UCLA's Double OT Scare vs. Colorado Raises Serious Questions About Bruins

Missed opportunities and self-inflicted errors nearly cost No. 25 UCLA in its 40-37, double-overtime win at Colorado Saturday, and the Bruins head into a critical four-game stretch left with more questions than answers.

“It’s a blessing we got the win,” quarterback Brett Hundley said in his postgame interview on Pac-12 Networks, accurately describing UCLA's good fortune to escape Folsom Field. 

UCLA squandered a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter, opening the door for a Buffaloes upset with 14 penalties for 121 yards and sluggish play on both sides of the ball. Bruins head coach Jim Mora has plenty to address in the coming week if his team is to keep its Pac-12 title aspirations alive.

The Bruins reached bowl eligibility with their sixth win and moved above .500 in Pac-12 play for the first time since blasting Arizona State in the conference opener on Sept. 25.

They also reversed at least one nagging trend that had been lingering heading into Saturday's contest: The Bruins ripped off 17 first-quarter points on running back Paul Perkins' 92-yard run and Hundley's 20-yard pass to wide receiver Jordan Payton. The quick start was a welcome deviation for a team that averaged just 4.1 first-quarter points in its first seven outings.

UCLA also used wide receiver Mossi Johnson more effectively, getting him three receptions for 33 yards. Offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone said getting Johnson more involved was a point of emphasis at practices this week.  

But as questions about sluggish starts and how to involve playmakers were answered, others arose.

Penalties have been a recurring issue in Mora's tenure—UCLA was among the nation's most penalized teams in 2012 and 2013—but the Bruins came into Saturday's contest averaging six fewer penalty yards per game than last season.

Those strides the Bruins made to eliminate the laundry were undone at Colorado.

UCLA didn't just attract flags, but costly flags. Two first-half interceptions were negated because of penalties. So, too, was a long Hundley run that moved UCLA into field-goal range on the final possession of regulation. 

Colorado's offense parlayed UCLA penalties into opportunities, getting five first downs off flags against the Bruin defense. Those shorter fields were compounded by UCLA's poor tackling, which the Buffaloes exploited to the tune of 500 yards.

Conversely, UCLA found itself playing behind the chains on the other end, effectively undoing all the good of the fast start. The Bruins scored just twice more after the first-quarter deluge and only once in the second half.

The two-pronged rushing attack of Hundley and Perkins produced almost 300 yards, with both averaging better than nine yards per carry. However, repeated long-yardage downs forced UCLA to be a passing team—which Hundley did uncharacteristically poorly.

He missed open targets on potential big plays, either overthrowing his receivers or simply not seeing them. The result was a 5.1 yard-per-attempt average.

Hundley also coughed up a fumble in UCLA territory. Turnovers near their own end zone have vexed the Bruins all season, and Saturday was no different.

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Mazzone said during the week that turnovers were "something we need to be conscious of." Apparently, it remains a necessary point for the staff to stress.

The Pac-12 championship is not out of reach for UCLA, but as the turnover issue helps crystallize, the Bruins must go back to the drawing board if they are to navigate their final stretch.

UCLA returns home to host Arizona next Saturday, the first of three contests in the Rose Bowl that also includes the annual rivalry bout with USC and the season finale against two-time Pac-12 champion Stanford.

Sporting a 3-0 record in road conference games compared to 0-2 at the Rose Bowl, the Bruins might feel more at home on Nov. 8 at Washington. But whether home or away, UCLA will be hard-pressed to win any of its final four matchups if it replicates the sloppy performance of Saturday's double-overtime win. 

Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise cited. Statistics via CUBuffs.com.