Kyler Murray passed for three touchdowns and ran for two, and No. 6 Oklahoma defeated UCLA 49-21 on Saturday, but lost star running back Rodney Anderson to a leg injury.
Anderson ran for 10 yards on the final play of the first quarter, and then got up slowly. He limped off on his own, and trainers tended to the preseason All-Big 12 pick before he headed to the locker room. He was back on the bench later, out of uniform.
Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley was unsure of Anderson's status going forward. "We're hoping for the best, but we will get in and see how he's doing," Riley said.
Murray picked up the slack with 306 yards passing and 69 yards rushing. First-year UCLA coach Chip Kelly was impressed with how Murray has stepped in for No. 1 overall NFL draft pick Baker Mayfield.
"You think there would be a big drop off when you go from a Heisman Trophy winner, but that kid's very special," Kelly said.
CeeDee Lamb had seven catches for 146 yards and Marquise Brown added 88 yards and a touchdown on four catches for the Sooners (2-0).
Oklahoma led 21-7 at halftime. The Sooners held the Bruins to 133 yards before the break and sacked UCLA freshman quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson five times. Thompson-Robinson started in place of the injured Wilton Speight.
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In the third quarter, Lamb's 66-yard punt return led to a 10-yard touchdown pass from Murray to A.D. Miller that put the Sooners up 35-7.
Thompson-Robinson completed 16 of 26 passes for 254 yards. Bolu Olorunfunmi ran for 56 yards and two touchdowns for UCLA, which fell to 0-2 under Kelly.
Despite losing Anderson, Oklahoma ran for 179 yards and averaged 5.1 yards per carry.
THE TAKEAWAY
UCLA: The Bruins got off to a good start but could not sustain it. Thompson-Robinson had good moments, but he struggled at times with accuracy and Oklahoma prevented him from taking off for long runs. He got little help from his running game.
Oklahoma: The Sooners learned that their defense and special teams can carry the load against a Power Five opponent. Tre Brown had 121 yards on two kickoff returns.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Last week, Florida Atlantic coach Lane Kiffin said the Sooners looked like a playoff team during a 63-14 win last Saturday. They looked the part again, and they should at least remain steady in the next AP poll .
UP NEXT
UCLA hosts Fresno State.
Oklahoma travels to Iowa State. The Cyclones upset the Sooners 38-31 in Norman last year.
