UCLA Bruins

UCLA continues to struggle, overpowered by No. 6 Oklahoma

Published Sep. 8, 2018 5:16 p.m. ET

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Kyler Murray passed for three touchdowns and ran for two, and No. 6 Oklahoma defeated UCLA 49-21 on Saturday, but lost star running back Rodney Anderson to a leg injury.

Anderson ran for 10 yards on the final play of the first quarter, and then got up slowly. He limped off on his own, and trainers tended to the preseason All-Big 12 pick before he headed to the locker room. He was back on the bench later, out of uniform.

Murray picked up the slack with 306 yards passing and 69 yards rushing. CeeDee Lamb had seven catches for 146 yards and Marquise Brown added 88 yards and a touchdown on four catches for the Sooners (2-0).

Oklahoma led 21-7 at halftime. The Sooners held the Bruins to 133 yards before the break and sacked UCLA freshman quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson five times. Thompson-Robinson started in place of the injured Wilton Speight.

In the third quarter, Lamb's 66-yard punt return led to a 10-yard touchdown pass from Murray to A.D. Miller that put the Sooners up 35-7.

Thompson-Robinson completed 16 of 26 passes for 254 yards. Bolu Olorunfunmi ran for 56 yards and two touchdowns for UCLA, which fell to 0-2 under new coach Chip Kelly.

THE TAKEAWAY

UCLA: The Bruins got off to a good start but could not sustain it. Thompson-Robinson had good moments, but he struggled at times with accuracy and Oklahoma prevented him from taking off for long runs. He got little help from his running game.

https://twitter.com/GeorgeStoia/status/1038529047624593409

Oklahoma: The Sooners learned that their defense and special teams can carry the load against a Power Five opponent. Tre Brown had 121 yards on two kickoff returns.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Last week, Florida Atlantic coach Lane Kiffin said the Sooners looked like a playoff team during a 63-14 win last Saturday. They looked the part again, and they should at least remain steady in the next AP poll .

UP NEXT

UCLA hosts Fresno State.

Oklahoma travels to Iowa State. The Cyclones upset the Sooners 38-31 in Norman last year.