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Chip Kelly gently swayed
as he stood on the practice
field and pointed toward
Pauley Pavilion with his left
hand, invoking the greatest
sports figure in UCLA his-
tory when asked about his
team’s perseverance
through another horrid
start.
“There was a coach here,
a basketball coach here,
Wooden, I think his name
was,” Kelly said wryly, refer-
ring to John Wooden. “He
did a pretty good job with
that, so we try to follow
Coach Wooden’s model.”
Of course, Wooden never
had to coin a saying for start-
ing a season 1-5, much less in
back-to-back years.
All that matters to Kelly’s
Bruins is that they are
trending upward once again.
Their second late-season
surge in as many years has
left them on the verge of
UCLA’s biggest game since
late in the 2015 season.
The Bruins (4-5 overall,
4-2 Pac-12 Conference) have
won three consecutive
games for the first time
under Kelly and could trum-
pet their arrival as a confer-
ence heavyweight Saturday
at Rice-Eccles Stadium with
a victory over No. 7 Utah (8-1,
5-1) as three-touchdown
underdogs.
Leave it to receiver Ethan
Fernea, the former walk-on
turned hero among fans for
his big catches and report-
ers for his lack of robotic re-
sponses, to illustrate the sig-
nificance of the moment.
“Coach Kelly has said it
before — there’s nothing bet-
ter than to get the chance to
play big-time games in No-
vember,” Fernea said, re-
vealing a phrase the coach
has never uttered with the
media since his arrival at
UCLA.
Safety Stephan Blaylock
disclosed another tidbit
when he said the secondary
has been playing more press
coverage in recent weeks as
part of the defense’s trans-
formation from bordering
on historically bad to re-
spectable.
“We get to be physical
with them,” Blaylock said of
the new approach. “A lot of
times, when you watch the
film [of opposing receivers
making catches], a lot of
guys are playing off, letting
them run freely. When you
get pressed up, you’re mess-
ing up their route tree.”
Kelly has contributed to
his team’s turnaround by
simplifying the offense and
putting his top playmakers
in position to thrive. Against
Utah’s expected man cov-erage defense, that could
mean seeking advantageous
one-on-one matchups as
well as utilizing quarterback
Dorian Thompson-Rob-
inson for more than his
strong arm.
“Man coverage,” Thomp-
son-Robinson said, “leaves a
lot of room for the quarter-
back to run.”
The Bruins could have
gone into seclusion after fail-
ing to win a nonconference
game for a second consecu-
tive season and then open-
ing Pac-12 play by losing two
of their first three games.
But having been in that
predicament before actually
helped players believe they
could reverse their fortunes
once more.
“It’s nothing new,” center
Boss Tagaloa said, “it just it
all came down to whether we
want it.”
Tagaloa was among a
group of seniors who showedthey did not want to end
their college careers on an
epic losing streak. Week af-
ter week, loss after loss, their
sustained effort in practice
made their teammates real-
ize they had not given up.
“Watching those guys
really inspires everybody,
even the young guys, to be
ready,” said Jason Harris, a
graduate transfer lineback-
er.
Now, just a month after
they were a national punch-
line, the Bruins can sock it to
the doubters if they can
notch their first victory over
a top-10 team since beating
No. 7 Texas in 2010.
Either way, they have al-
ready shown impressive re-
solve for a team that ap-
peared in need of a defibrilla-
tor.
As Wooden once put it,
things turn out best for the
people who make the best of
the way things turn out.Bruins looking to get even
After a 1-5 start,
UCLA has turned its
season around as
No. 7 Utah awaits.
By Ben Bolch
JOSHUA KELLEY runs away from a Colorado defender, a symbol of the Bruins’
race back to respectability in the Pac-12 after a season that appeared lost.Kelvin KuoAssociated PressMATCHUPS:
UCLA (4-5, 4-2) atNo. 7 Utah (8-1, 5-1)
Today, 5 p.m. PST, Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City.
