Tag: ucla bruins

UCLA adds two James Madison coordinators to new staff

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The UCLA coaching staff under new head coach Bob Chesney will have even more of a James Madison flavor after the Bruins announced a pair of new coordinators Monday.

Offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy and defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler will follow Chesney to UCLA.

“Both Colin and Dean played integral parts to our historic success at James Madison,” Chesney said in a release. “I am thrilled that they have chosen to continue their coaching journeys in Westwood as part of our new Bruin family.

“I have seen first-hand their abilities to develop elite talent and get the most out of their players over the years. We look forward to having Colin and Dean make an immediate impact here at UCLA.”

Kennedy’s offense at James Madison this past season averaged 37.1 points per game, 11th-best in FBS, while the Dukes’ 452.6 total yards were 17th-best. The Massachusetts native has 11 seasons of coaching experience, nine at the Division I level and the last four with Chesney at Holy Cross (2022-23) and James Madison (2024-25).

Hitschler has 15 years of coaching experience, while helping both James Madison and Cincinnati (2021) into the College Football Playoff. The Philadelphia native had a defense that was fifth-best in FBS this past season with 266.6 yards allowed per game and 14th with 18.4 points allowed.

Hitschler also has coaching experience on the FBS level at Arkansas State, South Alabama, Wisconsin and Alabama, where he was the co-defensive coordinator in 2024.

Chesney, who led James Madison to a 12-2 record this season and 21-6 over two seasons with the Dukes, was officially hired by UCLA on Dec. 6. He finished out the season with his former team, which lost 51-34 to Oregon in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Dec. 20.

UCLA had been looking for a head coach since firing DeShaun Foster following an 0-3 start. The Bruins showed progress in October under interim coach Tim Skipper before dropping the final five games on their schedule to finish with a 3-9 (3-6 Big Ten) record.

–Field Level Media

No. 1 Ohio State runs all over UCLA early, often in rout

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Bo Jackson ran for 112 yards and a touchdown and James Peoples rushed for two scores when No. 1 Ohio State won 48-10 against overwhelmed and undermanned UCLA in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday.

Julian Sayin completed his first 11 passes for 100 yards and guided the Buckeyes (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) on scoring drives of 8, 11 and 12 plays for a 17-0 lead midway through the second quarter. It only got worse for the Bruins, who trailed 27-0 at the half en route to their third consecutive defeat.

Sayin completed 22 of 31 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown in three quarters.

UCLA (3-7, 3-4) quarterback Nico Iamaleava, the Bruins’ leading rusher, did not play due to a concussion, the school announced.

Redshirt sophomore Luke Duncan made his first career start and was 16 of 23 for 154 yards and a TD. His 51-yard pass to Rico Flores to the 19 late in the third quarter was the first time UCLA crossed midfield.

Two plays later, Duncan connected with Kwazi Gilmer for an 18-yard touchdown to make it 34-7.

Ohio State immediately responded with its first kickoff return for a TD in 15 years when Lorenzo Styles Jr. went 100 yards. It was also its first kick return of 100 yards since Ted Ginn in 2005.

Jackson’s 1-yard scoring run midway through the opening quarter made it 7-0. Peoples had a highlight-reel 19-yard TD run with 1:16 left in the half when he hurdled Cole Martin at the 10 and kept his balance along the right sideline to make it 24-0.

After UCLA punter Will Karoll shanked a punt behind the line of scrimmage at his own 14, Jayden Fielding kicked a 33-yard field goal with one second left before halftime.

The Buckeyes, who finished with 222 rushing yards, totaled 294 yards and 16 first downs in the first half compared to 50 yards and two first downs for UCLA.

Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith, listed as questionable before the game, had four catches for 40 yards and did not play in the second half. Teammate and fellow receiver Carnell Tate missed a second straight game with an undisclosed injury.

–Field Level Media

Versatile RB Emmett Johnson (3 TDs) powers Nebraska past UCLA

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Emmett Johnson caught touchdown passes of 56 and 40 yards, rushed for a score and totaled 232 yards of offense as Nebraska held off host UCLA 28-21 on Saturday in Pasadena, Calif.

With Dylan Raiola sidelined for the season after breaking his fibula last week vs. Southern California, TJ Lateef made his first career start at quarterback for Nebraska (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten Conference). Lateef, a native of Compton, Calif., quickly found a reliable target in Johnson, throwing three of his first eight completions to the running back.

Two of those went for touchdowns, the first a 56-yarder that was all Johnson.

Johnson took a short catch near the line of scrimmage and broke tackles on the way to the end zone for the first of three unanswered Cornhuskers touchdowns — and all by Johnson.

