UCLA takeaways: Bruins' defense shows it's one for the ages (2024)

ByBen Bolch

Staff WriterFollow

In the spirit of a throwback homecoming celebration, it’s time to turn back the clock. One must go back years, decades, sometimes a generation to see where UCLA’s defense ranks compared to some of the best in school history.

After their latest lockdown effort Saturday during a 28-16 triumph over Colorado, the Bruins are giving up 4.27 yards per play. That’s their lowest figure since giving up 4.08 yards per play in 1988 — a season that ended with a victory over Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl.

UCLA is allowing 15 points per game, its best figure since giving up 12.3 in 1980 — a season that ended with a 9-2 record.

The Bruins are surrendering just 2.1 yards per carry, their top run defense since giving up that same figure in 1985 — a season that ended with a Rose Bowl victory over Iowa, the most recent in school history.

This 2023 defense is something special. It’s helping UCLA win games in a way it never could previously under coach Chip Kelly.

Here are five takeaways from the Bruins’ second consecutive victory heading into a desert showdown with Arizona next weekend:

UCLA defensive lineman Gabriel Murphy pursues Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders for a sack at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.

(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

The latest defensive masterpiece wasn’t just a result of the edge rushers continuing their season-long habit of pressuring the quarterback. The Bruins’ interior defensive linemen, linebackers and secondary all contributed to shutting down Colorado.

Cornerback John Humphrey had a nice pass breakup, defensive lineman Gary Smith III had two tackles for a loss and edge rusher Laiatu Latu made two of his team’s seven sacks.

Colorado managed just 38 rushing yards and was four of 14 on third downs. Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw for 217 yards and a touchdown while constantly on the run, with a big chunk of those yards coming on a meaningless fourth-quarter drive.

“Our defense played outstanding,” Kelly said. “We knew what a passing attack they had and how dynamic they were not only at quarterback but at receiver, and for our guys to be able to contain Shedeur like that and no one really has, that’s a credit to them.”

UCLA quarterback Collin Schlee celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Colorado at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.

(Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)

After sitting out the previous game with an unspecified injury, UCLA’s Collin Schlee resumed his role as a run-heavy quarterback who can present a defense with a different look than Ethan Garbers or Dante Moore.

Schlee’s only pass did not go well, getting snagged by Colorado’s Travis Hunter for his second interception of the game.

But Schlee had success running the ball, gaining 26 yards and a touchdown in four carries.

“Getting the quarterback involved in the run game and having him do zone read and pull it,” Garbers said, “it caused a lot of problems for the defense and I mean, it’s really good and it’s very good schematically for us.”

UCLA running back Carson Steele fumbles after a big hit by Colorado safety Shilo Sanders at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.

(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

UCLA running back Carson Steele lost two fumbles, but his coach was willing to give him at least a partial pass because they were the result of vicious hits.

“Sometimes it’s not always your fault, it’s credit to the other side and I thought their safeties, especially, were really physical and did a nice job,” Kelly said. “You look at the first turnover, [Steele] cross-gripped, he had two hands on the ball and they still separated the ball from him and fundamentally he was doing what we teach him to do, but kind of tip your hat to them, that was a heck of a play on their part.”

UCLA won a Pac-12 game when committing at least four turnovers for the first time since committing five during a 2009 victory over Washington. Kelly acknowledged the odds were against his team considering Colorado had none.

“It’s the square root of pi, so take the square root of 3.1416,” Kelly cracked of his team’s chances in that scenario. “It wasn’t good. You know, usually you don’t win football games when you have four turnovers and in the first half.”

Colorado safety Rodrick Ward celebrates after UCLA kicker R.J. Lopez missed a field goal during the first half Saturday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

Kicker R.J. Lopez’s struggles continued as his 24-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter bounced off the left upright.

It was Lopez’s third consecutive miss and his fifth in eight tries since the Bruins changed holders after the fourth game of the season.

“I gotta look at the film to see, you know, was it the plant? Was it the hold? I don’t know,” Kelly said of the latest miss. “But that’s obviously, in critical games like that, you know, that’s points that we need to get out of our drives in the red zone and that’s an area we need to address.”

A new statue of the late UCLA Bruins football coach Terry Donahue stands outside the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Kelly choked up when asked about the crowd of 71,343 that was the largest at the Rose Bowl since his arrival before the 2018 season because it brought to mind late Bruins coach Terry Donahue.

A statue of Donahue was unveiled at the stadium Friday, contributing to the special atmosphere the Bruins enjoyed during homecoming weekend.

“I think Terry was watching today,” Kelly said of the coach whose teams logged a record 98 Pac-10 victories. “Terry was the ultimate gutty little Bruin, and I think that’s what our players did today. Terry had a big stamp on this one today.”