Cal vs. UCLA: Game Grades, Analysis for Bears and Bruins

In another Thursday night shocker, No. 20 California limped out of the Rose Bowl following a 40-24 beatdown from rival UCLA, who reignited its conference title hopes behind the victory. True freshman quarterback Josh Rosen impressed throughout, snapping a school record for completions while totaling 399 yards passing with three scores.

Up next, the Bruins (5-2, 2-2 Pac-12) host division opponent Colorado next week at the Rose Bowl while the stumbling Golden Bears (5-2, 2-2 Pac-12) return to Berkeley to face USC at home. For more details on the Cal-UCLA game, check out the NCAA box score here.

	First Half	Second Half
Pass Offense	A+	A-
Rush Offense	B+	B-
Pass Defense	B-	C
Rush Defense	A+	A
Special Teams	A+	B
Coaching	A	A

Pass Offense: Put simply, Rosen was prolific. After a brilliant first half in which the true freshman completed 24-of-33 passes for 238 yards and two scores, Rosen followed up with a 161-yard, one-touchdown performance en route to breaking the school's single-game record for completions with 34. 

Rush Offense: Considering how Rosen was driving the passing game, it's safe to assume Jim Mora and the coaching staff saw no need to put much pressure on the rush attack. However, Paul Perkins and Soso Jamabo combined for 152 yards on 29 carries for one touchdown, removing any focus on Rosen by a not-so-impressive Cal defense.

Pass Defense: Quarterback Jared Goff's numbers may have been statistically solid at the final whistle, but the tape will show UCLA's defensive front harassing him all night. On top of that, tight coverage forced out-of-sync throws and a multitude of dropped passes. 

Rush Defense: The Cal rushing game was a joke in the first half, mainly because UCLA controlled the line of scrimmage. The second half was, for the most part, similar, as the Golden Bears abandoned their ground game to try and put quick scores on the board. On the day, Cal racked up 131 yards, but most came during garbage time and failed to impact the course of the matchup. 

Special Teams: Kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn drilled a school-record 60-yard field goal to close the half for UCLA, which set the tone for the Bruins in the second. Prior to that bomb, though, Fairbairn nailed three (much) shorter kicks to help UCLA establish a commanding lead. 

Coaching: After the away loss to Stanford last week, many questioned the "get-up" of UCLA. However, Mora and his staff composed an almost perfect game plan for Cal, as consistent pressure and faith in Rosen pushed the Bruins to a clean victory. Further, another slew of injuries plagued the team, but an unmatched resolve by the coaches helped UCLA over the hump of its past two losses. 

	First Half	Second Half
Pass Offense	B+	A-
Rush Offense	D	C-
Pass Defense	D+	C
Rush Defense	B-	C+
Special Teams	C+	B-
Coaching	B-	C

Pass Offense: After closing the first half with a long drive and impressive score to Kenny Lawler, most thought quarterback Jared Goff might recover for an impressive second. Unfortunately for Cal, the junior was unable to craft a comeback, as despite solid numbers (32 of 53 for 295 yards and three scores), his offensive line could not shut down the pass rush and Cal could not establish a running game. 

Rush Offense: The first half featured a dismal 35 total yards, and even though the second half was better with 97 yards, most came in garbage time late in the fourth. There's not much else to say, except the Golden Bears need more balance to stand a chance as the season progresses. 

Pass Defense: The Josh Rosen show of the first half, which ended with 238 yards for two scores, continued into the second, as the freshman quarterback broke a completion record while racking up more yards and another touchdown. The Cal defense struggled to put any pressure on the young signal-caller, and receivers were constantly open. 

Rush Defense: Despite losing Perkins to injury, the UCLA rushing attack still found its legs in its 174-yard, one-touchdown performance. Jamabo stepped in when needed, while Rosen was able to take pressure off the offensive line with his strong passing attack. 

Special Teams: The early field goal was good for Cal's only lead, but a failed fake punt and a strange (but still no good) onside kick put this unit in the doghouse. Outside of those "big" plays, Cal was relatively quiet on special teams. 

Coaching: Coming off a bye week, much more was expected from Sonny Dykes' squad. The offense was sluggish and unresponsive while the defense failed to put any pressure on Rosen throughout the game. Against a UCLA team fresh off two losses, Dykes and his staff deserve most the blame for the mental shortcomings of Cal on Thursday night.