After a disappointing 2024 season, UCLA football has a new feel about it this fall as it looks for a bounce-back year to compete in the Big Ten. After having a dismal offense last season, the Bruins spent the big bucks in the transfer portal to go get former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava and bring him back home to Southern California.
That all built up a lot of hype coming into Saturday night's season opener, where UCLA hosted Utah in an old-fashioned Pac 12 battle turned non-conference tilt. Unfortunately for the Bruins and their fans, it was never even a contest. The Utes jumped out to an early 20-0 lead and ran away with a 43-10 victory at the Rose Bowl.
Neither side of the ball played good football for UCLA, but the offense was dismal in its first game with Iamaleava leading the charge. The former five-star recruit finished the game just 11-for-22 with 136 yards, one touchdown and one interception. After the game, head coach DeShaun Foster made a guarantee that his starting quarterback would bounce back, via ESPN's Paolo Uggetti.
“Nico is a competitor. He's not going to quit. He kept playing hard,” Foster said. “We just gotta do a better job protecting him, keeping him upright.”
The Utes, known for their stellar play at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, dominated the trenches all night long and suffocated the UCLA offense in every aspect. The Bruins finished with just 220 total yards and finished the game just 2-for-11 on third down as Utah consistently found itself in advantageous situations.
On the other side of the ball, Utah ran for 287 yards alone while racking up nearly 500 total yards of offense. Led by New Mexico transfer Devon Dampier at quarterback, Utah scored touchdowns on each of its first three series and never looked back in what ended up being a statement victory to open the season.
Things should get easier for UCLA, as it will go on the road to take on a UNLV squad that has been underwhelming so far this season in Week 2 before taking on New Mexico in Week 3. During those games, Iamaleava and company should have plenty of opportunities to get their feet wet and get into a rhythm before Big Ten play gets going.
