This post was updated Sept. 1 at 12:15 a.m.
Whoever controls the run controls the clock, and whoever controls the clock controls the game.
And the Bruins did not possess any of the three.
Conceding 286 rushing yards – good for 5.3 yards per carry – UCLA Football (0-1) fell to Utah (1-0) by a score of 43-10 in the 2025 season opener at the Rose Bowl Saturday night. Utes quarterback Devon Dampier orchestrated an offense that dominated the ground game and kept a Bruin defense on the field for over 37 minutes – almost 15 more than UCLA.
“Yeah, this first game, we went out there and we got punched in the mouth,” said redshirt sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava. “We know that we can be better than that.”
Both squads walked into the Rose Bowl with something to prove after posting 5-7 records in their respective conference debuts last season; however, it was the Utes who took charge and never relented.
The Utah offense – newly led by offensive coordinator Jason Beck and Dampier, who both came from New Mexico – demoralized the UCLA defense, building prolonged offensive drives that were fortified by the running game.
The Utah offensive line – which includes two projected NFL first-round picks in Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu at the tackles – allowed Dampier and the running game to be nearly perfect on third down, going 14-for-16 on third compared to UCLA’s 2-for-11 mark.
“He’s a good quarterback, he’s mobile,” redshirt sophomore linebacker Isaiah Chisom said. “(That was) something coming into the game we knew that we had to focus on. But, you know, good players make plays, and that’s what was happening.”
It was not just Dampier who feasted on UCLA’s front seven. Running backs Wayshawn Parker and NaQuari Rogers combined for 123 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
And when a defense has to stack the box and protect against the run, the passing game opens up. Dampier, who is known for his legs, also found success through the air, tossing for 206 yards and two touchdowns. Two of his passing touchdowns went to linebacker Lander Barton and cornerback Smith Snowden – showcasing the varied scheme utilized by Beck.
While the offense was the star of the show, the Utes’ defense also did its fair share, limiting the Bruins’ ground attack to a three-yard-per-carry clip, holding Iamaleava to 136 yards through the air and forcing an interception. Utah conceded a single touchdown throughout the contest, recorded by redshirt junior running back Anthony Woods on a 19-yard reception.
In Iamaleava’s long-anticipated start at the Rose Bowl, he showed proficiency with his legs. He garnered 47 yards on 13 attempts, taking key first downs when needed, but he otherwise struggled through the air. Iamaleava finished the contest with just a 50% completion percentage and was plagued by consistent over- and underthrows to his targets.
“Nico’s a competitor, you know?” UCLA coach DeShaun Foster said. “He’s not going to quit – he keeps playing hard. He keeps motivating the guys around him, so we’ve just got to do a better job of protecting him and keeping him upright.”
Wide receivers Mikey Matthews and Kwazi Gilmer were Iamaleava’s preferred targets, despite notching a combined five catches. However, both targets were missed on several yards-after-catch opportunities alongside dropped passes.
Iamaleava and the running game’s struggles could have been attributed to the Bruins’ offensive line, which conceded four sacks and allowed Utah defenders to burst through, hitting running backs before reaching the line of scrimmage and forcing Iamaleava to evade the pocket.
Outside of Iamaleava, the Bruins’ three running backs – redshirt senior Jalen Berger, Woods and junior Jaivian Thomas – combined for just 37 yards on the ground.
“I just think it was the situation of the game, you know?” Foster said. “We were able to run the ball a little bit in there – Nico was able to get a couple of plays, Woods was also – but we weren’t able to stay consistent.”
Throughout the game, the Bruins missed tackles and struggled to hold the Utes back on the ground. Consequently, the Utes’ rushers advanced past the defensive line, forcing the Bruin linebackers to go to work.
Linebacker tandem redshirt senior JonJon Vaughns and Chisom led the squad in tackles, combining for 32. The UCLA defense also failed to garner a single sack or turnover.
“The one positive thing I can take from this is the way that they’re sounding in the locker room right now,” Foster said. “They understand that we didn’t do enough, and they’re ready to put in some more work and get ready to go on Monday.”