TV: Channel 11. Radio: 570, 1150.Marquee matchup
UCLA running back
Joshua Kelley vs. the Utah
defense. Simply put, this is
best versus best. Kelley leads
the Pac-12 Conference in
rushing with 107.6 yards per
game, helping the Bruins
surpass 200 yards on the
ground in five consecutive
games for the first time since- He’s topped 100 yards in
three consecutive games and
has moved into 15th place on
UCLA’s career rushing list
with 2,104 yards in less than
two full seasons. Standing in
his way of another big game
will be Utah’s best-in-the-
nation run defense that is
giving up only 56 yards per
game and 2.45 yards per carry
while holding eight of its last
nine opponents under 100
yards rushing.
Getting offensive
8 UCLA (406.4 ypg/29.3
ppg):As absurd as it may
sound after the Bruins
scored 14 points in each of
their first three games, it
could be time to start debat-
ing whether Chip Kelly’s
UCLA offense is becoming as
prolific as his Oregon blur.
The Bruins have scored more
than 30 points in four straight
games and have amassed an
average of 478 yards of offense
in their last six games after
producing 263.3 yards on
average over their first three
games.
8 Utah (446.4 ypg/33.1
ppg): Running back Zack
Moss ran for a career-high 21 1
yards against UCLA last
season and has given the
Utes the best rushing offense
among Pac-12 teams in all
games this season (207.8
yards per game). Quarter-
back Tyler Huntley rarely
makes a mistake, having only
one pass intercepted this
season.Getting defensive
8 UCLA (431.6 ypg/32.0
ppg):A newfound aggression
has been reflected in the
Bruins’ 17 sacks over their
last six games, with lineback-
er Josh Woods logging 3^1 ⁄ 2
and linebacker Keisean
Lucier-South and defensive
lineman Osa Odighizuwa 2^1 ⁄ 2
each over that span. Line-
backer Krys Barnes is aver-
aging one tackle for loss per
game, tying him for fourth in
the Pac-12.
8 Utah (246.3 ypg/12.2
ppg): The Utes don’t just
stop teams, they often gener-
ate points with their defense.
Utah’s four interception
returns for touchdowns ties
the Utes for the lead among
major college teams. Utah
has shut out its opponents in
eight halves this season and
its shutout against California
last month was its first
against a Pac-12 school since
joining the conference.Something special
Utah graduate transfer
kicker Andrew Strauch, who
spent his first four collegiate
seasons at UCLA, has sent 29
of his 57 kickoffs for touch-
backs. He has also made a
41-yard field goal while miss-
ing his only other attempt,
from 25 yards.Of note
UCLA’s early-game of-
fense has improved from the
one that totaled just seven
points combined in the first
quarter of its first three
games. The Bruins have
scored 100 points in the first
quarters of their last six
games, averaging 17 points in
those first quarters. UCLA
has scored a touchdown on
all four opening drives during
its four victories.Injury report
UCLA safety Quentin
Lake is unlikely to play be-
cause of a wrist injury.By Ben BolchMATCHUPS:
USC (6-4, 5-2) at
California (5-4, 2-4)
Today, 8 p.m., California Memorial Stadium, Berkeley. TV: FS1, Radio: 790.
Marquee matchup
USC freshman quarter-
back Kedon Slovis vs. the
Cal secondary.No quarter-
back in the last 15 years of
college football had a quarter
quite like Slovis did last week
in Tempe, where he lighted up
Arizona State for 279 yards
and four touchdowns in the
first 15 minutes. Slovis slowed
from there, but it was a brief
reminder of how good the
freshman can be with USC’s
offense clicking. He could
have a harder time against a
Cal pass defense that ranks
among the best in the Pac-12.
Only two quarterbacks have
managed to hit the 250-yard
mark against the Golden
Bears and both needed 48 or
more passes to get there.
Getting offensive
8 USC (444.1 ypg, 30.5
ppg): It’s been a month since
USC had a full complement of
ballcarriers at its disposal,
but after relying on speedy
freshman Kenan Christon to
carry the load over that
stretch, the Trojans should
finally get Stephen Carr —
and potentially Vavae Male-
peai — back from injury. With
all three backs possibly avail-
able, USC won’t have to rely
so much on Slovis to establish
a rhythm against a stringent
Cal secondary. The Trojans
will be without starting cen-
ter Brett Neilon, making
matters a bit more difficult.
