Week two was anything but a straight line for the Bruins.
But adapting to change may be the best way for the squad to find its identity ahead of conference play.
Apart from simply turning around a program that seemed to have zero direction last season, one point of focus surrounding coach Bob Chesney’s hiring was how he could help the blue and gold hang in a Big Ten featuring national powerhouses and title contenders – with the conference having captured the last three NCAA titles.
While UCLA may not immediately contend with reigning national champion No. 4 Indiana or preseason top-ranked Ohio State during Chesney’s first year in Westwood, the new head honcho has his first opportunity Saturday to demonstrate that the Bruins belong.
“You’ve got to understand that, now, it means a little bit more,” Chesney said after the team’s practice Tuesday. “We have to keep getting it buttoned up and sharpen our edges in every single thing we do. … It all means a whole lot more as you move forward.”
Conference action was a slight bright spot for the Bruins in the 2025 campaign. After dropping the first four outings of the season by a combined 68 points, the squad strung together a three-week stretch of Big Ten victories – including the season’s ultimate highlight in a five-point takedown of then-No. 7 Penn State.
This time around, the group isn’t carrying heavy baggage as it heads into conference play. In fact, the Bruins have come out to their first 2-0 start since 2023 with a combined margin of victory of 39 points across their opening pair of games.
[Related: UCLA football takes down SDSU for strongest season start since 2023]
But things weren’t that simple last weekend.
Senior wide receiver Landon Ellis was sidelined against San Diego State after suffering a head injury week one. To make matters worse, the Bruins’ receiver room took more hits against the Aztecs after senior Mikey Matthews exited the matchup following a leg injury and sophomore Brian Rowe Jr. momentarily left the affair after taking a hard tackle.
Down key pieces, players stepped up and filled in the gap to string together a crucial second half after the scoreboard sat empty at the break.
Senior Semaj Morgan made up for the depleted receiver room with six receptions for a game-high 73 yards, including a 31-yard connection with senior quarterback Nico Iamaleava in the fourth that set up a short touchdown run from fifth-year running back Wayne Knight.
Knight continued to spearhead the Bruins’ offensive arsenal as well, tacking on three touchdowns to increase his season tally to six, compared to just nine all of 2025. The former James Madison Duke is averaging eight yards per attempt so far, which is also a testament to the solid Bruin blocking up front.
“This offensive line had a lack of chemistry coming into the season,” said senior offensive lineman Riley Robell. “None of us had ever played together before on a unit, and these were my first snaps at center. There’s been a lot of development made in these first two games, and now we’re starting to get into the stride of things. You can see the fun we’re having out on the field.”
The run game has been the highlight of the offense in the young season.
The squad totaled just eight rushing touchdowns all of last season and has already tallied 10 through its first two games. The Bruins have also increased their yards-per-carry tally by two so far and are averaging over 105 more ground yards per game than in 2025.
While the squad already came into the season with a slate of elite options in the backfield, some of this production may not have been possible without the losses to the receiver core.
Now, with Matthews out for Saturday’s matchup against Purdue and senior wide receiver Aidan Mizell listed as questionable, it will likely take a similar ground effort to take down the Boilermakers.
The squad has been clicking at different positions on the field, and it seems as though each obstacle thrown in the Bruins’ path is bringing the team closer together as a unit.
“After months and months of repping it together, we get a good feel for all the things we’re doing out there,” said sophomore outside linebacker Scott Taylor. “You guys are seeing well-executed blitzes at the right time, and a lot of that comes down to being a great call in the right situation, but also our preparation leading us to execute.”
Starting Big Ten play with a win could be crucial for Chesney’s group to set the tone for the rest of the season, with the program not having posted a winning conference record since 2022.
And with the Wednesday announcement that all UCLA students will now receive free admission to home football games, there may be no excuse for the Bruin faithful to rally behind their squad.
[Related: UCLA announces free student tickets for all home football, basketball games]
The season’s progression hasn’t been linear, but the group is starting to gel at the right time.
“For us, we’re making sure we all see it the same way, believe in it the same way and know that we can execute it the same way,” Chesney said. “That’s just practice throughout the week.”
Comments are closed.