UCLA Football: 3 takeaways from heartbreaking loss to USC in Week 15

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Dec 12, 2020; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (1) carries the ball in the second quarter against the Southern California Trojans at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Dorian Thompson-Robinson looks like a new quarterback

In his freshman and sophomore seasons, Dorian Thompson-Robinson looked like a slight bust. Chip Kelly was supposed to do wonders with him at quarterback but he never seemed to get better over those two seasons and even though he got plenty of starting experience, he was nothing more than an average Pac-12 passer.

This season, however, he looks different. He’s playing with more confidence and he’s kept UCLA in every game that he’s played so far.

No, his numbers haven’t been overwhelmingly impressive, but he just looks different. It looks like Kelly has finally gotten through to him and he’s helped to lead the Bruins to a 3-3 season and they’ve been just a few plays away from 6-0. Yes, UCLA could easily be undefeated right now and in the same shoes as USC.

Thompson-Robinson out-dueled Kedon Slovis for a good portion of the night, posting 364 yards and four touchdowns on an incredibly accurate 30-of-36 completions. He also rushed for 50 yards on 10 carries.

Over 400 yards of total offense against a ranked foe, keeping UCLA in the game? Not too bad for someone who was labeled a “bust” before the season.

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