8 Cal (308.6 ypg, 19.1
ppg): The likely return of
sophomore quarterback
Chase Garbers, who has been
out since September, should
help, but the reality is Cal’s
offense ranks worst in the
conference for a reason. No
Pac-12 team since Oregon
State in 2015 has scored fewer
than 20 points per game in a
season, but Cal is well on its
way to that mark of futility. Its
run game finally got going last
week in a win over Washing-
ton State (196 yards), but
prior to that, Cal hadn’t
reached three yards per carry
in a game since mid-Septem-
ber. USC is preparing for both
Garbers and fellow quarter-
back Devon Modster, the
UCLA transfer who had his
best game of the season last
week.
Getting defensive
8 USC (417.9 ypg, 28.1
ppg): The Trojans’ struggling
run defense stymied one of
the Pac-12’s top running
backs last week, holding Eno
Benjamin to 52 yards rushing.
This week’s test won’t be
nearly as taxing. USC is
finally returning to health up
front, which helps matters
even more. But the Trojans’
penchant for letting teams
climb back into games re-
mains disconcerting. USC
has allowed four touchdowns
to each of its last three oppo-
nents, after not allowing more
than three in any of the seven
games prior. Much of the
damage done in recent weeks
has been through the air,
where USC had started
strong. The Trojans have
given up more passing touch-
downs the last three weeks
than the previous seven.
8 Cal (379.1 ypg, 20.7
ppg): For all of Cal’s offensive
deficiencies under coach
Justin Wilcox, its defense is
still among the West’s best.
An experienced secondary
has held opposing quarter-
backs to just nine touch-
downs over nine games. Cal’s
run defense has not been
quite as strong, but it does
feature the nation’s leading
tackler, Evan Weaver, who
has 10 more tackles than any
other FBS player. He’ll be
charged with creating pres-
sure on Slovis, who has been
sacked six times in the last
three weeks.Something special
After allowing another
long return last Saturday,
USC ranks 129th out of 130
teams in kickoff return yards
at 29.72 per return. Cal isn’t
much better at 118th.
Of note
In spite of its road woes
under Clay Helton, USC has
generally dominated Cal
away from home. The Tro-
jans’ last loss in Berkeley
came in 2003, when the Gold-
en Bears won in triple over-
time. USC’s current receivers
coach, Keary Colbert, caught
the Trojans’ final touchdown
in that game.
Injury report
Like Malepeai, USC wide-
out Tyler Vaughns is a game-
time decision after being
limited in practice all week
with an ankle injury. ... Defen-
sive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu,
who did not travel to Arizona
State last week because of a
back injury, is expected to
play. ... Linebacker Palaie
Gaoteote IV will miss this
week with ankle and knee
injuries.By Ryan Kartje
BERKELEY — The er-
rant snap would live on in in-
famy. It was third and long
early in the third quarter last
year, and USC was shutting
out California when Toa
Lobendahn, the Trojans’
much-maligned center, sent
a snap soaring over his
quarterback’s head.
The ball was flung so far
that it landed a dozen yards
behind the line of scrim-
mage, before rolling into
USC’s end zone.
The wild sequence re-
sulted in a safety but proved
far more damaging than
that. USC fell apart from
there, giving up 15 unan-
swered points and eventu-
ally losing to Cal for the first
time in 15 years. In defeat,
USC coach Clay Helton de-
fended Lobendahn, refer-
ring to him as “one of the
loves of my life.”
The botched exchange —
and botched half that fol-
lowed it — would come to
represent more than a single
glaring mistake. It was indic-
ative of larger issues for USC
and its offensive line, issues
it carried through the
spring, into the summer and
all the way through fall
camp.
A year removed from that
collapse, those issues up
front have largely faded
away. As USC (6-4, 5-2)
heads to Cal on Saturday, its
offensive line has been a
model of consistency in an
inconsistent season.
But in a matchup that
conjures bad memories at
the position, USC coinciden-
tally must break in a new
center. Brett Neilon, who
started every game so far, is
expected to miss the rest of
the regular season with a
calf strain, thrusting red-
shirt freshman Justin
Dedich into the lineup.
