Pasadena, CA — If you were hoping the DeShaun Foster era at UCLA would start with fireworks, you'd be partially right—just not the Bruins’ kind. In a game that felt like a heat-check from Utah and a cold shower for UCLA, the Bruins got rolled in their home opener at the Rose Bowl, falling 43-10 in a game that was every bit as lopsided as the score suggests.
The good news? Nico Iamaleava didn’t completely combust in his debut. The bad news? Pretty much everything else.
The first Utah drive was a warning shot. Eleven plays, 75 yards, 4 minutes, touchdown. The Utes only missed the extra point because apparently, they wanted to be nice. UCLA responded with a gutsy 4th-and-1 conversion but fizzled shortly after. Utah got the ball back near midfield and did what they’d do most of the night—march downfield with the casual dominance of a team that knew it was better, stronger, and meaner in the trenches.
By the time the Bruins finally put points on the board—thanks to a solid 19-yard catch-and-run from RB Anthony Woods—it was already 20-0. And if you blinked after that, it was 43-10.
UCLA’s offense was like a WiFi signal in a concrete bunker—occasionally connected, mostly frustrating. Iamaleava showed flashes of potential, completing 11-of-22 passes for 136 yards and a touchdown. He also led the team in rushing (yikes), scrambling for 47 yards on 13 attempts.
That 75-yard scoring drive in the second quarter? Beautiful. For a moment, it looked like UCLA might punch back. Woods dragged defenders. Iamaleava found rhythm. The defense even forced a Utah punt.
But then came the halftime dagger—a 54-yard field goal from Utah's Dillon Curtis as time expired in the second quarter. It was the type of play that says: "We’re not just better—we’re deeper, better coached, and we’ve got a kicker who can hit from the parking lot."
And just when the Bruins started the second half with some life—three straight double-digit plays, a field goal to make it 23-10—Utah responded with a soul-draining, 20-play drive that lasted nearly ten full minutes and ended with yet another touchdown. That was the moment everyone in the Rose Bowl knew: this one was done.
Let’s give credit where it’s due—Utah played like a team that knew it was opening its season with authority.
Midway through the third, UCLA had just cut the lead to 13. The Rose Bowl had a pulse again. Then Utah orchestrated a 20-play, 9:44-long possession straight out of a football horror film. It was methodical, demoralizing, and very Utah. The Utes didn’t just milk the clock—they stole the Bruins’ will to compete. That drive pushed the score to 30-10 and emptied the stands faster than a fire drill.
Let’s be real. Foster inherited a team in transition. But Saturday night was a masterclass in getting overmatched. The Bruins didn’t just lose—they got outcoached, outexecuted, and outmuscled.
The offense has talent, sure—but it looked like a preseason dress rehearsal while Utah came out in playoff mode. Defensively, UCLA’s backers were run ragged, and the line got pushed like shopping carts. The tackling? Let’s just say Utah’s running backs might still be carrying some Bruins on their backs.
Coach Foster’s postgame message about unity and brotherhood was earnest. And fine. But at some point, the vibes need to turn into points. Or at least a few more third-down conversions.
UCLA heads to Allegiant Stadium next week for a date with UNLV. It’s a chance to rebound, reset, and maybe even recalibrate expectations. No one expected miracles overnight from Foster, but fans expected fight. A little edge. Some punch-back.
UNLV isn’t Utah. That’s the good news.
The bad news? If UCLA plays like this again, it might not matter who’s on the other sideline.
UCLA’s home opener felt less like a debut and more like a warning: the Pac-12 may be collapsing, but Utah is still here to body you on national TV. The Bruins, meanwhile, have a lot of soul-searching to do.
Still, it's one game. One (very ugly) game. Foster’s got time. Iamaleava’s got talent. And Woods has juice. But if UCLA wants to matter in 2025, they better find some trench toughness—and fast.
Otherwise? This season might be less “new chapter” and more “cold reboot nobody asked for.”
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