Powered by four interceptions, including a pick-six from cornerback Derrick Barksdale in the first quarter, No. 7 UCLA defeated Nevada 27-0 on Saturday afternoon for its first shutout win at the Rose Bowl since 2007.
UCLA improved to 8-0 and continued its remarkable turnaround after winning just three games last season.
Nevada struggled to get anything going against UCLA. On the ground, the Wolfpack ran for just 65 yards, averaging 1.9 yards per carry. And when Nevada opted to attack through the air, the Bruins gave the Wolfpack little to no room, sacking the quarterback three times.
When Nevada (3-5) did have time to drop back, its options were few.
Starting quarterback Luke Duncan — who backed up Nico Iamaleava last season in Westwood — threw interceptions on three consecutive drives before Nevada coach Jeff Choate benched him in favor of AJ Bianco. While he kept the ball out of harm’s way, Bianco did not fare much better, finishing with just 71 passing yards.
Since forfeiting 488 yards and 38 points to Purdue on Sept. 19, the Bruins have forced 19 turnovers. They also have held their last five opponents to under 200 passing yards and have given up 100 rushing yards just once over that span.
While the UCLA defense hasn’t missed a beat, the Bruins’ offense continued to struggle. After its slow start last week against Michigan State, coach Bob Chesney stressed that UCLA’s first-half offensive execution was not up to status quo.
“Look, it’s two fumbles, two drops, two holding penalties,” Chesney said. “That’s ultimately what happened out there. Two fumbles, two drops, two holding penalties. You can’t do it. You just can’t do it if you want to win really close games. And, again, we’re taking three, four touchdowns off the board by doing that.”
And for the second consecutive week, the Bruins’ offense was sluggish, tallying just 61 yards across its first four possessions. It managed to reach the end zone once as part of a 17-0 halftime lead.
But continuing its season-long theme, the UCLA defense kept the Bruins afloat.
Starting quarterback Ty Dieffenbach orchestrated his first scoring drive late in the second quarter, marching 71 yards in almost five minutes. He connected with wide receiver Semaj Morgan on a 25-yard reception before scoring on a four-yard keeper two plays later to earn his first rushing touchdown as a Bruin.
In the opening drive of the second half, Dieffenbach mirrored the same execution as the prior week. This time, Dieffenbach methodically drove through the Nevada defense, eating up 7:18 of game time before completing a 12-yard scoring pass to Wayne Knight — the fifth-year running back’s 15th touchdown of the season.
And just as Chesney and offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy elected to play the time of possession battle last week against the Spartans, the Bruins safely cruised to victory in the second half.
The Bruins have only been outscored in the second half once this season.
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