The Bruins allowed one sack Saturday night in Boulder after letting up 3.1 per game in 2019.
That one sack, however, was given up by one of the offensive line’s many new faces – Villanova graduate transfer Paul Grattan.
Junior quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson would often buy his offensive line Wingstop after games last season, but Grattan said no one has sent him any chicken after UCLA football’s (0-1) 48-42 loss to Colorado (1-0).
“I haven’t received any Wingstop yet, but I also gave up a sack,” Grattan said. “So maybe that’s why.”
Thompson-Robinson was constantly under pressure Saturday despite the Buffaloes’ low sack total. The quarterback took eight hits, was hurried nine times and was forced to throw off his back foot on a solid percentage of his 40 pass attempts.
Sophomore left tackle Sean Rhyan said the constant pressure and four early turnovers put the offensive line in a tough spot on the road in an unfamiliar environment.
“We kind of shot ourselves in the foot a little bit,” Rhyan said. “As a unit, and as a whole, we played really well for traveling our first game. And that’s a tough first game because you’re traveling … to altitude, air is thinner, so you’re breathing heavier, quicker.”
Four Buffaloes recorded tackles for loss in the game, all of whom were upperclassmen. Grattan, who is a fifth-year player himself, said he went into the game knowing the physical, veteran Colorado defensive front would be a problem.
“I expected good competition, good D-line play – bigger, better, faster, guys – and that’s what I got,” Grattan said. “It’s fired me up a little bit to compete my ass off and just keep working.”
The offense still managed to put up 42 points, 14 of which came off delayed screens to running backs that turned into touchdowns. The first went to redshirt senior Demetric Felton in the first quarter, and the other went to redshirt freshman Keegan Jones in the third.
The offensive line rolled out and paved the way for Felton, and Grattan said he saw a path for his running back the second he caught the ball.
“As soon as I saw that the corner wasn’t bailing to come out to the outside, I was like, ‘Oh, this is touchdown,'” Grattan said. “I just kept climbing and blocked the safety over the top of me, and (redshirt junior center) Sam (Marrazzo) led the charge.”
That touchdown closed the gap from 14-0 to 14-7, but Colorado eventually stretched its lead back to 35-7 later in the first half.
A 28-point comeback wouldn’t have been unheard of for UCLA, which staged a 34-point comeback against Texas A&M in 2017 and a 32-point comeback against Washington State in 2019.
The history of late-game turnarounds helped fuel the Bruins’ offense to a 28-point second half, Rhyan said, since they knew they were never officially out of the game.
“The game’s not over until it’s over, so we’re just gonna keep playing until that final bell rings out or they blow that final whistle,” Rhyan said. “We’re not just gonna pack it up and take the easy way out. We’re gonna keep grinding and keep working until there’s 0:00 left on that clock.”
Rhyan and the rest of the UCLA team have a chance to put together a full 60-minute performance against Utah on Saturday, with kickoff currently scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the Rose Bowl, should the game continue as planned.
