UCLA upsets LSU 38-27
LSU (0-1) lost its second straight season opener Saturday being upset by UCLA 38-27 notching Chip Kelly’s first signature win as the Bruins’ coach.
With Kelly going 10-21 in his first three seasons at UCLA (2-0), there was ample pressure for the Bruins to dial up a major win against the Tigers, and his squad did not disappoint.
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While LSU’s offense showed flashes of excitement, it was ultimately one-dimensional and unable to move the ball with consistency. In the first half, the Tigers ran for a grand total of three yards.
"We need to be more diverse," LSU coach Ed Orgeron said. "We need to have multiple runs or multiple sets, which we didn’t do tonight."
In the end, UCLA’s physical offensive attack and the veteran defensive unit simply overwhelmed the Tigers.
“If we are running the ball well, we’ll stick with what’s right. But I think that if you look at the play-action passes today, those were huge for us," Kelly said. "I'm happy with the way Dorian played. I think that he’s going to get better each week, and that is a positive for us.”
After finishing the game with a total of 48 rushing yards on 25 carries, offseason questions of LSU’s running back and offensive line depth remain. Notably, the Tigers were missing Running backs John Emery Jr. and Armani Goodwin leaving Tyrion Davis-Price to manage the majority of the load rushing 13 times for 30 yards.
“UCLA did a good job of managing the run and being in the right spots,” LSU quarterback Max Johnson said. “But we have to correct that. And, that will be done."
Behind the struggles of the rushing attack, was an offensive line losing the battles in the trenches. The offensive line not only struggled to open up running lanes but also struggled to create a clean passing pocket.
Johnson wasn’t perfect, but he did lead a much more effective passing attack, going 26-46 for 330 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.
“I thought at times he handled pressure well,” Orgeron said. "Scrambled and make plays with his feet, but at times he was off. We made some big plays, he threw some balls in the dirt, we missed some plays, then again, hot and cold. He made some good plays, but he wasn’t as consistent as we need as LSU’s quarterback.”
Johnson took a number of hits and had to buy time many times throughout the game. This caused a few mistakes and missed targets, but that didn’t stop him from finding his favorite target, receiver Kayshon Boutte, early and often.
Boutte finished with nine catches for 148 yards and three touchdowns.
Defensively, LSU showed promise early on. The Tigers forced four sacks and an interception. However, as the game ground on and the physicality of players like UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet and tight end Greg Dulcich, the unit could not keep up. The aforementioned duo put up 117 yards rushing and receiving respectively.
In all, LSU’s defense yielded 470 yards to the Bruins.
Follow Preston Guy on Twitter @PGuy_77.
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