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UCLA running back T.J. Harden carries the ball in the first half of the Bruins’ 16-13 comeback victory over Hawaii on Saturday. (Darryl Oumi / Getty Images)
DeShaun Foster has long contended that nothing said about him or his team mattered once it played ball.
UCLA’s new coach is too inexperienced? Play ball.
The Bruins won’t be able to master a complex NFL offense? Play ball.
They’re headed for a rough debut in the Big Ten? Play ball.
Read more: DeShaun Foster is a man of few words. He plans to make UCLA football the talk of L.A.
The Bruins finally got to play ball, and it wasn’t pretty. Far from it. What transpired on a sweltering afternoon Saturday at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex only reinforced all the preseason doubts even after UCLA rallied for a 16-13 victory over Hawaii.
Nearly midway into the third quarter, it looked like the highlight of Foster’s day might be walking off the team bus with a collection of colorful leis draped around his neck. He certainly wasn’t feeling the aloha spirit watching an offense that stumbled or special teams that looked wholly unprepared while the Bruins fell behind by 10 points in the first half.
Disaster was averted thanks to a defense that stiffened and an offense that started moving the ball at something beyond a snail’s pace. That offense moved UCLA into position for Mateen Bhaghani’s 32-yard field goal with 56 seconds left that proved the difference in a sloppy opener.
Consider it viewer’s discretion as to whether the usual first-game caveats should apply to a team working in a new coach, not to mention offensive and defensive coordinators. One must also take into account that the Bruins were facing a team that needed a second-half surge to put away a Football Championship Subdivision opponent last week in its opener.
The primary protagonist in UCLA’s comeback was wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. The transfer from Notre Dame hauled in a 39-yard touchdown pass midway through the third quarter and set…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/ucla-avoids-disaster-rallying-past-032341647.html
Author : LA Times
Publish date : 2024-09-01 03:23:41
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