Chip Kelly is known for game plans with more variety than a bag of Halloween candy, all sorts of options available at any given moment.
He really needed only one play to beat Stanford: hand Zach Charbonnet the ball.
From its opening drive Saturday night, UCLA’s offense fell into a predictable, successful pattern by relying on its sturdy running back. Charbonnet got carries on the Bruins’ first three plays, rolling off runs of 14, 11 and 11 yards before quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson threw his first pass.
It was a winning formula.
Not even the officials could stop Charbonnet from dazzling the season-high crowd of 43,850 at the Rose Bowl. His legs churning, the running back dragged three defenders with him to the goal line on one nine-yard run in the second quarter that appeared to end in a touchdown. After officials reversed the call and placed the ball at the half-yard line, Charbonnet shrugged and ran for a one-yard touchdown on the next play.
Charbonnet’s big night that included three touchdown runs carried the No. 12 Bruins to a 38-13 victory in which they piled up 324 yards on the ground to break a long home losing streak against the Cardinal.
The Bruins had not walked off the Rose Bowl field smiling after a game against Stanford since the final months of the George W. Bush presidency. The date: Oct. 18, 2008.
UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet hurdles over Stanford linebacker Jason Kaul during the second half.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Charbonnet gave UCLA (7-1 overall, 4-1 Pac-12) another welcome memory in the series by running for a career-high-tying 198 yards in 21 carries, averaging 9.4 yards per carry against a defense powerless to stop him. Charbonnet also was the Bruins’ leading receiver with five catches for 61 yards.
Stanford had no answers. Late in the third quarter, Charbonnet juked one defender and broke two tackles on a 37-yard touchdown run to extend UCLA’s lead to 31-6.
Bruins running back Kazmeir Allen added one final highlight early in the fourth quarter when he zipped through the defense on a 72-yard touchdown run. It was just part of an offensive onslaught in which the Bruins outgained the Cardinal, 523-270, in total yardage.
UCLA’s defense was under new management, at least for one night.
Defensive coordinator Bill McGovern was sick, according to an athletic department spokesperson, with analyst Clancy Pendergast taking his spot in the press box. Pendergast, a former defensive coordinator at USC and in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs, was involved in a collaborative effort when it came to play calls.
Stanford’s slow-developing offense couldn’t muster much outside of an initial drive that ended in a field goal. UCLA sacked quarterback Tanner McKee four times and intercepted one of his passes.
The Cardinal (3-5, 1-5) even stopped itself on one drive, a false start on fourth and two forcing it to punt after McKee spiked the ball in frustration.
Charbonnet beat Stanford in a variety of ways. He made a big catch on the Bruins’ opening drive after coming uncovered out of the backfield, taking a short pass for 25 yards to the Stanford five-yard line. Thompson-Robinson eventually cut outside for a three-yard touchdown run to give UCLA a 7-3 advantage.
UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson scrambles for yards against Stanford in the second half.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
The Bruins needed only one offensive play to extend their early lead after linebacker Darius Muasau intercepted a pass from McKee and returned the ball to Stanford’s 23-yard line.
It was Charbonnet time once more, the running back making a hard cut through a huge hole to go untouched to the end zone.
Thompson-Robinson also showed plenty of resolve, shaking off several vicious hits to complete 18 of 29 passes for 199 yards before giving way to backup Ethan Garbers in the final minutes.
To notch their first home victory over Stanford in 14 years, the Bruins had to endure another wait. As in waiting all day.
The 7:36 p.m. kickoff was the latest Saturday start UCLA had faced all season. Last week, Kelly acknowledged not being a fan of “Pac-12 After Dark.”
“I see zero benefit,” Kelly said before listing the reasons these games exist. “Television. Money … I don’t think any player or any coach would say, ‘Hey, what do you want to do tomorrow?’ ‘Well, let’s sit around all day and do something tomorrow night.’ That’s not what competitors want to do. They want to play.”
Bruins left tackle Raiqwon O’Neal said he tried to take a midday nap whenever possible to ward off the drowsiness that otherwise might overtake his body during late games.
UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet, left, celebrates with offensive lineman Raiqwon O’Neal after scoring a touchdown in the first half.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
“Our bodies are on a time schedule so when night falls, when night starts to come, our body starts to get more sleepy,” O’Neal said, “so we gotta be able to adjust to that and be able to have our bodies awake when nighttime comes.”
The other wait UCLA stomached this week was one for redemption after suffering its first defeat of the season last weekend against Oregon. The Bruins needed to beat Stanford to stay on pace for a shot at playing for the Pac-12 championship. Charbonnet made sure his team stayed in the running, by running and running some more.
