UCLA football officially on 0-12 watch after loss to Northwestern

Evanston, ill. – You can change the coach and speed up the pace of practice, but one thing cannot be transformed.

It will always be the same team.

The UCLA showed a certain fight at the end of its opening match of the Big Ten conference on Saturday afternoon at Martin Stadium while finally being victim of the same problems which had tormented it before the dismissal of coach Deshaun Foster.

An incredibly slow start in which he has lagged behind by several scores.

An offense that cannot run the ball or keep readers regularly.

A defense that cannot stop the race or prevent big games.

The Bruins are officially on 0-12 Watch after finishing what was supposed to be the gentle part of their schedule with a defeat of 17-14 against Northwestern.

“I just wish, guy, we had played the first half better,” said Tim Skipper after his beginnings as an acting coach of the UCLA, “because I think it would have been a different result.”

The finish left the UCLA with a sorrow by the lake.

The Bruins (0-4 in total, 0-1 Big Ten) were able to link the scoring or take the lead after having stopped Northwestern on three consecutive games, including a third pack of the defensive line player Gary Smith III who helped the Bruins recover the ball at their own 20 yards with 1:29 on the left after a chicken kick.

But a large bag of quarter Nico Iamaleava by the rusher of Northwestern Edge Anto Saka without expiration delay was followed by a false departure on the offensive platform Courtland Ford, taking 10 additional seconds of the time and leaving only eight seconds to play and the noise still deeply on their own territory.

“In critical moments, we had penalties,” said Iamaleava, “so it’s at a point where I repeat myself every week.”

Iamaleava finished a pass of 11 yards to the winger tight Hudson Habermehl before the stopwatch was exhausted in the hopes of return from Bruins after eliminating Northwestern (2-2, 1-1) in the second period.

“How was this match, guy, I am proud of guys for having fought and finished,” said Skipper. “We have to start much better.”

Iamaleava was once again practically the only thing that goes for the UCLA offensive. He completed 19 of the 27 passes for 180 yards and a touchdown while presenting himself for a summit of 65 yards in 14 races as part of an offensive match plan which emphasized the quarter. The runners Jaivian Thomas, Jalen Berger and Anthony Woods combined for 66 yards and on average 4.4 yards per race.

“We just need to execute, guy,” said Iamaleava when he was asked what you would need to be more successful. “Execute in advance – Know who are our keys and our readings and really run in advance.”

Northwestern did not have so much trouble moving the ball on the ground. Caleb Komolafe won a career summit of 119 yards in 27 races as part of a racing game which collected 199 yards.

Part of the defensive difficulties of the UCLA could be pinned about the publication of a new program called by Kevin Coyle after his arrival in season last week of Syracuse to essentially take the defensive coordinator Party Ikaika Malloe.

“The first half, we thought too much and did not make games and the second half,” said Skipper, “we started making the games and then it will obviously be more beautiful.”

Perhaps the only advantage of this loss was that the Bruins did not give up.

Anthony Woods of the UCLA carries the ball while Aidan Hubbard of Northwestern tries to fight it during the first half on Saturday.

(Michael Hickey / Getty Images)

After watching lifeless for the first 3 quarters, UCLA received a big shock when the wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer beat his man and hung a touch of 29 yards of Iamaleava at the back of the goal area. The pass from Iamaleava to Woods during the two-point conversion pulled the Bruins in 17-14 with 6:19 on the left.

Northwestern tried to burn as much clock as possible, but had to kick after the Bruins defensive player, AJ Fuimaono, struck a third pass.

The defense of the UCLA had provided a huge boost earlier in the fourth quarter after Northwestern (2-2, 1-1) had a first and a goal at the line of the three yards of the Bruins. Two points were stuffed and a paston stone pass was tilted and almost intercepted.

Northwestern then aligned himself for an attempt by 20 yards which would have given him an advance of two affected, only for Rodrick Pleasant of the UCLA to block the kick.

“We are just fighting,” said Pleasant about the end of the defense. “It was the greatest thing – just to beat us. We have everything we have, and we have everything we need. So we are fighting there and know what we have to do. ”

The quarter of Ucla Nico Iamaleava rushes against Northwestern in the second half on Saturday.

(Michael Hickey / Getty Images)

The UCLA underwent a setback at the start of the second half on a play that was terribly bad. After the Bruins took a false start, the Rusher de Bord Kechaun Bennett was called upon to shake the smuggler and to target, leading to his ejection.

For a fourth consecutive match, the UCLA has lagged behind after Northwestern scored on its first three possessions to take an advance of 17-0.

“The message in the room is to start quickly,” said Iamaleava, “and we don’t do this at a high level.”

The UCLA failed to stop the race, abandoning 7.5 yards per race in the first half to two worms that opened the season as backup before Starter Cam Porter fell with a leg injury. Komolafe encountered so little resistance that he escaped ground and was able to mark intact during a touch of nine yards.

The Bruins showed that they were just as bad in the cover of the pass, abandoning a pass of too easy touch of 10 yards of the stone to the wide Griffin Wilde receiver who put the Wildcats of three scores.

UCLA’s strengths in the first half were rare. Edge Rusher Anthony Jones made a bag. When it appeared as if the UCLA was settled on a clearance strap, Thomas took a direct cliché and ran on 12 yards and a first test. The Bruins also quickly walked on the ground during their last journey of the first half, which ended in the basket of 28 yards of Mateen Bhaghani who put them on the board.

Bhaghani added another basket in the third quarter, which made him seven for seven in 2025, and he could make a convincing case as the most useful player of the team a third of the path throughout the season.

The most important development of this week could be to take a role. The players have reached the threshold of four games that would allow them to redraw and preserve another eligibility season. They are also always well in the 30 -day transfer portal window which opened its doors after Foster’s shooting.

Bénérant is a match against Penn State 3 at Rose Bowl next weekend and a remaining calendar in which Bruins could be outsiders every week.

None of this was important on Saturday evening when they were facing a long return flight.

“It really follows,” Skipper said about the last loss, “but as I said to these guys, guy, you have to keep your head high – I mean, we are going to be in the fight in each match, okay?”