UCLA Football Falls to Northwestern, Remains Winless
EVANSTON, Ill. — Despite a late-game rally, the UCLA Bruins fell to the Northwestern Wildcats 17-14 in their Big Ten Conference opener on Saturday. This loss marks the fourth consecutive defeat for the Bruins, who are now 0-4 overall and 0-1 in the Big Ten.
The game saw UCLA struggle with the same issues that have plagued them all season, including a slow start, an inability to run the ball, and a defense that struggles to stop the run and prevent big plays. The Bruins’ offense, led by quarterback Nico Iamaleava, showed some spark in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late.
A Slow Start and Inability to Execute
Iamaleava, who completed 19 of 27 passes for 180 yards and a touchdown, was once again the lone bright spot for the Bruins’ offense. However, the team’s running backs, Jaivian Thomas, Jalen Berger, and Anthony Woods, combined for just 66 yards and averaged 4.4 yards per carry. Iamaleava attributed the team’s struggles to a lack of execution, saying, “We just need to execute, man. Execute up front — know who our keys and our reads are and really just execute up front.”
Northwestern, on the other hand, had no trouble moving the ball on the ground, with Caleb Komolafe gaining a career-high 119 yards in 27 carries. The Wildcats’ run game collected 199 yards, highlighting the Bruins’ defensive struggles.
A Late-Game Rally Falls Short
UCLA’s defense did show some signs of life in the fourth quarter, stopping Northwestern on three consecutive plays and giving the Bruins the ball back with 1:29 left. However, a big sack of Iamaleava by Northwestern edge rusher Anto Saka, followed by a false start on offensive tackle Courtland Ford, took precious time off the clock and left the Bruins with just eight seconds to score.
Iamaleava completed an 11-yard pass to tight end Hudson Habermehl before the clock ran out on the Bruins’ comeback hopes. Despite the loss, interim coach Tim Skipper was proud of his team’s fight, saying, “How that game went, man, I’m proud of the guys for fighting and finishing. We need to start a lot better.”
UCLA’s Anthony Woods carries the ball as Northwestern’s Aidan Hubbard tries to tackle him during the first half Saturday.
(Michael Hickey / Getty Images)
Looking Ahead to a Tough Schedule
The loss drops UCLA to 0-4, and the team faces a tough schedule ahead, including a game against No. 3 Penn State at the Rose Bowl next weekend. The Bruins will need to regroup and refocus if they hope to turn their season around. As Skipper said, “It really does sting, but like I told those guys, man, you’ve got to keep your head up — I mean, we’re going to be in the fight every single game, all right?”
