Pasadena, CA – The UCLA Bruins returned to the Rose Bowl searching for their first win of the season, but instead suffered their third consecutive defeat, falling 35–10 to the New Mexico Lobos on Saturday.
From the opening quarter, the Bruins struggled to contain the Lobos’ offense. In just nine plays, New Mexico made 64 yards down the field, capped by a touchdown run from Scottre Humphrey to give them a 7–0 lead.
Penalties continued to plague UCLA throughout the game, stalling offensive momentum and giving the Lobos extra opportunities. Early in the second quarter, New Mexico quarterback Jack Layne connected with Simon Mapa for an eight-yard touchdown, followed by a successful kick from Luke Drzewiecki, extending the Lobos’ advantage to 14–0.
The Bruins briefly showed life midway through the second quarter. After a strong drive that included a 32-yard pass to Mikey Matthews and a roughing penalty against New Mexico, quarterback Nico Iamaleava found Titus Mokio Atimalala for a 12-yard touchdown reception. A successful kick cut the deficit to 14–7. Later in the half, kicker Bahteen Bhaghani drilled a 51-yard field goal to bring UCLA within four points at 14–10.
But that would be the closest the Bruins came. The Lobos’ offense responded with another touchdown before halftime and never looked back. By the fourth quarter, they had extended their lead to 28–10, capitalizing on UCLA turnovers and defensive breakdowns. A final score with just over seven minutes remaining sealed the Bruins’ fate, 35–10.
After the game, Iamaleava pointed to missed opportunities and costly mistakes:
“I think that’s on the offense. I think the defense did a great job executing. They got us a stop. We got down into the red area and we shot ourselves in the foot with penalties. We got to be cleaner. It’s costing us points and it’s forcing the defense to go back out there after a three-and-out.”
Head coach DeShaun Foster took accountability for the team’s continued struggles:
“Everything that happens can fall on me. I’m the head coach. But what I do know is that eventually this team is going to play with discipline. It’s going to happen. One thing that is going to happen is that those guys who are in the room are going to continue to believe and eventually it’s going to turn around.”
The Bruins, now 0–3, will look to regroup as questions swirl around discipline, execution, and their ability to bounce back from another difficult start to the season.
Article: Lauren Rodriguez
Photos: Chuck Null
