Bruins Fans in Rose Bowl Treated to Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s Record-Breaking Performance Saturday

QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson completed 18 of 23 passes for 299 yards and four touchdowns to lead the No. 18-ranked UCLA football team past No. 11-ranked Utah, 42-32, on Saturday afternoon at the Rose Bowl as he broke the Bruins’ all-time touchdown passing record.

Thompson-Robinson’s 70-yard touchdown pass to Logan Loya, midway through the fourth quarter, set the new school record for most career touchdown passes (76, eclipsing Brett Hundley’s 75 touchdowns).

Zach Charbonnet totaled 198 rushing yards on 22 carries and scored one rushing touchdown as UCLA (6-0, 3-0 Pac-12) continued its best start to a football season since 2005, when the Bruins opened that year with an 8-0 mark.

Charbonnet crossed the 100-yard rushing plateau for the fourth time in six games this season.

“We had confidence going into the game,” UCLA head coach Chip Kelly said. “Our confidence was based on demonstrated ability. They trained at a really high level this week, and when you are playing six games into the season and it’s your best week of training, those are the results. The tough thing is that you can’t replicate that every week, or at least, that’s the challenge. So those guys have got to understand that.”

In all, Thompson-Robinson accounted for five touchdowns – four passing touchdown and one on the ground.

Utah quarterback Cameron Rising threw for 287 yards, completing 23 of 32 passes. He finished with one touchdown pass and picked up 59 yards on the ground.

The Bruins scored a pair of touchdowns within a two-minute span midway through the fourth quarter to secure a 42-25 lead against Utah. Those back-to-back scores helped UCLA secure its largest lead of the afternoon.

Loya caught a pass from Thompson-Robinson and took it 70 yards for a touchdown with 11:17 to play. That score put the Bruins ahead, 35-25.

On Utah’s next offensive series, UCLA’s Darius Muasau forced a fumble by Rising. Bruins’ defensive back Jaylin Davies scooped up the loose ball and carried it down to the Utah one-yard line. Charbonnet scored on a one-yard touchdown run at the 9:26 mark in the final quarter, handing UCLA a 17-point cushion.

Utah cut the Bruins’ cushion from 42-25 to 42-32, as Utes’ cornerback Clark Phillips III intercepted a pass from Thompson-Robinson and returned it 80 yards and into the end zone with 31 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

UCLA led Utah by a 28-18 margin after three quarters and never trailed in the Pac-12 contest.

Leading 14-10 at halftime, UCLA added to its lead with a touchdown on the opening possession in the third quarter. Thompson-Robinson’s five-yard touchdown pass over the middle put the Bruins ahead, 21-10.

Utah countered with a touchdown and a two-point conversion midway through the third quarter. The Utes used a nine-play, 48-yard drive to pull within 21-18 of the Bruins. Cameron Rising scored on a six-yard touchdown carry and then kept the ball on the two-point attempt, a two-yard run for the Utes’ quarterback.

In the game’s first half, the Bruins scored first. UCLA took a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter on a seven-play, 97-yard drive after linebacker Darius Muasau had intercepted a pass to secure possession for the Bruins.

After four complete passes by Thompson-Robinson during the drive, the Bruins’ signal-caller carried the ball seven yards and into the end zone for UCLA’s first score of the day.

Utah trimmed the Bruins’ lead to 7-3 early in the second quarter, as Jordan Noyes kicked through a 23-yard field goal at the 10-minute mark.

The Bruins pushed their margin to 14-3 with 7:34 to play before halftime. Charbonnet broke lose for a 44-yard carry on the first play of UCLA’s drive, sending the Bruins into Utah territory. Five plays later, Thompson-Robinson connected with Jake Bobo in the back of the end zone for a seven-yard touchdown pass.

Utah cut the score to 14-10 on its next drive, advancing the ball 84 yards on eight plays. Tavion Thomas capped the Utes’ drive with a five-yard touchdown rush with 3:14 to go in the second quarter.

Both UCLA and Utah each missed field goal attempts – UCLA from 21 yards and Utah from 43 yards – on their final offensive drives in the second quarter (within the final 70 seconds of the quarter).