Fresno State trolls UCLA Bruins after win
The UCLA Bruins on Saturday dropped a game they had no business losing, falling in 40-37, come-from-behind fashion to the Fresno State Bulldogs, and the Bulldogs just had to poke fun at the Bruins after the win.
Head coach Chip Kelly had led UCLA to a program-defining start to the year; the Bruins — after struggling in nonconference games under Kelly — defeated Hawaii and LSU in back-to-back weeks, giving them a 2-0 record and No. 13 ranking in the AP top-25 poll heading into their bye week.
Evidently, UCLA slipped into a funk during its bye week.
In a back-and-forth ballgame, UCLA with 54 seconds left in the contest took a 37-33 lead, one that appeared to be enough to seal the deal. But the ensuing Fresno State possession — which covered 75 yards in six plays. courtesy of a ten-yard pass, a 27-yard pass, a 26-yard pass and a 13-yard touchdown pass — saw the Bulldogs score a game-winning touchdown, putting them up 40-37.
The final pass, a Jake Haener completion to Jalen Cropper, capped off the drive with a touchdown with just 40 seconds left in the game, after a quarter that saw both teams combine for five fourth-quarter touchdowns.
Then, Fresno State took it a step further on Twitter. The Bulldogs’ football account tweeted a picture of the backdrop of Los Angeles’ famous “Hollywood” sign, which showed just an “L.” The caption said, “See ya next time, LOSS Angeles.”
UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson played a solid game despite a losing effort. He completed 14-of-24 passing attempts against Fresno State, throwing for 278 passing yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Thompson-Robinson also added 13 carries to his performance, including a team-best 15-yard rush, for a total of 67 rushing yards.
UCLA’s defense was simply unable to contain the pass-heavy attack of Fresno State. Quarterback Jake Haener completed 39-of-53 passing attempts for a whopping 455 passing yards, along with two passing touchdowns and an interception. Haener’s favorite target, wide receiver Jalen Cropper, had a career-high 14 receptions for 141 receiving yards and a touchdown, while the second-leading receiver, Josh Kelly, had eight receptions and 120 yards of his own. Fresno State’s rushing attack was equally effective on Saturday, as running back Ronnie Rivers pounded for 136 rushing yards on 21 carries, along with two touchdown rushes.
The Bruins struggled to move the ball on the ground, rushing for just 117 yards after averaging 227.0 rushing yards in their first two games of the season. UCLA’s loss means that three weeks into the season, every Pac-12 team expect Oregon has a loss.