He capped a nine-play, 60-yard drive just before halftime with a goal-line carry, then helped Nebraska open a 28-7 lead early in the third quarter when he hauled in a 40-yard toss from Lateef on a wheel route.

The two scoring receptions comprised the majority of Johnson’s 103 yards on three receptions. He carried for another 129 yards on 28 attempts, marking his third consecutive game with at least 124 yards.

Lateef did not throw an incompletion until the early fourth quarter, finishing the night 13 of 15 for 205 yards and three TDs. He added 31 yards on six carries.

UCLA (3-6, 2-3) rallied late, cutting into the 21-point deficit midway through the third quarter when Nico Iamaleava connected with Anthony Woods on a 45-yard touchdown.

The Bruins then pulled to within a one-score margin in the fourth quarter when Iamaleava found Anthony Frias II for a 9-yard touchdown, capping a 12-play, 96-yard drive.

Iamaleava finished 17-of-25 passing for 191 yards and two TDs, and he led UCLA with 86 yards on 15 carries.

UCLA’s fourth-quarter touchdown consumed 6:39 of clock, affording the Bruins little time to regain possession for a potential game-tying drive. Nebraska methodically closed out the win with Johnson and Lateef each peppering the UCLA defense with chunks of yardage gained on carries.

The Cornhuskers converted three first downs before being forced into a third down on the final drive, effectively ending the contest and sending the Bruins — previously winners in three straight — to their second consecutive loss.

–Field Level Media

Nebraska QB TJ Lateef to make first start at UCLA

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The loss of starting quarterback Dylan Raiola looms over Nebraska’s closing stretch to the 2025 campaign, which takes the Cornhuskers to Pasadena, Calif., for a matchup with UCLA on Saturday.

Raiola sustained a broken fibula in Nebraska’s 21-17 loss to Southern California last Saturday. The sophomore appeared to twist his leg under the pressure of a blindside hit in the third quarter against the Trojans, which sent freshman TJ Lateef in to finish the game.

“Making sure we put together a plan that he’s comfortable with everything we do,” Cornhuskers coach Matt Rhule said was the team’s main point of emphasis in preparing Lateef for his first career start.

Last week’s appearance was the first for Lateef in a high-pressure situation at Nebraska (6-3, 3-3 Big Ten). He played in early-season routs of Akron and Houston Christian, completing 11 of 12 passes for 254 yards and a touchdown, and also ran for a score.

Against USC, Lateef finished 5-of-7 passing but totaled only 7 yards as the Cornhuskers sputtered late in a defensive battle.

Saturday’s trip to UCLA (3-5, 3-2) begins the final three-game stretch for a Nebraska team seeking its first nine-win regular season since 2016.

In their Big Ten debut campaign a season ago, the Bruins won 27-20 in Lincoln and held Nebraska to 322 yards of total offense in a game where Raiola was taken out of commission in the second half.

This year’s UCLA roster is dramatically different and has already undergone significant midseason changes.

Since the Sept. 14 firing of DeShaun Foster, UCLA is 3-2 with conference wins over Penn State, Michigan State and Maryland. A Bruins offense that scored just 14.3 points per game through the first four outings of 2025 put up 33.3 during UCLA’s three-game winning streak.

Nico Iamaleava played his best football over that stretch, throwing six of his 10 touchdowns this season and rushing for three scores in the win over Penn State.

The Bruins came down to earth their last time out, losing a 56-6 blowout to No. 2-ranked Indiana on Oct. 26. Interim coach Tim Skipper used UCLA’s bye week to regroup, and has entered into this week preparing for Nebraska’s change at quarterback.

“That definitely is going to change some things,” Skipper said. “We’ll study those reps, and also high school stuff, too, just to get a good feel for him. I know we’re going to get some unscouted looks, unscouted plays. I’m sure there (are) things he does well they’re going to want to (call).”

–Field Level Media

Oct 11, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; UCLA Bruins defensive back Key Lawrence (4) holds up a towel branding the Michigan State logo after beating the Spartans at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images

Maryland eager to turn things around at resurgent UCLA

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After challenging UCLA not to be a “one-hit wonder,” Bruins interim head coach Tim Skipper shifts his team’s focus to a third straight win when it hosts Maryland on Saturday in Pasadena, Calif.

UCLA (2-4, 2-1 Big Ten) resurrected its season from an 0-4 start, winning the last two under Skipper’s direction. Skipper was tasked with replacing DeShaun Foster, fired after a 35-10 loss at home to New Mexico in Week 3.

Following a 17-14 loss at Northwestern in Skipper’s first game as the interim head coach on Sept. 27, UCLA stunned Penn State in a 42-37 contest. Last week, the Bruins rolled at Michigan State, 38-13.

