If DeShaun Foster’s head coaching debut was meant to inspire a new chapter of UCLA football, someone forgot to bring the pen. The Bruins got baptized by fire in their 2025 season opener, suffering a brutal 43-10 loss at home to a relentless Utah squad that looked like it had been running this script all offseason.
The Rose Bowl crowd of 35,000+ had barely settled in before realizing: this wasn’t going to be a storybook start — it was going to be a survival film.
And Utah? They didn’t just play the villain. They showed up with sequels.
From the opening drive — a methodical 11-play, 75-yard touchdown march — Utah made it painfully clear they weren’t interested in letting UCLA find its rhythm. Devon Dampier, in his first real test as the Utes’ signal-caller, looked like he had the cheat codes:
In a game filled with UCLA question marks, Dampier was the exclamation point. He moved like Lamar, threw like Penix, and commanded the offense like he’d been doing it for years. If this is Utah’s QB1 for the long haul, the Pac-12 might need a group chat intervention.
UCLA’s defense got torched for 492 total yards, and the worst part? 286 of those came on the ground. Utah did whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, including going 14-for-17 on third down (no, that’s not a typo) and scoring on every red zone trip.
Nico Iamaleava finally made his long-awaited UCLA debut, and there were moments — but just moments. He finished 11-for-22 for 136 yards and a touchdown, while also leading the team in rushing (47 yards on 13 carries) which says less about his dual-threat potential and more about how desperate the Bruins were for any offensive momentum.
His highlight? A slick second-quarter drive capped off by a 19-yard TD dart to Anthony Woods, who also led the team in receiving (48 yards). That sequence felt like a potential turning point. Instead, it was a mirage in a desert of stalled drives and busted protection schemes.
The offense totaled just 210 yards. 2-for-11 on third downs. Four sacks allowed.
Utah’s front seven feasted. John Henry Daley picked up two sacks, and the Bruins’ offensive line looked like they were holding auditions for a matador school — plenty of waving, very little blocking.
You could almost feel bad for Isaiah Chisom. The redshirt sophomore linebacker tallied a team-high 17 tackles like he was trying to solo the entire Utah playbook. JonJon Vaughns added 15 more, and yet — you don’t want your two leading tacklers to be that busy.
UCLA’s defense was on the field for nearly 35 minutes. And it showed. By the time Utah mounted a 20-play, 9:44-minute touchdown drive in the third quarter (yes, TWENTY plays), it felt like an elaborate form of cruelty.
Let’s be honest — Utah broke this game open early. But the symbolic death blow came with that 20-play, soul-snatching third quarter possession.
Up 23-10 and looking to completely demoralize the Bruins, Utah converted every kind of down: third-and-shorts, third-and-longs, and even a fourth. It was clinical. The kind of drive that makes defensive coordinators stare into the void.
By the end of it, Utah had a 30-10 lead and UCLA had a sideline full of players looking like they’d aged three years in real time.
Even Utah’s trick plays worked: Lander Barton (a linebacker!) caught a touchdown. Three different players went both ways, including Smith Snowden, who played offense, defense, and special teams like he was auditioning for a Disney+ biopic.
Let’s not sugarcoat it. This was a humbling start for Foster and company. A new era doesn’t mean instant success, and if UCLA fans were hoping for a honeymoon phase, well — welcome to the deep end.
But it wasn’t all doom. Foster’s postgame comments struck the right tone:
“They understand that we didn’t do enough… but they’re ready to work.”
There’s culture being built. Brotherhood being forged. But culture without execution is just a group chat with matching hats.
For Utah? This was a flex. Plain and simple. The Utes are 17-4 in season openers under Kyle Whittingham and now 8-2 in their last 10 against UCLA. If Jason Beck’s debut as OC was any indication, this team is deep, dangerous, and playoff-sleeper-worthy.
UCLA showed flashes, but Utah brought fire.
The Bruins now head to Las Vegas next week to face UNLV at Allegiant Stadium — and they better bring more than hope and highlight reels. Because whatever Utah did to them in Pasadena?
UNLV has the tape.
Next up: UCLA at UNLV – Saturday, Sept. 6 at 5PM PT (CBS Sports Network)
Brace yourself, Bruins. There’s no mercy in the desert.
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