UCLA football: Zach Charbonnet makes instant impact against Hawaii

UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet made an immediate impact in his first half of his debut with the Bruins, running for 106 yards and three touchdowns with 14 more receiving yards.

The Michigan transfer scored his first touchdown of the season on just his fourth touch. After a 10-yard carry to kick off his UCLA career, Charbonnet capped off the second drive of the game with a 20-yard rushing touchdown.

On his next touch, the 6-foot-1, 220-pound former four-star recruit ran for a 47-yard touchdown to extend the Bruins lead over Hawaii. The dominance continued for Charbonett on the next possession when he scored a 21-yard touchdown, giving him three touchdowns on his first six carries.

More about Zach Charbonnet

Zach Charbonnet, a Camarillo, California native, started his college career at Michigan under head coach Jim Harbaugh. In two seasons with the Wolverines, he appeared in 18 games, including nine starts.

Entering the season, he had 168 career carries for 850 yards and 12 touchdowns. Charbonnet has a major decrease in snaps during his sophomore season, leading him to enter the transfer portal.

Zach Charbonnet joined Chip Kelly’s UCLA team in the spring and participated in workouts throughout the offseason. He joins returning running back Brittain Brown in the backfield this season.

Brown is UCLA’s top returning rusher, posting 551 yards and four touchdowns in 2020. The Redshirt season added a rushing touchdown of his own in the first half against Hawaii.

Season Outlook

UCLA got off to a good start in the first half against Hawaii, taking a 31-3 lead over the Rainbow Warriors behind a dominant ground attack. With touchdowns from Charbonnet and Brown, the Bruins finished the first half with 203 rushing yards.

The competition level will take a massive leap forward in week one as UCLA prepares to take on LSU at the Rose Bowl. They finish their non-conference slate the following week with another home game against Fresno State, who also started their season this week.

UCLA starts its Pac-12 schedule on Sept. 25 with the first road game of the season against Stanford. The Bruins draw Arizona State and Oregon at home this season, providing them the best chance of pulling off an upset in the conference.

Head coach Chip Kelly is looking to lead the Bruins to a winning season for the first time in his four-year tenure, leaning on the high-powered rushing attack and veteran quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson.