PASADENA — Start strong.
UCLA’s coaches said it all week.
Head coach DeShaun Foster spoke on Monday about the Bruins shooting themselves in the foot early. Defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe stepped up to the fire on Tuesday, speaking about simplifying the defensive approach in order to create pressure; stopping the run and passing games.
Foster believed his defense could stop the Lobos’ early attack, saying his team was adept at stifling a movement-heavy offensive scheme like New Mexico offensive coordinator Luke Schleusner runs. Schluesner’s system succeeded in the FCS, coaching at Idaho alongside Lobos head coach Jason Eck.
“It’s good that our defense was going against us this whole training camp with a lot of movement, so they should be used to that,” Foster said Monday of New Mexico’s offensive approach, one that went blow-for-blow against Michigan at The Big House in Week 1.
If the Bruins were used to the Lobos’ style of play – it wasn’t clear when UCLA took the field Friday night.
New Mexico saw the script from last week – and the week prior – and pounded the ball. Even after UCLA generated its first opening-drive stop of the season, the Bruins trailed by two scores – three consecutive weeks of trailing by double digits before getting themselves on the board.
UCLA edge rusher Anthony Jones – a transfer from Michigan State – said earlier this week that he felt that the Bruins had an advantage against the Lobos’ offensive line – a protection that had previously faltered, surrendering nine tackles for loss and three sacks against the Wolverines.
Jones and UCLA’s front four did not find such success early against New Mexico, hapless for a sack or a tackle for loss. Lobos star running back Scottre Humphrey – who rushed for triple-digit yardage last week against Idaho State, sat out the entire second quarter with an injury.
It didn’t matter.
A 128-yard first half, on the ground alone, from New Mexico left UCLA metaphorically hobbling to the locker room for the third consecutive week, trailing at halftime with the rest of the college football world keeping its eyes on the Bruins as the late Friday kickoff.
One X user tweeted that a clip of New Mexico’s second touchdown, a score that would put the Lobos up 14-0.
“UCLA reportedly exploring a move to the FCS Big Sky,” the post read.
The Big Sky Conference quoted the post – the true, official account of the FCS West Coast regional conference – and made its intentions clear. It neglected the Bruins with the same boos the sparsely attended Rose Bowl crowd did on Friday night as UCLA trotted in for instruction at halftime.
“No, thank you,” the conference’s social media administrator wrote. A simple, yet pointed reminder of how the Bruins’ slumbering start to 2025 has begun so far.
