On a night honoring breast cancer awareness, the University of Colorado football team had little fight in them.
Wearing pink shoes and gloves, the Buffs trailed by only 14 points to the University of California, Los Angeles at halftime. It all went downhill in the second half though. With 5:20 left in the third quarter, UCLA was in the lead 21-7.
After two late third-quarter turnovers by the Buffs, UCLA opened the score up even more. The Bruins scored off both the interception by Jordan Webb and the fumble by Vincent Hobbs, bringing the score to 35-7.
The rout was on. Both teams scored touchdowns after the game had been decided, bringing the final score to 42-14, UCLA.
“Turnovers are so critical,” said CU Head Football Coach Jon Embree in his post-game press conference. “And we are not at a point where we can handle it.”
The Buffs had no answer for the Bruins’ high-powered offense in the second half. The Bruins ran the no-huddle on every drive except their last, when they took knees on two consecutive plays to end the game.
“They had a lot of motions and bubble screens,” said CU inside linebacker Derrick Webb after the game. “They were able to get the ball out in space.”
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By the end of the game, Bruins fans seemed to outnumber Buffs fans, and the UCLA fight song could be heard at Folsom Field. Chants of “UC – LA” were heard after the game as the players and fans exited.
Brett Hundley, the Bruins’ quarterback, lit up the Buffs’ defense to the tune of 281 passing yards and two touchdowns. Hundley also had two rushing touchdowns.
“We’re just going to keep moving forward,” said CU tight end Nick Kasa. “We can’t reflect on stuff like this.”
Kasa caught a 34-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter from backup quarterback Nick Hirschman. The touchdown was too little, too late however, as the Buffs move to 1-4 on the season. The Bruins are 4-1 for the first time since 2007.
Hundley didn’t do it all for the Bruins. Running back Jonathan Franklin had 111 yards on 15 carries, marking his 14th career game with at least 100 yards. This moves Franklin into fifth all-time in the UCLA record book.
UCLA scored on six of 14 possessions, not including the two possessions as time expired, while the Buffs managed a meager two scores on 15 possessions. Overall the Buffs held the ball almost six minutes longer than the Bruins but couldn’t capitalize on their opportunities.
“Our defense gave us a chance in the third quarter,” Embree said. “We needed to get points and we were not able to do it.”
CU starting quarterback Jordan Webb put the blame on himself after the game.
“I have to do a better job,” Webb said. “We were still in it, but that pick really put a damper on our chances.”
The Buffs’ offense gained 309 yards and seemed to be moving the ball well, but they had an issue finding the end zone.
“Our game plan was good, we just have to execute better,” Webb said.
The Buffs have a bye next week, during which they hope to improve and get ready for Arizona State University on Oct. 11 at Folsom Field.
“During a bye week it’s about getting back to the fundamentals,” Webb said.
“It will give us a chance to coach the young guys,” Embree said.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Scott Annis at Robert.annis@colorado.edu.
