Cavaliers Fall in Season Opener to No. 13 Bruins, 34-16

PASADENA, Calif. (AP)– Matt Johns passed for 238 yards in a 34-16 season opener loss to the UCLA Bruins.

UCLA’s Josh Rosen stepped in for three-year starter Brett Hundley with remarkable poise, and the Bruins racked up 503 total yards.

“I just thought their receivers outplayed our corners,” London said. “Again, give Rosen a lot of credit. Some of the throws he made were right on point, indicative of a good football player.”

Matt Johns passed for 238 yards for the Cavaliers, who reached the end zone by way of Taquan Mizzell’s TD catch with 3:29 left.

On his first snap, Rosen put a long play-action pass perfectly onto Kenneth Walker III’s hands with nobody between him and the end zone – but the backup receiver dropped it. UCLA’s first drive fizzled, but Rosen completed seven straight throws to close the first quarter, including a short TD pass to Fuller.

“He’s going to be a great quarterback this year,” Virginia cornerback Demetrious Nicholson said. “He did a lot of great things, his O-line definitely blocked, and we’ve got to do a better job covering on the back end and getting pressure as a whole defense together.”

Johns went 9 for 20 in the second half in the school’s second-ever trip to California. Mizzell caught eight passes for 100 yards, and will face Notre Dame and Boise State later this month.