A hush had fallen over the Rose Bowl within the remaining minute, the boos that serenaded UCLA gamers operating into the locker room at halftime changed by indifference among the many few remaining followers.
Right down to fourth-string quarterback Chase Griffin due to accidents, the Bruins have been pressured to run one final meaningless play towards Arizona State. When Griffin’s cross fell incomplete, a teammate on the sideline threw up his fingers in disgust and turned to go away the sphere.
As chants of “A-S-U!” crammed one nook of the stadium close to the tip of the Bruins’ 17-7 loss, a UCLA fan behind the group’s bench rendered a special verdict.
“Determine it out, Chip!” he yelled.
The phrases begged two questions: How for much longer will Chip Kelly be given? And is he the coach the Bruins actually wish to deliver with them to the Large Ten?
UCLA coach Chip Kelly stands on the sideline throughout a 17-7 loss to Arizona State on the Rose Bowl on Saturday.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Occasions)
What simply certified as probably the most crushing lack of Kelly’s six seasons given the opponent and its personal vital points left UCLA (6-4 general, 3-4 Pac-12) with a second consecutive defeat. It additionally renewed issues about Kelly’s capability to win within the Large Ten if his group can’t beat a Pac-12 foe that was so shorthanded it used a operating again and transformed tight finish at quarterback.
Even Kelly’s popularity as an offensive guru continued to take a major hit. Going with Collin Schlee because the beginning quarterback for the primary time this season as a result of recuperating counterparts Dante Moore and Ethan Garbers have been obtainable solely on an emergency foundation, the Bruins relied closely on their run sport.
They rolled up 183 yards on the bottom however went 0 for 4 on fourth-down conversion makes an attempt, operating up the center on the primary three. Two of the fourth-down failures got here within the crimson zone. Was Kelly’s play calling in these conditions getting a bit of predictable?
“Yeah,” Kelly acknowledged, “however there’s additionally the college of thought that we gotta be capable of achieve one yard if we will achieve one yard. However we’ll return, clearly it didn’t work, so like I mentioned that’s on us.”
The listing of embarrassments additionally included UCLA failing to attain after having a first-and-goal on the Arizona State five-yard line and a primary down on the Solar Devils’ 18. The Bruins failed to point out a lot creativeness in getting shut out within the first half and matching their season low for factors.
“We instructed them it was on us as coaches,” Kelly mentioned of the message to his gamers afterward. “We didn’t do a adequate job to arrange these guys to play this soccer sport.”
In the meantime, Arizona State (3-7, 2-5) successfully offset the absence of two quarterbacks and 7 offensive lineman with creativity. Repeatedly utilizing the swinging gate play that bunched most of their offensive lineman on one facet of the sphere, the Solar Devils produced 250 yards of offense one week after managing simply 83 yards throughout a 55-3 loss to Utah.
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1. UCLA defenders sort out Arizona State extensive receiver Troy Omeire after he makes a catch within the second half. 2. Pasadena, CA – UCLA defensive again Devin Kirkwood breaks a cross supposed for Arizona State extensive receiver Troy Omeire within the second half. 3. UCLA quarterback Colin Schlee passes in the course of the second half. 4. UCLA extensive receiver Logan Loya can’t dangle on to a cross from quarterback Colin Schlee as Arizona State defensive again Shamari Simmons pulls him down within the second quarter. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Occasions)
Working again Cam Skattebo fired a 25-yard landing cross to Elijhah Badger to present Arizona State a 10-0 lead late within the third quarter.
UCLA appeared at risk of being shut out after its subsequent drive ended with operating again Carson Steele getting one yard on fourth-and-two, resulting in a turnover on downs. However the Bruins obtained the ball again after the Solar Devils couldn’t get a primary down and deliberately took penalties on 4 consecutive performs to burn day without work the clock.
Backing up on function backfired when UCLA parlayed good area place after the punt into fast factors. Schlee ultimately threw a 16-yard landing cross to Logan Loya, and there was immediately some life among the many crowd of 56,436.
It rapidly obtained sucked out of the stadium after the Bruins twice sustained Arizona State’s subsequent drive with penalties on third down. Edge rusher Grayson Murphy gave the Solar Devils one first down with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the play and cornerback Devin Kirkwood gifted them one other with cross interference.
“That hurts,” Kelly mentioned. “That’s on us and you’ll’t do this, particularly in a decent soccer sport like that.”
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1. UCLA defensive again Kenny Churchwell III (23) celebrates with a teammate after choosing off a cross towards Arizona State within the first half. 2. Arizona State operating again Cam Skattebo celebrates after scoring a landing within the fourth quarter. 3. UCLA quarterback Colin Schlee scrambles out of the pocket within the second half. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Occasions)
After later changing a fourth-and-four, the Solar Devils caught a fork within the Bruins on the subsequent play. Momentarily operating right into a wall of defenders, Skattebo minimize outdoors for a 17-yard landing that gave Arizona State a 17-7 lead with 3:07 left.
Schlee left with an unspecified damage two performs later, ending an evening by which he ran for 51 yards and accomplished 11 of 18 passes for 117 yards and one landing.
Barring a victory over USC subsequent weekend on the Coliseum as a part of a late-season surge that additionally entails triumphs over California and a bowl opponent, Kelly may face an unwelcome reckoning within the coming weeks, if not days.
His supporters can not level to a continued upward trajectory, the Bruins now unable to prime final season’s 9-4 report. His general report at UCLA is now 33-33, which might be under .500 for those who take away two victories over Soccer Championship Subdivision groups.
There’s additionally issues about Kelly’s lack of ambassadorship of this system additional decimating an already lackluster exhibiting within the title, picture and likeness house, hurting not solely the Bruins’ recruiting efforts but additionally their capability to retain their very own gamers going into 2024.
What does Kelly see as the trail ahead amid a dramatic downturn?
“It’s us towards the group, our rival, you recognize, subsequent Saturday, and that’s what we speak about,” Kelly mentioned, referring to the sport towards USC. “It’s all the time one sport at a time.”
That’s, assuming he will get there.
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