The two centers had been
in a close competition
through fall camp, with
Neilon narrowly edging out
Dedich. Offensive line coach
Tim Drevno said this week
that the decision ultimately
came down to experience
and maturity. At the time,
Helton told Dedich to pre-
pare like a starter because
his time would eventuallycome.
Then, in the third quarter
against Arizona State last
week, Neilon was sidelined.
Dedich stepped in cold, and
the Trojans had their only
scoring drive of the second
half.
“There was just no panic
amongst our staff,” Helton
said. “We knew he was ready.
He goes out there and there
was no lack of production.
That’s the type of player he
is.”
Last season, as Loben-
dahn dealt with snap issues
on a weekly basis and Helton
faced constant questioning,that panic was a consistent
visitor. This year, even as
Neilon sits out, there’s full
confidence that exchange
will be executed smoothly.
For quarterback Kedon
Slovis, who started the sea-
son as a backup, Dedich was
actually the center he most
often snapped with through
camp. It would take only a
few days of practice for the
two to snap back into their
snap routine.
The more pertinent
question is how Dedich
might fit in the middle of an
offensive line that hasn’t re-
placed anyone because of in-jury this season.
“The O-line is a big chem-
istry-based unit,” Dedich
said, “so me stepping in
there might’ve been a little
off at first.”
Cal (5-4, 2-4) faces its own
potential offensive shakeup
this week. Quarterback
Chase Garbers is finally
cleared to return, but there’s
no word on whether he’ll re-
place former UCLA backup
Devon Modster, who started
three of the Golden Bears’
last four games. Defensive
coordinator Clancy Pender-
gast said this week that USC
would prepare as if both
quarterbacks would play.
Where USC’s offensive
line finally faces its first in-
jury questions this week, its
backfield should return at
least one of its trio of injured
backs. Stephen Carr is ex-
pected to join freshman Ke-
nan Christon in the back-
field after missing three
weeks. He might be joined by
Vavae Malepeai, who has sat
out the last month and re-
mains a game-time decision.
Carr’s return, at the very
least, should allow USC to
lean on the run a bit more
than in recent weeks, when
Christon wore down in the
second half. Against a Cal
defense that has stymied
most opposing Pac-12
passers, extending drives on
the ground behind its new
center will be crucial.
That thought might have
troubled the Trojans a sea-
son ago. But after taking
special care to log every cen-
ter-quarterback exchange
this offseason, addressing
its snap issues head-on, even
a new center isn’t much
cause for concern.Trojans going with a center feel
USC isn’t worried
about having redshirt
freshman Dedich
taking starting spot.
By Ryan KartjeA BAD SNAPby USC’s Toa Lobendahn, center, led
to a safety in the Trojans’ 15-14 loss to Cal last year.Jae C. HongAssociated PressAraiza kicked a 22-yard field
goal to give the Aztecs the
lead in the second quarter
and Jasmin caught a two-
yard touchdown pass from
Agnew to cap the scoring.
Luq Barcoo intercepted
two passes for San Diego
State.at Marshall 31, Louisi-
ana Tech 10:Isaiah Green
and Brenden Knox ac-
counted for two touchdowns
apiece and the Herd (7-3, 5-1
Conference USA) handed
the Bulldogs (8-2, 5-1) their
first conference loss.Ryan Agnew completed
33 of 47 passes for 323 yards,
a touchdown and an inter-
ception, and San Diego
State beat Fresno State 17-7
on Friday night.
Agnew is the first San Di-
ego State passer to eclipse
300 yards since Quinn
Kahler threw for 326 yards
against Air Force on Nov. 21,
2014.
The Aztecs (8-2, 5-2
Mountain West Conference)
scored the final 17 points af-ter the Bulldogs (4-6, 2-4)
opened the scoring on Ron-
nie Rivers’ three-yard touch-
down run in the first quarter.
Chase Jasmin ran for a
two-yard touchdown later in
the first quarter, MattROUNDUPAgnew leads San Diego State to victory
associated pressWEST
San Diego State 17, Fresno State 7
EAST
Marshall 31, Louisiana Tech 10
Villanova 35, Long Island 7
SOUTH
Allen 32, Elizabeth City State 29 (OT)RESULTS