2020 UCLA Bruins football team explained

The 2020 UCLA Bruins football team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by third-year head coach Chip Kelly and competed as members of the Pac-12 Conference in the South Division.

On August 11, the Pac-12 Conference initially canceled all fall sports competitions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[1] On September 24, the conference announced that a six-game conference-only season would begin on November 6, with the Pac-12 Championship Game to be played December 18. Teams not selected for the championship game would be seeded to play a seventh game.^[2]

On December 17, with a 3–3 record and one game left to play, the program announced that they would decline any invitation to a bowl game.^[3] The Bruins lost their final game, finishing their season with a 3–4 record. The combined deficit in their four defeats was only 15 points, including a one-point loss to Stanford in double overtime, 48–47, in the season finale.

Overall on the season, the Bruins outscored their opponents by a total of 248 to 215.

Offseason

Position key

Back	B		Center	C		Cornerback	CB		Defensive back	DB
Defensive end	DE		Defensive lineman	DL		Defensive tackle	DT		End	E
Fullback	FB		Guard	G		Halfback	HB		Kicker	K
Kickoff returner	KR		Offensive tackle	OT		Offensive lineman	OL		Linebacker	LB
Long snapper	LS		Punter	P		Punt returner	PR		Quarterback	QB
Running back	RB		Safety	S		Tight end	TE		Wide receiver	WR

Impact of coronavirus pandemic

On August 5, 2020, the Los Angeles County Health Director announced that eight UCLA football players tested positive for COVID-19.^[4]

Preseason

Pac-12 media days

The Preseason Media poll shows the Bruins at 4th place in the South Division.

Preseason All-Pac-12 teams

Personnel

Coaching staff

• Head coach: Chip Kelly (New Hampshire '90) 3rd year
• Defensive coordinator: Jerry Azzinaro 3rd year
• Quarterbacks: Dana Bible 3rd year
• Receivers: Jimmie Dougherty 4th year
• Running backs: DeShaun Foster 4th year
• Offensive coordinator / Off. Line: Justin Frye 3rd year
• Outside linebackers: Jason Kaufusi 2nd year
• Defensive line: Johnny Nansen 1st Year
• Asst. head coach/passing game coord./ defensive backs: Brian Norwood 1st year
• Inside linebackers: Don Pellum 3rd year
• Tight ends / special teams: Derek Sage 3rd year
• Director of football performance: Frank Wintrich 3rd year

Depth chart

Schedule

UCLA's 2020 regular season was announced on January 16.^[5] The Bruins had games scheduled against New Mexico State, Hawaii, and San Diego State, but canceled these games on July 10 due to the Pac-12 Conference's decision to play a conference-only schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[6]

On November 13, UCLA's scheduled home game against Utah was canceled after a COVID-19 outbreak within the Utah program.^[7] The same day, the Pac-12 announced UCLA would instead host California the morning of November 15;^[8] the Golden Bears' scheduled game at Arizona State had also been canceled after Arizona State had a COVID-19 outbreak. UCLA's game at Oregon was moved by a day to Saturday, November 21, to accommodate the other changes.^[9]

Original 2020 UCLA Bruins schedule
Date	Opponent	Site
August 29	New Mexico State	Rose Bowl • Pasadena, CA
September 5	at Hawaii*	Aloha Stadium • Honolulu, HI
September 19	at San Diego State*	SDCCU Stadium • San Diego, CA
September 26		Rose Bowl • Pasadena, CA
October 3		Rose Bowl • Pasadena, CA
October 10		Sun Devil Stadium • Tempe, AZ
October 17		Folsom Field • Boulder, CO
October 29		Rose Bowl • Pasadena, CA
November 7		Reser Stadium • Corvallis, OR
November 14		Rose Bowl • Pasadena, CA
November 21		Rose Bowl • Pasadena, CA (Victory Bell)
November 27		California Memorial Stadium • Berkeley, CA (rivalry)

^[10]

Game summaries

At Colorado

See also: 2020 Colorado Buffaloes football team.

While UCLA attempted a valiant second-half comeback, their four turnovers in the first half proved too much to overcome and the Bruins were defeated, 48–42.

California

See also: 2020 California Golden Bears football team and California–UCLA football rivalry.

At Oregon

See also: 2020 Oregon Ducks football team.

Arizona

See also: 2020 Arizona Wildcats football team.

Arizona State

See also: 2020 Arizona State Sun Devils football team.

USC

See also: 2020 USC Trojans football team and UCLA-USC football rivalry.

Stanford

See also: 2020 Stanford Cardinal football team.

Rankings

On December 6, UCLA received a vote in the AP Poll for the first time since 2017.

Players drafted into the NFL

See also: 2021 NFL draft.

3	75		DT	Dallas Cowboys
6	211		RB	Cleveland Browns

Statistics

Awards and honors

• Associated Press 2020 All-Conference Team – Osa Odighizuwa (defensive tackle) and Demetric Felton (all-purpose), first team; Greg Dulcich (tight end), Caleb Johnson (linebacker), Felton (running back) second team
• Pac–12 2020 All-Conference Team – Osa Odighizuwa (first team); Greg Dulcich, Demetric Felton and Dorian Thompson-Robinson (second-team); Stephan Blaylock, Caleb Johnson, Qwuantrezz Knight, Sam Marrazzo and Kyle Philips (honorable mention)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Pac-12 Conference postpones all sport competitions through end of calendar year . pac-12.com . August 11, 2020. August 11, 2020.
2. Web site: Pac-12 announces resumption of football, basketball & winter sports seasons . pac-12.com . September 24, 2020. September 24, 2020.
3. Web site: Bolch . Ben . UCLA will decline invitation to bowl game even if eligible . Los Angeles Times . December 17, 2020 . December 17, 2020.
4. Web site: Eight UCLA football players test positive for COVID-19; Divisions II and III cancel fall sports . Kartje . Ryan . August 5, 2019 . . August 5, 2019.
5. Web site: Football Schedule Announced for 2020 . UCLA Bruins.
6. Web site: Bromberg . Nick . 10 July 2020 . Pac-12 follows Big Ten's lead and won't play non-conference games in 2020 . 10 July 2020 . Yahoo! Sports.
7. Web site: Pac-12 statement on Utah at UCLA football game. https://web.archive.org/web/20210123071347/https://pac-12.com/article/2020/11/13/pac-12-statement-utah-ucla-football-game-0. dead. January 23, 2021. 2020-11-13. pac-12.com. en.
8. Web site: Pac-12 statement on Cal at UCLA football game. https://web.archive.org/web/20201115082656/https://pac-12.com/article/2020/11/13/pac-12-statement-cal-ucla-football-game. dead. November 15, 2020. 2020-11-13. pac-12.com. en.
9. Web site: Bonagura . Kyle . November 13, 2020 . UCLA-Cal set for Sunday following Arizona State, Utah cancellations . 2020-11-13 . . en.
10. Web site: 2020 UCLA Football Schedule . UCLA Athletics . October 30, 2020.