While it certainly hasn't been an offensive showcase in the opening half of the 2011 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, the matchup between UCLA and Illinois has at least proven to be competitive. A TD pass from Kevin Prince to Taylor Embree proved to be the only TD of the opening half, as the Bruins hold a 7-3 lead at halftime.
Despite being the dominant team on both sides of the ball, the Fighting Illini were unable to take advantage of opportunities. Illinois saw a fake field goal attempt fail, and had to settle for a field goal at the end of the half despite being in a goal line situation.
UCLA took advantage of a short field to score the lone touchdown of the opening half. However, apart from that scoring drive, the Bruins struggled to find any rhythm. The UCLA offense managed to gain only 66 total yards in the opening 30 minutes of action.
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