Live updates: UCLA defeats No. 20 California, 40-24
One quarterback Thursday night had a big arm he used to pass for 399 yards, a bright future and a chance, in primetime on national television, to impress the scouts who might pick him early in the NFL draft some day.
The other was California’s Jared Goff.
In a game against Goff, the junior quarterback predicted by many to be the first quarterback taken if he enters the draft, freshman Josh Rosen was the star. Behind him, UCLA rolled past No. 20 California, 40-24, to snap a two-game losing streak and keep the team’s Pac-12 Conference championship hopes alive.
Rosen completed 34 of 47 passes for three touchdowns. His 34 completions broke the UCLA record.
UCLA (5-2 overall, 2-2 in Pac-12 play) won the game but lost three more players to injuries, at least for the game. Running back Paul Perkins’ appeared to injure his left knee in the second half and didn’t return. Linebacker Isaako Savaiinaea was carted to the locker room after a defender landed on his leg. And after a hard hit in the third quarter, receiver Devin Fuller went to the locker room and didn’t return.
Despite the losses, and after giving up 94 points in the last two games, UCLA’s defense held Goff to 295 yards passing. They sacked him five times.
California (5-2, 2-2) began the game with a long drive that stalled, and they settled for three points.
The Bruins accounted for the next 23 points. They scored on each of their drives in the first half. Rosen threw both of the team’s touchdowns during the stretch with a seven-yard pass to Thomas Duarte and a back-shoulder pass to Devin Fuller.
UCLA generated 573 yards of total offense. Thomas Duarte had 10 receptions for 140 yards and a touchdown, and Fuller had seven catches for 100 yards and two scores before his injury. On the ground, Soso Jamabo rushed 18 times for 79 yards and Perkins rushed for 73 yards before he exited.
The Bears didn’t score again until 51 seconds remained in the first half, when Goff finally found a rhythm in a drive that ended with an impressive grab in the end zone by Kenny Lawler.
Moments later, after a brief UCLA drive, kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn drilled a 55-yard field goal to end the half for UCLA — but the Bruins were flagged for a false start.
Facing a 60-yard attempt, Fairbairn motioned to Coach Jim Mora to leave the field-goal unit on the field. A make would be the longest in UCLA history, and the second longest in Pac-12 history. And he wanted to kick.
He did. And he made it.
Fairbairn made four field goals in the first half and single-handedly outscored California, 12-10. He has missed just one of 14 attempts this season, the one miss a 50-yard attempt.
UCLA opened the second half with a long drive and another Rosen touchdown pass, the answered a California touchdown drive with a Soso Jamabo touchdown.
The Bears added a late touchdown, another Goff touchdown pass followed by a successful two-point try, to cut into the lead, but could not recover the onside kick.
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The onside kick is not successful for California. UCLA will take over and run out the clock.
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UCLA 40, California 24 (2:00 left in fourth quarter)
California is clinging to life, but just barely. On fourth down, Jared Goff found Khalfani Muhammad for an 18-yard touchdown pass. Goff ran in the two-point conversion to keep this a two-score game. The Bears will likely try an onside kick here.
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There’s the game’s first turnover. Soso Jamabo fumbled to give California the ball with six minutes and 22 seconds remaining in the agme.
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Josh Rosen just completed his 34th pass of the game. That’s a UCLA record.
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California goes three-and-out once again. They’re punting, down 24 with nine minutes remaining.
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The Bruins have sacked Goff four times tonight.
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UCLA’s second punt, again, doesn’t come from a punter. Josh Rosen pooch punted to pin California on its own 10-yard line. Afterward, Rosen mimed a golf swing before he headed to the sideline.
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UCLA begins the fourth quarter with a fourth-down stop. Takkarist McKinley sacked Jared Goff to force the turnover, and teh Bruins will take over near midfield.
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That’s the end of the third quarter. Barring a collapse, the Bruins will end their two-game losing streak. Their bigger priority may be avoiding any more injuries.
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UCLA receiver Devin Fuller, who took a hard hit on the previous drive, is headed to the locker room.
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UCLA 40, California 16 (1:59 left in third quarter)
The Bruins have recovered from their single non-scoring drive. They drove 75 yards in 11 plays and two minutes and 54 seconds. Soso Jamabo capped it with a one-yard touchdown run, the Bruins’ first touchdown on the ground today.
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UCLA linbacker Isaako Savaiinaea was carted to the locker room. It looked like he was unable to put weight on his injured leg.
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UCLA 33, California 16 (4:53 left in third quarter)
California is hanging around, but just barely. Jared Goff picked up a chunk of the yardage of the Bears’ touchdown drive with a 42-yard flea-flicker to Maurice Harris. On a fourth down from UCLA’s 17, Goff found Stephen Anderson to extend the drive.
From the one-yard line, Goff found Darius Powe for the score. The Bears went for the two-point conversion, but Goff’s attempt was incomplete.
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UCLA linbacker Isaako Savaiinaea, the Bruins’ leading tackler, was injured when a California player landed on his leg. He needed help coming off the field.
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Tonight’s attendance was announced as 57,046. That is... not quite a sellout.
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It turns out UCLA did dress a punter for this game — or at least figured it could use receiver Kenneth Walker to do the duties. A holding penalty and a sack led to the Bruins’ first non-scoring drive of the evening. California will take over at its own 27-yard line.
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Another three-and-out for California. They have converted just three of nine first downs, and they’ve yet to convert a third down since the first drive of the game.
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UCLA 33, California 10 (12:13 left in third quarter)
Right now, Josh Rosen is getting the better of Jared Goff in the battle of likely future NFL quarterbacks. He led UCLA on a quick touchdown drive to start the half, capped by a 21-yard touchdown pass to Devin Fuller.
Through little more than a half, Rosen has completed 28 of 38 attempts for 307 yards and three touchdowns.
Halftime: UCLA 26, California 10
Not a bad half for Ka’imi Fairbairn. He already had three field goals in the half when he lined up for a 55-yard attempt to end the half.
It was good — but UCLA was flagged for a false start.
It didn’t matter to Fairbairn. He made the 60-yard attempt anyway, then pumped his fist as his teammates ran to meet him before sprinting into the tunnel.
The Bruins will take a 16-point lead into halftime.
UCLA 23, California 10 (0:51 left in second quarter)
This drive showed why Jared Goff is considered maybe the best NFL quarterback prospect in the nation. He made difficult throws on the run, touch passes over the secondary, and a well-placed fade route on the goal-line to score a touchdown.
The Bears ended a run of 23 unanswered points by UCLA and now trail by 13.
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UCLA 23, California 3 (2:49 left in second quarter)
UCLA had three tries from California’s three-yard line or closer but couldn’t punch the ball in. Bolu Olorunfunmi rushed for two yards, then no gain, and Josh Rosen’s third-down pass was incomplete. Another Fairbairn field goal gave UCLA a 20-point lead.
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Facing fourth and 10 from their own 25-yard line, and a game quickly turning lopsided, the Bears tried some trickery. It didn’t work. Their fake-punt attempt, a rush by Harry Adolphus, went just four yards. UCLA will take over with great field position.
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Paul Perkins is riding a stationary bike on the UCLA sideline. That’s usually a sign that he expects to go back in.
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UCLA 20, California 3 (6:11 left in second quarter)
UCLA gained three points but lost Paul Perkins, at least temporarily.
After a holding penalty on first down, UCLA gained 13 yards on a screen to Paul Perkins on third and 14. Facing fourth and one, Perkins rushed for 12 yards.
On the next play, Josh Rosen narrowly avoided having a pass intercepted in the end zone by Darius Allensworth. He recovered with a 19-yard pass to Thomas Duarte on a third down. The drive stalled not long after Perkins’ injury, and Ka’imi Fairbairn made the 24-yard field goal.
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Paul Perkins received medical attention on the field after a tackle appeared to bend his left knee awkwardly. He limped off without any further assistance from trainers.
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California has struggled to get anything going since their first drive. Another three-and-out gives UCLA possession at the Bruins’ 41-yard line.
UCLA 17, California 3 (11:23 left in second quarter)
How’s this for efficiency: 90 yards in 10 plays and three minutes and 31 seconds. The Bruins have now scored 17 points straight.
Offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone used a steady dose of Soso Jamabo, the most effective of those a 23-yard swing pass that California, evidently, decided not to cover. On the next play, Josh Rosen threw a back shoulder pass to Devin Fuller, who walked into the end zone for the score.
Rosen has now completed 16 of 20 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns.
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UCLA ended the first quarter with a second straight defensive stop. Aaron Wallace sacked Goff on third down, and California will punt when the second quarter begins.
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This is the Bruins’ first lead in October this year. They never led against Arizona State or Stanford.
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UCLA 10, California 3 (1:42 left in first quarter)
This Josh Rosen guy might be OK. His seven-yard touchdown pass capped a 13-play, 70-yard scoring drive by UCLA.
Rosen extended the drive with an impressive third-down pass near midfield. After dropping back to pass, he stayed in the pocket, then scrambled wide, eluded a rusher and threw across his body for a 12-yard first down to Jordan Payton. The Bruins scored six plays later on a reception by Thomas Duarte.
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California Coach Sonny Dykes gambled on third and inches from California’s own 34-yard line and came away empty. Instead of trying to muscle their way for the first down, the Bears tried a streak down the sideline. It fell incomplete, and after keeping his offense on the field for fourth down, then calling a timeout, Dykes opted for a pooch punt, and UCLA will take over possession.
California 3, UCLA 3 (6:09 left in first quarter)
We have a tie ballgame. UCLA was rolling behind Paul Perkins, who rushed for 45 yards on five carries but an offensive pass interference call on Thomas Duarte, pushed the Bruins’ back, and they settled for a field goal.
On the pass-interference call, Devin Fuller caught a slant from Josh Rosen, but his path was cleared out by Duarte, who knocked over a California defensive back and drew three seperate flags. It erased a first down to give UCLA third and 19.
After a short rush, Ka’imi Fairbairn made the 44-yard kick. He has now made six of his last seven field-goal attempts of 40 yards or longer.
California 3, UCLA 0 (9:43 left in first quarter)
A long California drive stalled inside the red zone, and the Bears are on the board first with a field goal.
The Bears went 66 yards on 14 plays, thanks to Jared Goff completing six of eight passes for 47 yards. He converted three times on third down, but UCLA sniffed out their last third-down try, a tunnel screen on third-and-eight that went four yards.
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We are underway. California will take over on the 25-yard line.
Pregame
UCLA hasn’t faced a top-25 passing attack so far this season. That will change tonight. UCLA’s first look against an elite passer will be a test.
California’s junior quarterback Jared Goff is the popular pick to be the first quarterback taken, should he enter the NFL Draft.
Last year, he threw for just shy of 4,000 yards with 35 touchdowns to seven interceptions. This season, Goff is completing 66.7% of his passes, and has thrown for 1,970 yards with 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
His most recent game was a disastrous five-interception performance in a 30-24 loss to Utah two weeks ago, but UCLA defensive coordinator Tom Bradley did not have many bad things to say about Goff’s game.
“He’s one of those guys you like watching on film,” Bradley said. “You just don’t like playing against him.”
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Kolton Miller will start at left tackle in place of McDermott.
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Here’s an update on UCLA’s rather lengthy injury list:
Running back Nate Starks (head) and left tackle Conor McDermott (knee) are not suited up for UCLA. Linebacker Deon Hollins (knee) is dressed for the game.
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UCLA and California are warming up on the field about 45 minutes from the kickoff at the Rose Bowl on this pleasant October evening. Yes, October, the time of year with an unusual preponderance of pumpkin-spiced beverages, candy bars and UCLA losses.
The Bruins are 6-7 in the month under Coach Jim Mora, a record that Mora said has no identifiable explanation.
“No. Every year is a different year,” he said earlier this week. “It’s nothing that I know of.”
After an undefeated September, which concluded with a convincing 56-30 win at Arizona, UCLA is winless in October after a 38-23 loss to Arizona State and a 56-35 thrashing at Stanford a week ago.
UCLA does have one historical advantage in today’s game: California has won one of the last seven games at the Rose Bowl.
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UCLA will take on California on Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins are looking to end a two-game conference losing streak.
Chris Foster, Helene Elliott and Zach Helfand will bring you all the action. You can follow along right here.
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