While the UCLA football program continues to go without some players as a result of coronavirus contact tracing, the team has found a successful balance with its offense and defense complementing one another.
On offense, UCLA’s backfield has carried a majority of the load the past two week while starters such as quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson remain out.
The duo of Demetric Felton and Brittain Brown have kept the offense moving forward on the field and on the scoreboard.
Felton has set career-highs in several rushing categories over the last two games, including the 206 yards he had against Arizona on Saturday.
“I was really happy for (Felton),” Kelly said. “He’s worked extremely hard since he moved to running back and has really turned himself into a quality back.”
Brown scored two touchdowns for the Bruins, including a 16-yard reception off a pass from quarterback Chase Griffin, that produced the lead they wouldn’t surrender the rest of the evening. It was just the second touchdown catch in the grad transfer’s career, with the first coming in 2018 when he played at Duke.
Kelly has also been impressed with the way others have contributed in order to help the duo move the ball down the field.
Griffin, made his second straight start for the Bruins, and managed the offense in the victory.
“It’s pretty awesome” Griffin said. “As a quarterback, I’ll play in any situation, but to have two backs who are really ready to go, and an offensive line and tight ends up front who are ready to block, and receivers on the outside who are ready to make plays, it makes it a whole lot easier.”
Arizona defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads, who spent the past two seasons as the Bruins’ defensive back coach, was well aware of the Bruins’ potential on offense.
“(Rhoads) made some really good adjustments at halftime,” Kelly said. “They did a couple of things. And then we had to counter their counter.”
The Bruins scored 20 points in the first half but were shut out in the third quarter and held to seven points in the fourth, which came on UCLA’s last possession of the game.
“We shut them down until that last drive,” Arizona linebacker Anthony Pandy said. “(Rhoads) made the adjustments that we needed. He’s a great (coordinator). And we came out and played hard.”
Pandy was the Wildcats’ second-leading tackler with nine tackles. Rhoads’ defense produced three tackles for a loss but did not record a sack Saturday against the Bruins.
The Bruins’ defense were presented with an unexpected situation than they’d prepared for throughout the week, after Arizona’s starting quarterback Grant Gunnell went down on the first play from scrimmage with an injury. Freshman Will Plummer would finish out the rest of the game for the Wildcats but it didn’t change what the Bruins did defensively.
“I think that the way they used Plummer was the same way they’d used Grant,” Kelly said. “They weren’t afraid to put him in there and put him in the mix.”
The Bruins applied pressure throughout the game on Plummer, forcing him to scramble. He finished the night with 49 yards and was the Wildcats’ second-leading rusher.
“They were pressuring from a lot of off the edge pressure, corner blitzes, internal pressure,” Arizona coach Kevin Sumlin said. “Obviously, his mobility helps him in those situations to escape and he utilized that.”
Defensive back Obi Eboh and linebacker Mitchell Agude each recorded a sack on Plummer. Agude also forced two fumbles.
The secondary also took advantage of opportunities through the air, intercepting two of Plummer’s passes in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.
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