Instant Reaction: UCLA survives major scare to slip past South Alabama

This was supposed to be the final tune-up from an exceeding light non-conference schedule for UCLA, one more chance to build some easy confidence before starting Pac-12 play.

That was not the reality Saturday.

The Bruins needed every second of this game to withstand and overcome an upset scare from South Alabama, as Nicholas Barr-Mira's 24-yard field goal as time expired gave UCLA a 32-31 win and its fan base a major sigh of relief.

Barr-Mira made four field goals on the day to send the Bruins to 3-0.

UCLA will be happy to just take the win and move on from what could have been a devastating afternoon.

First quarter

12:18, UCLA: Nicholas Barr-Mira 38-yard FG, UCLA 3-0

8:51, South Alabama: Marco Lee 1-yard TD run (Diego Guajardo kick), USA 7-3

4:26, UCLA: Nicholas Barr-Mira 49-yard FG, USA 7-6

1:540, South Alabama: Diego Guajardo 38-yard FG, USA 10-6

Second quarter

6:05, South Alabama: La'Damian Webb 9-yard TD run (Diego Guajardo kick), USA 17-6

3:25, UCLA: Dorian Thompson-Robinson 9-yard TD pass to Jake Bobo (Nicholas Barr-Mira kick), USA 17-13

Third quarter

13:22, UCLA: Dorian Thompson-Robinson 11-yard TD pass to Kam Brown (Nicholas Barr-Mira kick), ULCA 20-17

4:46, UCLA: Nicholas Barr-Mira 28-yard FG, UCLA 23-17

1:43, South Alabama: Marco Lee 1-yard TD run (Diego Guajardo kick), USA 24-23

0:57, South Alabama: Carter Bradley 4-yard TD pass to Caullin Lacy (Diego Guajardo kick), USA 31-23

Fourth quarter

12:25, UCLA: Dorian Thompson-Robinson 8-yard TD pass to Logan Loya (2-point conversion fail), USA 31-29

0:00, UCLA: Nicholas Barr-Mira 24-yard FG, UCLA 32-31

Kicker Nicholas Barr Mira: The redshirt junior was a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals Saturday, converting from 38, 49, 28 and 24 yards, confidently booting the game-winner through as time expired. The fact that kicker gets this spotlight says a lot about how this game played out for the Bruins.

Linebacker JonJon Vaughns: Vaughns had 7 tackles, an interception and a pass breakup. The interception game on the first series of the game and set UCLA up at the South Alabama 21, leading to an early field goal.

South Alabama coach Kane Wommack had a pivotal decision to make in the waning minutes Saturday, facing a fourth-and-2 from the UCLA 22 while leading 31-29.

The Jaguars lined up for the field goal but quickly shifted formation prior to snapping it to the holder Tanner McGee, who looked to pass for the first down. But there was no open receiver and UCLA's Carl Jones Jr. came running unimpeded around the edge and closed in on McGee for the quick sack.

That meant the Bruins only needed a field goal to steal the win rather than having to punch it in the end zone. It's a call Wommack will surely be second-guessing on the trip back to Alabama.

The game was nothing but turning points!

Let's track the Bruins' comeback, though.

First, South Alabama had just gone up 24-23 late in the third quarter when UCLA fumbled on the first play of the ensuing drive as Keegan Jones couldn't secure a pitch from Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The ball got knocked backwards 24 yards before South Alabama recovered it at the Bruins' 6. Two plays later, the Jaguars scored on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Carter Bradley to Caullin Lacy to go up 31-23

Thompson-Robinson got the Bruins moving after that, though, hitting Logan Loya for a 28-yard gain on third down and then later an 8-yard touchdown to Loya on a crucial fourth-and-4. Thompson-Robinson got stopped short on the 2-point conversion, though, to keep it a 31-29 game.

The teams then traded punts and with time becoming a factor, it looked like the Bruins' Azizi Hearn had stuffed South Alabama on a third-and-7 near midfield as the completion came up a couple yards short. But Sitiveni Havili-Kaufusi jumped on top of the receiver after he was already down, drawing a late hit penalty that gave the Jaguars a first down.

It could have been a costly mistake, but the defense rallied for another stop four plays later on that aforementioned fake field goal sack.

UCLA took over at its own 33 with 2:52 remaining and Thompson-Robinson soon hit Titus Mokiao-Atimalala for a 29-yard gain across midfield, followed by a 9-yard connection to Mokiao-Atimalala and two runs from Jones for a combined 10 yards.

From there, Chip Kelly opted to run the clock down and set up the game-winning field goal.

Hey, 3-0 is 3-0 and UCLA will have a great chance to make it four straight wins to open the season when it travels to Colorado next weekend to face a Buffaloes team that looks to be the worst in the Pac-12.

Dating back to last season, that makes seven wins in a row for the Bruins and Kelly improves to 21-25 in his UCLA tenure.

Passing

Dorian Thompson-Robinson: 20 of 30 for 263 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT

Rushing

Zach Charbonnet: 13 carries for 77 yards

Keegan Jones: 14 carries for 65 yards

Dorian Thompson-Robinson: 8 carries for 3 yards

Matt Sykes: 1 carry for 0 yards

Receiving

Jake Bobo: 5 catches for 89 yards, TD

Zach Charbonnet: 3 catches for 51 yards

Titus Mokiah-Atimalala: 3 catches for 47 yards

Logan Loya: 3 catches for 37 yards, TD

Kam Brown: 2 catches for 19 yards, TD

Carsen Ryan: 1 catch for 8 yards

Kazmeir Allen: 2 catches for 7 yards

Hudson Habermehl: 1 catch for 5 yards