Among the Big Ten’s 18 teams, only the Bruins and Wildcats have a losing record this season.
And with the combined record of the Bruins’ remaining opponents standing at 27-2, this weekend’s matchup might be their best opportunity to get a conference win.
Following the departures of head coach DeShaun Foster and defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe, interim head coach Tim Skipper will lead UCLA football (0-3) against Northwestern (1-2, 0-1 Big Ten) at Martin Stadium in Evanston on Saturday. Skipper has a 7-7 record as a collegiate head coach, after holding an interim role at Fresno State from the end of the 2023 season through the 2024 campaign.
Skipper said he used UCLA’s week four bye as an opportunity to conduct a makeshift training camp to evaluate the state of the team.
“We wanted to go deep into the roster and see anybody out there who can help us,” Skipper said. “And then as we get into this game week, we’re going to try and focus on getting those guys opportunities and seeing if they can handle it.”
Skipper turned to a familiar face to further reinforce UCLA’s coordinator-less defensive unit – new defensive assistant Kevin Coyle.
Coyle joined the Bruins after beginning the season as a senior defensive analyst for Syracuse.
Coyle brings more than 45 years of coaching experience to the Bruins, including 16 years with NFL squads.
“He’s somebody who has a lot of experience under his belt,” said redshirt senior defensive back Key Lawrence. “It’s just another type of culture that he’s trying to bring in and understanding that we just need to play as one unit, one cell and one heartbeat.”
The Bruins have struggled to play as a cohesive unit on both sides of the ball, with penalties consistently plaguing the squad. UCLA ranks 117th in the nation in fewest penalty yards, with 275 yards surrendered in just three games.
And the 125th-ranked scoring defense will rely on Coyle’s guidance, given its lack of a designated defensive play-caller, as Skipper has chosen not to name one for the Northwestern game.
Skipper said defensive playcalling was a collaborative effort at this week’s practices.
“That is going to get held all the way up till we go,” Skipper said. “It might be three guys calling it. We’ll see when we get there.”
A win for UCLA could boost player retention. Following Foster’s firing, a 30-day period opened for players to enter the transfer portal and utilize a redshirt season if eligible.
To utilize a redshirt, players can play a maximum of four games, meaning the Northwestern contest will be the final game players can suit up for if they are interested in transferring with a redshirt year.
“I honestly don’t even think about it,” Skipper said. “I really don’t. We’re gonna keep coaching them, loving them up. This is a great place, beautiful day, great campus, all that good stuff. If you don’t want it, they’re going to go somewhere else.”
While Northwestern has only defeated FCS squad Western Illinois this season, its temporary lakeside stadium could feature a unique challenge for visiting squads.
The stadium features direct exposure to the same Lake Michigan winds that have given Chicago the nickname “The Windy City”.
“I don’t really think you can do anything to prepare for it when you’re out here,” said redshirt sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava. “It’s really about ball speed and making sure that spiral is right to spin through the wind.”
Iamaleava – who has already lost as many games this campaign as in his entire last season with Tennessee – will look to lead UCLA to its first win under his leadership.
However, the squad is yet to hold a single lead this entire season through three games.
“I think my faith has helped me a lot,” Iamaleava said. “I’ve never really been in this situation where I’m 0-3. So, just me continuing to lean on God and have him lead me. This is the path he chose for me and I’m excited to stay on with this journey.”
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