MidValleySports.Com

By Alex A. Gonzalez

Pasadena – Saturday afternoon at Spieker Field at the Rose Bowl was the home debut for newly minted head coach Bob Chesney and the UCLA Bruins when they took on the San Diego St. Aztecs in front of 31,973 fans. 

Although the offense produced zero points in the first half, they righted the ship in the second half, scoring 21 straight points to help the Bruins cruise to a 28-10 win. Wayne Knight led the way for the Bruins with a three-touchdown performance along with 97 yards on 13 carries. 

After a convincing 45-24 win last week at California, Saturday afternoon’s contest at the Rose Bowl went the complete opposite way when the team failed to score any points in the first 30 minutes of play. 

“That is not the way we want to play football. Obviously in the first half, but then at the same point, that’s where we were able to find ourselves,” commented Chesney postgame. “It wasn’t pretty, but it was gritty, and you need one of those. I thought our guys did a good job of finding a way to win the game.  

UCLA did have a chance to take a one-possession lead with 9:19 remaining in the second quarter, but Nico Iamaleava had his pass picked off by Mike Lindsay in the end zone, ending the drive. 

In fact, the drive was the only possession by either team that had a chance to sniff the end zone throughout the first half. Of the nine combined possessions, the Aztecs and Bruins ended eight in a punt. 

UCLA went into the intermission tied 0-0 with San Diego St. 

The Bruins then came out in the second half more aggressive on both sides of the ball. The defense forced a quick three-and-out thanks to Jalen Woods sacking Jayden Denegal, ending the Aztecs’ first possession. 

Then on the ensuing possession Iamaleava and Wayne Knight combined for 43 yards rushing on the four-play drive that resulted in Knight taking the handoff and running up the middle for an 8-yard touchdown run. 

UCLA’s defense kept their aggressiveness up throughout the third quarter, keeping the Aztec running game in check. Lucky Sutton, who ended the night with 18 carries for 83 yards, had to work for every yard any time he obtained possession of the ball. 

He did, however, help the Aztecs drive down the field as the fourth quarter started, setting up Cooper Dileva to boot a 46-yard field goal and make it 10-3. 

But then at the 7:17 mark of the final period, the Bruins’ offense exploded for 21 unanswered points. 

Following the field goal Knight made it a two-possession game after he took the handoff and rushed to the right for the 7-yard touchdown. Then on their next offensive series, Jaivian Thomas joined the scoring party when he reached paydirt from a yard out. 

San Diego didn’t fold, however, when they fell down 21-3 within three minutes. The Aztecs compiled a 5-play, 65-yard drive that was capped off when Jackson Ford hauled in Jayden Denegal’s 19-yard pass.  

The Bruins and Knight called the game on the ensuing possession once they recovered SDSU’s attempt at an onside kick with 2:28 remaining in the game. After picking up six yards on his first attempt, Knight took the second handoff of the drive, rushed up the middle, bounced off a would-be tackler, and raced to the end zone from 36 yards out. 

With the win, the Bruins move to 2-0 on the season and will try to make it a third consecutive win next week when they host Purdue. The Aztecs will look to bounce back next week when they host James Madison.