By Matthew E. Milliken
MEMwrites.wordpress.com
Oct. 24, 2023
At the break of Saturday night’s Pac-12 football game at Stanford Stadium, noted Cardinal football fan and GoMightyCard.com founder Hank Waddles tweeted the following:
UCLA 21, Stanford 0 at the half. Feels like an eight-point lead for the Cardinal, TBH.
Waddles was referring, of course, to Stanford’s epic double-overtime comeback victory just eight days previously in a game against Colorado, which had seen the visiting Cardinal trail 29-0 at intermission.
On Saturday night on the Farm, however, there was no magic to be had. Bruins head coach Chip Kelly made none of the dubious fourth-down calls or other questionable decisions that Colorado’s Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders had done. Indeed, Kelly had no need to do much that seemed risky. His Bruins club boasts a stellar defense and an overall talent level that is superior to the Buffaloes — and also to the Cardinal. The powder blue and light-gold bears of Southern California allowed only one touchdown the entire game and generally stifled Stanford’s offense while earning a 42-7 victory.
UCLA upped its record to 5-2 overall (2-2 Pac-12) behind three first-half touchdown runs by junior running back Carson Steele and a superb performance by redshirt junior passer Ethan Garbers in only his second start of the year. Garbers — the younger brother of that Cal quarterback — completed 20 of 28 throws for 240 yards and two scores and ran for 51 yards without any fumbles or interceptions.
Meanwhile, a week after a fabulous comeback against a flawed team, Stanford (2-5, 1-4) showed that it has not magically solved the systemic problems that were exposed in a four-game losing streak. Head coach Troy Taylor’s club converted only one of 12 third downs while whiffing on all four fourth-down attempts. The Cardinal offense gained just 292 yards, including a mere 24 yards on 17 carries (1.7 yards per rush). Stanford put obstacles in its way by drawing 10 flags for 113 yards, the Cardinal’s most penalty yards since committing 12 infractions for an astounding 137 yards in a 31-7 home win over Central Florida back in 2015.
The Bruins took a 21-0 lead into the locker room on the strength of 2-, 8- and 3-yard scoring runs by Steele, who finished as the game’s leading rusher with 76 yards on 20 carries. In the third quarter, Garbers threw an eight-yard scoring strike to J. Michael Sturdivant and a 20-yard touchdown to Moliki Matavao.
Stanford didn’t get onto the board until late in the third quarter when sophomore slinger Ashton Daniels (27 for 45, 268 yards, one interception) connected with Tiger Bachmeier for a 20-yard score. It was the freshman receiver’s first collegiate touchdown.
Scoring ended early in the fourth quarter when T.J. Harden rushed to paydirt from 22 yards out to put UCLA on top, 42-7. Kelly then turned to his previous starter, freshman Dante Moore, and to backup quarterbacks Chase Griffin and Justyn Martin to lead UCLA’s last three possessions.
The Cardinal literally fumbled away a chance to close the gap a few minutes after Harden’s touchdown. After Elic Ayomanor caught a 15-yard yard pass on fourth and five at the visitor 44, defensive back Devin Kirkwood dislodged the ball, which was recovered by linebacker Oluwafemi Oladejo. On Stanford’s ensuing possession, Daniels dropped back to the pass on the first snap and was picked off by defensive back John Humphrey.
The Bruins could easily have won by more than five scores. Junior defensive lineman Anthony Franklin blocked a 40-yard field-goal try by UCLA kicker R.J. Lopez in the first quarter, and Lopez missed a 42-yard attempt in the fourth quarter.
UCLA might yet earn a spot among the top tier of 2023 Pac-12 teams and might even reach the league title game by winning out. Stanford, meanwhile, sits alone in 11th place and has parlous prospects for earning a third victory on the year.
A home date with the 7-0 Washington Huskies looms Saturday afternoon. If the Cardinal don’t perform better than they did against the Bruins, another embarrassing blowout loss is guaranteed.
Links
• ESPN
UCLA–Stanford team statistics
UCLA–Stanford box score
UCLA–Stanford play-by-play
UCLA–Stanford video highlights
• GoStanford.com
2023–24 Stanford football media information
2023–24 Stanford football roster
UCLA–Stanford interactive box score
UCLA–Stanford static box score, style A (PDF)
UCLA–Stanford static box score, style B (PDF)
• UCLABruins.com
2023–24 UCLA football roster
• YouTube
Matthew Loves Ball: UCLA–Stanford extended video highlights
Stanford Athletics: Stanford postgame press conference with head coach Troy Taylor
• Social media
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