Joshua Kelley (photo by Greg Turk)Joshua Kelley (photo by Greg Turk)
Greg Turk

Joshua Kelley (photo by Greg Turk)

Bruins Fall to Ducks, 42-21

Football

UCLA records season-best 496 yards of total offense, including a career-high 161 yards from Joshua Kelley.

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Box Score

Eugene, Ore. - UCLA compiled a season-high 496 total yards, but untimely penalties and turnovers were costly in a 42-21 loss at Oregon on Saturday.

The Bruins (2-7, 2-4 in the Pac-12) had 11 penalties, plus three turnovers that led to 21 points, while the Ducks (6-3, 3-3) played a clean game with zero turnovers and just one penalty.

Wilton Speight and Dorian Thompson-Robinson combined for 297 yards passing and each threw one touchdown. UCLA running back Joshua Kelley recorded his fifth 100-yard game of the season, totaling a career-high 161 yards rushing with one touchdown.

Down 7-0 after an Ugochukwu Amadi 56-yard punt return for a touchdown, the Bruins quickly answered, driving down the field to the Oregon 14 on the next drive. However, Thompson-Robinson was picked off in the end zone to end the threat, and Oregon scored on its next drive on a one-yard run by CJ Verdell.

UCLA's defense made a quick stop on Oregon's next drive, but a fumble on the punt return gave the Ducks the ball again, and they scored three plays later on a four-yard pass from Justin Herbert to Dillon Mitchell to increase their lead to 21-0 with 13:10 to play in the second.

The Bruins got on the board with a 63-yard touchdown pass from Thompson-Robinson to Caleb Wilson, trimming the lead to 21-7, and the Ducks missed a 21-yard field goal with 1:15 left in the half. Thompson-Robinson efficiently led UCLA down the field in the final minute and got the Bruins in field goal range with seconds remaining. With JJ Molson in line to attempt at 51 yard field goal, the Bruins were penalized for a false start, pushing Molson back five yards. His 56-yard attempt was on line but short, and the Ducks took their 21-7 lead safely into halftime.

In the third quarter, Oregon took back momentum on a strip sack by Justin Hollins, who took the ball to the UCLA seven. The Ducks scored three plays later to go up 28-7. Speight then replaced Thompson-Robinson and led the Bruins down the field, culminating in a 25-yard touchdown run by Kelley to trim the lead to 28-14.

Oregon's good fortunes appeared to turn on its next drive with a costly penalty. The Ducks had what looked to be a 31-yard touchdown run by Jaylon Redd on a reverse, but the score was nullified due to a targeting call. The Ducks were unable to score but caught a break when the Bruins snapped high on a field goal attempt. The Ducks pounced on the Bruins' misfortune, scoring on a 67-yard touchdown reception by Mitchell on the second play of the following drive to go up 35-14 with 10:20 to play.

UCLA refused to give up, however, answering quickly with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Speight to Theo Howard to again make it a two-possession game. But a 54-yard touchdown dash by Tony Brooks-James with 5:56 remaining proved to be the dagger for the Bruins.

The Bruins will next play at Arizona State on Nov. 10 at 12pm MT.