Rams at
Houston
Tonight, 5 PDT. TV:Channel 2
One last chance:Scott
hopes to show Rams
something special. D7
SPORTS
THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2019:: LATIMES.COM/SPORTS
D
SEASON OPENER ::UCLA AT CINCINNATI
TONIGHT AT NIPPERT STADIUM, 4 PDT | TV: ESPNCINCINNATI — The defense was
horrendous. The special teams were
worse. The offense needed until Novem-
ber to resemble something conceived by
Chip Kelly.
UCLA players didn’t just hear the
criticisms about last season, they spent
the last nine months steeping in them.
The harsh words drove them during
workouts, meetings and film sessions
that showcased just how far they had to
go.
“We’ve got a lot to prove this year to
everybody,” senior linebacker Krys
Barnes said, “and to ourselves, and to
our program and our alumni who know
that we’re coming out here ready to
shock the world.”
The road to redemption could start
Thursday night at Nippert Stadium,
where UCLA opens the season against
Cincinnati. That the Bruins are three-
point underdogs against a team from the
American Athletic Conference reveals
just how far they’ve fallen.
What they un-
QUARTERBACKDorian Thompson-Robinson got his baptism under pressure last year when he came off the bench in Week 1.Luis SincoLos Angeles TimesReversal of fortunes
[SeeUCLA, D6]UCLA hopes a team
with more experience
can help end a streak
of three losing seasons
By Ben Bolch
Chargers at
San Francisco
Tonight, 7. TV: Channel 7, NFLHoping to impress:Eg-
bule among the players
vying for roster spot. D7FOR RAMS SAFETYNick Scott, the exhibition
against Houston is anything but meaningless.
Rick ScuteriAssociated PressNFL | FINAL PRESEASON GAMES
NEW YORK
— Roger
Federer was
tested first.
Though
annoyed at
himself at
losing the
opening set for the second
consecutive match at the
U.S Open — a first for him in
his 19th appearances at
Flushing Meadows — he
knew his only way out would
be to forget his missteps and
start building on each mod-
est success. After shaking
off his rust, Federer rallied
past Damir Dzumhur and
moved on, rueful but un-
scathed.
A few hours later, Serena
Williams faced a stern test
when she lost the opening
set of her second-round
match against 17-year-old
Caty McNally, who hadn’t
been born when Williamswon her first title here in- Williams also had to
tap her experience and
mental strength, and she
dug up plenty of reasons to
believe she’s not ready to
relinquish center stage to
the precocious and versatile
McNally.
Williams had to adjust to
the teenager’s serve-and-
volley tendencies — rarely
seen these days — and cut
down her own errors before
she could take control. She
didn’t hit stride until the
third set but walked off the
court at Arthur Ashe Sta-dium late Wednesday with a
5-7, 6-3, 6-1 victory, ex-
hausted but also reassured.
“I survived tonight,”
Williams said, and that’s all
that mattered as she contin-
ued to pursue the elusive
24th Grand Slam event
singles title that will bring
her even with career leader
Margaret Court. “I think it’s
great because I want to be
able to win matches where
I’m not playing my best,
play players who are playing
great, be able to come
through. I need to be tested,
I guess.”
Williams, who commit-
ted 13 unforced errors in the
first two sets but only two in
the third, then had a second
thought.
“Actually, I’d rather not
be tested in every match,”
she said. “But that doesn’t
happen, so it’s important for
me to have those, like, really
rough, rowdy matches. ThatHELENE ELLIOTT
Willpower is serving them well
Federer, Williams have to rally; Djokovic overcomes a shoulder issue
ROGER FEDERERagain had to recover after losing
first set at U.S. Open, this time to Damir Dzumhur.Kevin HagenAssociated Press[SeeElliott,D3]TEXAS 3, ANGELS 0Trout sits out loss
to the Rangers
Without star, team is
shut out for the seventh
time this season. D5Magic number
Combination of Dodgers
wins or losses by the divi-
sion’s second-place team
that will clinch the NL
West title.9
SAN DIEGO — Kenley
Jansen’s seventh blown save
in 34 chances this season be-
gan Wednesday at Petco
Park with a measly 229-foot
flyball to shallow left field. A
conventional defense would
have rendered it a routine
flyout.
But the Dodgers had po-
sitioned left fielder Chris
Taylor toward the gap
against the left-handed hit-
ting Francisco Mejia, forcing
him to make a long sprint
and the ball bounced in front
of his dive. So Mejia raced to
second base, narrowly beat-
ing Taylor’s throw for a lead-
off double in the ninth inning
for the San Diego Padres.
Mejia was at third base
after advancing on a flyout
when Jansen fired a pitch
over catcher Russell Mar-
tin’s head. The ball bounced
off the backstop and right to
Martin as Mejia darted
home, but Martin muffed
the ricochet and Mejia slid
home safely to tie the score.
Jansen retired the next
two hitters but the damage
was done. He slowly walked
to the Dodgers’ dugout and
took a seat after tying his ca-
reer high for blown saves.
Cameras caught him in a
blank stare straight ahead.
His face spelled anger.
“In that situation,” Mar-
tin said, “it’s a little bit of bad
luck.”
Moments later, his team-L.A.
does
its own
saving
Jansen gives up a run
in the ninth inning but
Dodgers rally against
Yates in 10th inning.
DODGERS 6
SAN DIEGO 4 (10 INN.)
By Jorge Castillo[SeeDodgers,D5]Urban Meyer, who led Florida to two
national titles and Ohio State to one
championship, insists he has retired from
coaching. Of course, he has said that be-
fore, stepping away and taking a TV ana-
lyst job until he was lured back to the side-
lines.
“I did, but I was younger and I knew
rather quickly I was going to go back,”
said Meyer, now 55. “I really believe I’m
done coaching.”
But out of habit, he adopted a coach’s
perspective to describe how he and his
castmates on Fox’s new Saturday morn-
ing college football show “Big Noon Kick-
off ” will showcase their knowledge and es-
tablish an identity without becoming a
clone of ESPN’s respected “College
GameDay.”
Meyer will work with former Notre
Dame quarterback Brady Quinn and for-
mer USC standouts Reggie Bush and
Matt Leinart, with Rob Stone as host.
The show will debut on Saturday from the
Fox studios in LosREGGIE BUSHis part of “Big Noon Kickoff,” which
includes fellow former Trojan Matt Leinart, plus
Urban Meyer, Brady Quinn and Rob Stone when it
debuts Saturday from Fox studios in Los Angeles.Marcus YamLos Angeles TimesFox to kick off
show with cast
of characters
By Helene Elliott[SeeKickoff,D7]