After a tumultuous start to its season, the UCLA football team welcomes its first of a few David-versus-Goliath style matchups.
Bruins interim coach Tim Skipper said No. 7 Penn State will pound-for-pound be the most talented team UCLA has faced this season Saturday at the Rose Bowl.
He’d be right – and unless the Bruins improve dramatically from their loss at Northwestern last week, it could be another heavy-handed defeat headed their way.
“Man, well-coached team,” Skipper said earlier this week of the Nittany Lions (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten). “[Penn State head coach James Franklin] always has those guys ready to go. He’s a top-notch coach in this profession, and you see it by the product you watch on film.”
The Bruins (0-4, 0-1 Big Ten) will likely see a highly motivated opponent. Last week in a Top-10 showdown against Oregon, then-No. 3 Penn State suffered its first loss of the season, 30-24 in overtime.
Its running back duo of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton has combined for 527 yards on the ground and nine rushing touchdowns.
Quarterback Drew Allar has looked the part as well, ultra-efficient with 763 passing yards and six touchdowns with two interceptions. Allar’s best game this season came against Nevada in the season opener, as the senior passed for 217 yards with an 84.6% completion percentage.
“Their offense is gonna give you a lot of eye candy,” Skipper said. “It’s gonna be one of those games where we’re gonna have to lock into what we’re doing and adapt to the formations and looks that they give us. They run every play in the book, every motion in the book, every shift in the book.”
On defense, Penn State could overwhelm the Bruins. UCLA, which has yet to lead in a game this season or score in the first quarter, will face the 10th-best scoring defense in the country (11.8 points per game) and the 19th-best program in total defense (just 274.0 yards per game).
Skipper said he felt the Nittany Lions’ defense, led by defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, does a great job disguising its schemes. New Bruins offensive play-caller Jerry Neuheisel – who replaced Tino Sunseri after the offensive coordinator mutually parted ways with UCLA earlier this week – will have to be on his A-game.
For tight end Hudson Habermehl, it all goes back to execution – a trait of UCLA’s offense that has yet to appear for a full half in 2025.
“I don’t feel like we have any pressure on us as far as executing against a Penn State that’s ranked; it’s more so, how does the UCLA offense execute as a whole?” he said
When Penn State has the ball
Compared with his first three games of the season, Allar struggled against Oregon. Luckily for him and Penn State, if Franklin wants to lean on his running backs, four teams have already found success against the Bruins in that department – they allow an average of 5.4 yards per carry and 232.8 rushing yards per game.
UCLA’s secondary has improved – or maybe just moved back to the median of the country, stopping explosive plays more regularly – and may push the Nittany Lions to focus on a rushing-based approach regardless.
If the Bruins don’t shore up their run defense, it could be another long day at the Rose Bowl.
When UCLA has the ball
With Neuheisel in charge of the Bruins’ offense, it’s back to square one with how UCLA will operate Saturday. It appeared as if the former UCLA backup quarterback was installing some new plays – or adjusting the scheme – during Wednesday’s practice, but it’s too early to say if the former tight ends coach will switch things up heavily.
Whereas Skipper admitted that quarterback Nico Iamaleava was game-planned to run last week against Northwestern, the Bruins may turn to their trio of tailbacks – Jaivian Thomas, Jalen Berger and Anthony Woods – versus Penn State, with pressure on the offensive line expected Saturday.
No. 7 Penn State (3-1) at UCLA (0-4)
When: 12:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Rose Bowl
TV/radio: CBS (Ch. 2)/790 AM
