injury track record, coach Chip Kelly said earlier this season he discourages the practice. Even Thompson-Robinson’s own brother hopes the quarterback stays grounded in the future.
Thompson-Robinson was four-of-six passing in the first quarter for 59 yards with 29 rushing yards.
Defense bails out UCLA offense after turnover
UCLA held Arizona State to a 45-yard field goal after giving the Sun Devils a short field and the game is tied 3-3 with 4:11 to go in the first quarter.
Jordan Genmark Heath tipped a pass from ASU quarterbak Jayden Daniels on third down, forcing the field-goal attempt. The clutch play made up for a personal foul Genmark Heath committed earlier in the drive that put the Sun Devils on the UCLA nine-yard line.
Qwuantrezz Knight made a critical tackle for loss on second-and-goal from the one, dropping ASU’s DeaMonte Trayanum for a one-yard loss. The Sun Devils backed up five more yards on third-and-two due to a false start penalty.
Bad snap turns into Arizona State’s ball
A snap from Duke Clemens sailed over Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s head and landed, after several bounces, in the hands of an Arizona State defender, giving the Sun Devils the ball at UCLA’s 27-yard line.
Clemens is making his first start at center this season. Thompson-Robinson and UCLA lineman Sean Rhyan failed to corral the ball before Arizona State secured it.
Quentin Lake returns from injury to start
After missing last week’s game against Stanford, safety Quentin Lake returned from an undisclosed injury to start against Arizona State. The senior is one of two UCLA players on defense with more than 20 starts in his career, checking in at 24 after Saturday. Safety Stephan Blaylock (24 starts) is the other.
The Bruins forced an Arizona State punt on their first drive and Kyle Philips fielded the punt at the UCLA 25 with 8:17 remaining in the first quarter.
UCLA settles for field goal on first drive
We’ve got points.
UCLA went up 3-0 with 10:40 left in the first quarter after settling for a 48-yard field goal from Nicholas Barr-Mira. The Bruins drove to the Arizona State 30-yard line, but were held to three points after Kyle Philips dropped a third-down pass from Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
Thompson-Robinson, who battled through a shoulder injury to lead he Bruins to a gutsy road win against Stanford last week, looked unbothered by an injury during the first drive and went two-of-three passing for 22 yards. He also rushed for 12 yards on three carries.
UCLA starts critical Pac-12 South matchup on offense
Arizona State won the coin toss and deferred to the second half, giving UCLA the ball to start Saturday’s critical Pac-`12 South matchup.
The Bruins will begin at their own 25-yard line with a new center. Duke Clemens takes over for the injured Sam Marrazzo. Clemens previously started at right guard this year when Marrazzo missed the first two games.
UCLA vs. Arizona State: College football betting picks, odds and analysis
UCLA hosts Arizona State at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in a matchup of 3-1 teams trying to put themselves in contention for a conference title run.
Las Vegas oddsmakers have the Bruins as three-point home favorites. VSiN’s Adam Kramer wrote of this game in Point Spread Weekly: “The slate of [college football] games is truly an all-weekend event, and this Pac-12 doozy will take us deep into Saturday evening. UCLA recovered from its Fresno State undoing with a win (and cover) over Stanford on Saturday. It wasn’t domination from the Bruins, but it was the kind of win as a short favorite to help get the season back in check.”
VSiN’s Matt Youmans makes a case for UCLA.
Arizona State Sun Devils at UCLA Bruins (-3, 55.5)
Assuming quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson is good to go despite a sore shoulder, UCLA will go off as at least a three-point favorite against Arizona State at the Rose Bowl.
UCLA’s late night would include first in Pac-12 South with win over Arizona State
Can the Pac-12 South be decided on the first weekend of October?
It sure looks like it given the unease at USC and Utah that has seemingly knocked the division favorites out of the race before pumpkin patches start popping up.
The Trojan tumult has included two early conference losses and the dismissal of coach Clay Helton. The pain is literal for the .500 Utes after the fatal shooting of defensive back Aaron Lowe sparked nationwide condolences. Utah isn’t playing this weekend as it begins to process the unspeakable tragedy.
That means everybody is looking at you, UCLA and Arizona State, or at least as many people who can stomach another “Pac-12 After Dark” game.
UCLA coach Chip Kelly groused this week about late starts costing Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey the Heisman Trophy in 2015 because of a lack of exposure, but low viewership won’t keep the No. 20 Bruins (3-1 overall, 1-0 Pac-12) from becoming the division front-runner with a bedtime victory over the Sun Devils (3-1, 1-0) on Saturday night at the Rose Bowl.
Kelly will forgive buddies in his native New Hampshire from skipping the FS1 telecast given his viewing habits when he lived back that way.
“I never watched a 10:30 East Coast Pac-12 game,” Kelly said, “and I love football.”
UCLA lineman Jon Gaines II inspired by his dad, who endures dialysis to see him play
Traveling from his Wisconsin home to watch the son who bears his name play football requires a dreaded pregame routine. On the day before he eases into his Rose Bowl seat, Jon Gaines must endure four restless hours in what he’s dubbed “the chair.”
Two needles are inserted into his left arm, roughly three inches apart. One needle goes into a vein to extract blood and the other into an artery to return it after it’s been cleansed of toxins and excess fluids.
Every time he feels the needle pricks, the father of UCLA center Jon Gaines II falls into an immediate funk.
“It’s like a mini-five-minute depression,” he said, “like, I still can’t believe this is happening.”
He snaps out of it after remembering this procedure is keeping him alive.
Gaines doesn’t have either of his kidneys. Cancer in the organs prompted doctors to remove them 2½ years ago after growths detected eight months earlier had become enlarged.
Three-times-a-week dialysis treatments can only sustain the 53-year-old for so long. He’ll eventually need a kidney transplant, and his rare B-positive blood type could complicate efforts to find the right match because there are fewer donors who fit that profile.
“Like most folks dealing with this,” Gaines said, “I’ve had some great days, I’ve had some tough days too.”
The strain can be felt some 2,000 miles away from the family’s suburban Milwaukee home. Jon Gaines II, an emerging force on one of the Pac-12 Conference’s sturdiest offensive lines, constantly thinks about his “Pops.” They speak nearly every other day, the son checking in on the father who sparked his love of Star Wars movies and bestowed more than a name, giving him “my nerdy side.”
“I mean, it’s always something that’s in the back of my mind,” the younger Gaines said.
The Gaines’ plight was mostly confined to friends and family before Bruins center Sam Marrazzo — with his teammate’s permission — shared the story publicly. Without any prompting, Marrazzo opened an interview with reporters last week by detailing the pain of his teammate and his father.