Stanford leads UCLA 35-17 at halftime

STANFORD — This article is going to sound like a broken record for UCLA football fans.

No. 15 Stanford leads No. 18 UCLA 35-17 at halftime, on the verge of winning its eighth-straight game in the rivalry series. The Bruins have once again hindered themselves with penalties – committing six for 57 yards – while the Cardinal have only committed two penalties for 10 yards.

Each of UCLA’s six penalties has been costly. One led to an interception, another led to a lost touchdown and a third led to an ejection.

UCLA’s first penalty was the one that led to the interception – and Stanford’s first score. It was an offensive pass interference call against senior wide receiver Jordan Payton that turned a third-and-1 play into a third-and-15 play. That third-and-15 play put freshman quarterback Josh Rosen in an obvious passing situation, and Stanford picked him off and returned the ball 31 yards for a touchdown.

The Bruins’ second and third penalties both came on their first red-zone trip of the game, dashing one of UCLA’s best chances for a touchdown in the first half.

The third penalty took points off the scoreboard for the Bruins. Redshirt junior tailback Paul Perkins ran around the left side for a 13-yard touchdown, but an offensive holding call on junior left tackle Caleb Benenoch nullified that play. Not only that, the penalty also pushed the Bruins out of the red zone, and UCLA would settle for just three points on that drive.

The fourth and fifth penalties were a little less fatal, but still damaging. Both occurred inside UCLA’s own 20-yard line, making it more and more difficult for the Bruins to make a dent in the field-position game. For the second straight game, UCLA has been destroyed in the field-position battle: UCLA’s average starting position has been its own 19-yard line, Stanford’s has been at its own 43-yard line.

The sixth penalty – a targeting foul on redshirt junior receiver Kenny Walker III – nullified a long run by Rosen and got Walker ejected from the game.

As damaging as penalties have been for UCLA, Stanford was dominant regardless. The Cardinal are owning the game at the line of scrimmage, averaging 6.9 yards per play and 6.04 yards per rush. The Bruins’ defense has looked outmatched against the Cardinal, and will need to be nearly perfect in the second half if UCLA has any chance of winning this game.

Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.