“When you’re taking over something and you’re no, everything you say is important,” Skipper said following Monday’s practice. “Each week presents different challenges. This week’s (theme) is the standard’s the standard and don’t get bored with success.”

Highlighting UCLA’s turnaround in recent weeks has been the play of quarterback Nico Iamaleava. He has not thrown an interception in the last three weeks after giving one up in each of the three prior games, and against Michigan State tossed a season-high three touchdowns.

Iamaleava faces a Maryland defense that leads the nation with 12 interceptions, including three returned for touchdowns. No single player has intercepted more than two passes, with the team’s dozen spread among nine different defenders.

The Terrapins (4-2, 1-2) picked off Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola three times, with Dontay Joyner returning one 67 yards for a score. Joyner, Jalen Huskey and La’khi Roland are Maryland’s three defenders with multiple interceptions.

The pick-six wasn’t enough for Maryland to hold off the Cornhuskers, however. The Terrapins surrendered a touchdown with 68 seconds remaining to fall 34-31.

The Terps are on the mirror-opposite trajectory of UCLA, having opened 4-0 but since losing two straight. Last week’s home setback vs. Nebraska followed a 24-20 home loss to Washington in which Maryland gave up three fourth-quarter touchdowns.

“A lot of reason for frustration for us the last couple of weeks, not being able to finish,” Terps coach Mike Locksley said on Tuesday. “But there’s also a lot of optimism in our program … because I know this team is different than any team I’ve had the chance to coach here.”

Locksley pointed to the Maryland offense having a narrow “margin for error.” Freshman quarterback Malik Washington has thrown 10 touchdowns and only two interceptions, but the Terps rank among the nation’s worst offenses in the run game with fewer than 100 yards per contest.

–Field Level Media

Michigan State's Wayne Matthews III, right, tackles UCLA's Nico Iamaleava during the second quarter on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.

UCLA steps up again, hands Michigan State first home loss

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Nico Iamaleava went 16-of-24 passing for 180 yards and three touchdowns as UCLA followed a major upset last week with a 38-13 victory to spoil Michigan State’s homecoming Saturday at East Lansing, Mich.

Jalen Berger ran for 89 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries and caught two touchdown passes to help UCLA (2-4, 2-1 Big Ten) follow up its upset home win over then-No. 7 Penn State with another strong performance.

UCLA had 418 yards of total offense, with 238 of it rushing, to 253 yards of total offense for Michigan State.

Quarterback Aidan Chiles was 8-of-17 passing for 66 yards and ran for 9 yards and a touchdown for Michigan State (3-3, 0-3) before he was knocked from the game on the opening drive of the third quarter after absorbing a hit from UCLA’s Keanu Williams.

The Spartans have followed a three-game winning streak to start the season with three consecutive defeats in conference play. It was Michigan State’s first home loss of the season.

Trailing 7-0 in the first half, UCLA scored 38 unanswered points to take a 38-7 lead in the third quarter.

Berger gave the Bruins a 10-7 lead with 1:39 left in the first quarter on a 16-yard touchdown run and increased the advantage to 17-7 with 10:17 remaining until halftime on a 3-yard TD pass from Iamaleava.

With 4:09 to go in the second quarter, Iamaleva hit Titus Mokiao-Atimalala for a 12-yard touchdown pass for a 24-7 UCLA advantage.

After stopping Michigan State on downs at the UCLA 38-yard line, the Bruins drove the field in 11 plays and took a 31-7 lead with 3:55 left in the third quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run by Jaivian Thomas.

Following another turnover on downs by Michigan State — this time at its own 33-yard line — UCLA took advantage of the field position and took a 38-7 lead on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Iamaleva to Berger.

Michigan State finally broke UCLA’s run, making it a 38-13 game with 13;09 remaining in the game on a 5-yard touchdown run from backup quarterback Alessio Milivojevic to Nick Marsh. The extra point was missed.

Michigan State got off to a good start, taking a 7-0 lead on a 2-yard rushing touchdown by Chiles.

After taking over for Chiles, Milivojevic completed 8 of 18 passes for 100 yards.

–Field Level Media

Nov 8, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe, center, celebrates with linebacker Carson Schwesinger (49) defensive back Jaylin Davies (6) after an interception in the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

UCLA continues shake-up, fires DC Ikaika Malloe

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UCLA fired second-year defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe on Wednesday.

The move comes three days after the winless Bruins (0-3) parted ways with Deshaun Foster, who was in his second year as head coach of the program.

Interim head coach Tim Skipper announced Malloe’s departure before Wednesday’s practice.

UCLA has been outscored 108-43 in losses to Utah, UNLV and New Mexico.

