Charbonnet scores 3 TDs, #12 UCLA beats Stanford 38-13 | WGN 720 Radio

PASADENA, CA. (AP) While some may have wondered if UCLA would let their loss last week at Oregon, Zach Charbonnet and the rest of the Bruins quickly put those concerns to rest.

Charbonnet tied career highs with 198 yards rushing and three touchdowns as the 12th-ranked Bruins rebounded with a 38-13 win over Stanford on Saturday night.

“I thought Zach played great today,” coach Chip Kelly said. “He’s back three times. He can pick up a pass defense, he’s a weapon coming out of the backfield, and obviously we’ve seen what he’s like when he runs the football.”

Charbonnet, who leads the Pac-12 in rushing with 964 yards, became the first UCLA commit since Tyler Ebel in 2002 to have five straight 100-yard games. Eight of his 21 carries went for at least 10 yards. The junior also gained 61 yards on five catches and leads the nation in total yards per game at 170.9.

The Bruins rushed for 324 yards and averaged 7.2 yards per carry, improving to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in Pac-12 play. It’s UCLA’s best start since 2005, when it won its first eight games.

UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson had 249 yards from scrimmage, including 199 passing, and rushed for a touchdown.

Thompson-Robinson said he could tell as soon as the Bruins stepped off the plane last Saturday night that they had put the Oregon loss behind them.

“It was a really tough plane ride to sit down and think about, but once we landed, we were ready to get back and get back on the field,” said Thompson-Robinson, who went 18-of-29. “Especially for guys like me. I only have four or five more weeks as a Bruin, so I’m trying to take advantage of every opportunity.”

Stanford (3-5, 1-5) had its two-game winning streak snapped but scored its first touchdown in 11 quarters when Tanner McKee connected with Benjamin Jurasek on fourth-and-goal from the UCLA 2-yard line. It was the Cardinal’s first touchdown in 170 minutes, 54 seconds.

“Yes, we need more than that. . It was just a snap on the ball,” coach David Shaw said of the late TD. “There’s a lot of things we have to clean up for momentum, and the big one is really the defense and the connection between our quarterbacks and receivers.”

McKee completed 13 of 29 passes for 115 yards a week after throwing for 320 yards.

Shaw said it was his team’s worst performance in a month.

“Our mindset is always to defend well, no matter what. But obviously, if we want to have a good game, we have to play extra football,” midfielder Ricky Mizan said.

Stanford scored early on a 22-yard field goal by Joshua Carty before UCLA scored two touchdowns in 20 seconds. Thompson-Robinson capped a 12-play, 75-yard drive with a 3-yard scamper from right guard to give the Bruins a 7-3 lead with 6:05 left in the first quarter.

The Cardinal turned it around on the first play of their next drive when Mackey was picked off by Darius Mousau. Charbonnet then went 23 yards up the middle on the next play to put UCLA up by double digits.

“We emphasized getting back to basics, tackling and stopping the run. Keep it simple. We thought too much last week,” said Moussau.

The Bruins scored in the first four runs. Charbonnet scored from 1 yard out in the second quarter to make it 24-3 at halftime and added a 37-yard TD late in the third quarter.

GO AWAY

UCLA extended its lead to 38-6 on a six-play, 99-yard drive in the fourth. Kazmeir Allen went 72 yards for a touchdown, the Bruins’ first run of more than 70 yards since Demetric Felton Jr.’s 75-yard TD run against Oregon State in 2019.

INFLAMMATION

Defensive coordinator Bill McGovern missed the game with an illness. Analyst Clancy Pendergast, a former college and NFL defensive coordinator, filled him in.

FOR TAKE AWAY

Stanford: With their top two running backs out for the season with injuries, the Cardinal went with a backfield by committee and rushed for 118 yards. Caleb Robinson had 25 yards on five carries in the opener but finished with 10 carries for 36 yards.

UCLA: The Bruins beat Stanford in the Rose Bowl for the first time since 2006. They have won eight straight at home since last season’s loss to Oregon.

CONSEQUENCES OF THE SURVEY

UCLA can move back into the top 10 after a convincing win. If that happens, it will be the first time since Oct. 30, 2005 that the Bruins and their rival Southern California will be in the top 10.

FURTHER

Stanford: Hosts Washington State next Saturday.

UCLA: Travels to Arizona State next Saturday.

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