UCLA beats Oregon after coach's viral 'burn the boats' speech

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 13 Oct, 22:51 · Archive

UCLA defeated Oregon 17-15 at Autzen Stadium after coach Bob Chesney delivered a fiery pregame speech invoking a historical military metaphor.

UCLA defeated Oregon 17-15 at Autzen Stadium on Saturday in a stunning upset, snapping a 22-year road losing streak against the Ducks. Before the game, first-year head coach Bob Chesney delivered a pregame speech in the stadium tunnel that went viral on social media. He told his kneeling players to 'burn the boats', invoking the historical decision by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés to destroy his ships and eliminate any possibility of retreat. "There is no way out. We can't go that way," Chesney told the team. "You gotta go through these motherf–kers." He then put on sunglasses and led the team onto the field.

The Bruins backed up their coach's intensity. UCLA dominated possession for 39 minutes and 15 seconds and forced seven turnovers. Running back Wayne Knight rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown. Chesney acknowledged the team's mistakes, including turnovers and a blocked field goal, and said there was still room for improvement.

The victory came with a significant cost. Starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava suffered a knee injury during the game that could end his season and threaten UCLA's College Football Playoff ambitions. Oregon defensive end Bear Alexander was seen punching toward Iamaleava during the play. The New York Post reports that Ducks coach Dan Lanning indicated Alexander would not be suspended for the incident.

How it is being reported

• WATCH: UCLA coach Bob Chesney goes viral with epic ‘burn the f–king boats’ speech before shocking OregonVideo of UCLA coach Bob Chesney’s fiery ‘burn the boats’ speech goes viral after the Bruins stun Oregon 17-15 in a dramatic upset at Autzen Stadium.New York Post · 13 Oct, 22:31
• 'Burn the boats': UCLA coach's fiery pregame speech before Oregon game was pure HollywoodBob Chesney's viral "burn the boats" tunnel speech fired up UCLA football before the Bruins dominated time of possession to beat Oregon at Autzen Stadium.Fox News · 13 Oct, 20:36

In this story: Bob Chesney · UCLA · Oregon · Nico Iamaleava · Wayne Knight · Autzen Stadium

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