The Bruins have stumbled out of the blocks in all three games, allowing the opposition to score the first 20, 23 and 14 points, respectively.

UCLA ranks 132nd out of 134 FBS teams in rushing defense (244.0 yards per game allowed) and is tied for 121st in points allowed (36.0).

Malloe, 51, was promoted to defensive coordinator after D’Anton Lynn left that post to take the same job at Southern California following the 2023 season.

The Bruins are idle this weekend before opening their Big Ten schedule on Sept. 27 at Northwestern (1-2).

–Field Level Media

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) looks for an open receiver during the NCAA college football playoff game against Ohio State on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio.

Reports: QB Nico Iamaleava headed to UCLA

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It didn’t take long for quarterback Nico Iamaleava to find a new home.

Days after Iamaleava entered the transfer portal following a disagreement with Tennessee over his name, image and likeness money, multiple reports indicate the former Vols starter is headed to UCLA.

Iamaleava is from Southern California and went to high schools in Downey, Calif., and Long Beach, Calif., before heading to Tennessee with an NIL deal for $8 million over four years.

But after a season in which he threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns, with Tennessee going 10-3 and making the College Football Playoff, Iamaleava didn’t show up for practice last week and eventually decided to transfer.

“It’s the state of college football,” Volunteers coach Josh Heupel said last week. “At the end of the day, no one is ever bigger than the program. That includes me too.”

UCLA, in its first year in the Big Ten with new head coach Deshaun Foster, went 5-7 after a 1-5 start.

Bruins senior quarterback Ethan Garbers threw for 2,727 yards with 16 touchdowns and a conference-high 11 interceptions.

UCLA did bring in a transfer QB, Joey Aguilar of Appalachian State, this offseason. Aguilar passed for 6,740 yards with 56 TDs and 24 INTs in two seasons with the Mountaineers.

–Field Level Media

Nov 12, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy returns to the locker room following pregame warmups against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

UCLA, OC Eric Bieniemy part ways after one season

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UCLA and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy parted ways after one season on Thursday.

The Bruins (5-7) ranked 126th out of 134 FBS teams with 18.4 points per game in their first season in the Big Ten and first under head coach Deshaun Foster.

Bieniemy, 55, won two Super Bowls as the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive coordinator from 2018-22 and interviewed for multiple NFL head coaching vacancies across multiple offseasons.

He made a lateral move in 2023 to become the offensive coordinator with the Washington Commanders before joining the Bruins this season.

Multiple outlets reported UCLA fired Bieniemy. However, his agent, Jason Fletcher, called it a planned, mutual separation that will allow his client to return to the NFL coaching ranks.

“Eric and UCLA mutually parted ways today as previously planned,” Fletcher said in a statement, per NFL Network. “He’s still getting paid by the Commanders. After interviewing for head coaching jobs last year, he wanted to stay active and busy. So, he decided to go help out Deshaun Foster, who is like his little brother, at UCLA as opposed to sitting out a year. The plan was always to return to the NFL in 2025, and he’s looking forward to the opportunities ahead.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 8, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster leaves the field with the game ball after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

UCLA bids to bounce back in finale vs. Fresno State

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UCLA was hoping its season would last until at least December.

Unfortunately for the Bruins, they weren’t able to secure a bowl berth and their 2024 campaign will conclude on Saturday afternoon with a nonconference game against visiting Fresno State.

UCLA (4-7) needed to win its final two games to qualify for a bowl, however those hopes were dashed with a 19-13 loss to crosstown rival Southern Cal last Saturday at the Rose Bowl.

“They kept rebounding this whole season, so they will continue to be resilient and be the type of football players that I know they are,” UCLA first-year coach DeShaun Foster said. “The season is not over. They signed up to play ball, and we are going to finish the season on a good note. Our guys will get out there, and I am going to try to send the seniors off the right way.”

UCLA recovered from a five-game losing streak by winning three in a row, but a 31-19 loss at Washington on Nov. 15 put the Bruins into a must-win situation against the Trojans.

UCLA held a 13-9 lead entering the fourth quarter versus Southern Cal but only managed one first down on its final three possessions.

“We let one slip through our hands,” Foster said. “All of these losses have come to, pretty much, us just letting it slip through our hands. We have to find a way to finish games and just keep coming out after the half and play better and finish a game. We have to really put our stamp on the end of it. We’ve just got to learn from this.”

Fresno State (6-5) secured a bowl bid with a 28-22 win against visiting Colorado State on Saturday.

Bulldogs running back Bryson Donelson rushed for 140 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, but the true freshman sustained a leg injury late in the game. He will be a game-time decision against UCLA.

“Hopefully, he can go,” Fresno State coach Tim Skipper said.

–Field Level Media