UCLA Bruins football – Page 4 – Syndication Server

Going deep on UCLA and Iowa’s rushing offense and defense

UCLA and Iowa’s game could be decided by who can defend the run better.

The UCLA Bruins host the Iowa Hawkeyes on Friday night, putting the two programs on a collision course with Big Ten implications at the Rose Bowl.

On paper, UCLA and Iowa present an interesting matchup, particularly in the run game. Iowa boasts the 10th-ranked rushing offense in the country, tallying 222.3 yards per game behind tailback Kaleb Johnson, while the Bruins’ stout 11th-ranked run defense allows only 100.4 yards per game.

So, who will have the advantage on Friday night?

In many ways, the Bruins.

Iowa’s offense is built around the run, embracing their hard-nosed, old-school playstyle. When Iowa takes the lead, they can impose their will, run the ball, control the clock, and pile on the points.

That said, Iowa’s reliance on the run is also its greatest weakness. If the Hawkeyes fall behind, their inability to throw the ball makes them incredibly predictable and easy to defend. Averaging only 133.8 yards per game through the air, Iowa’s dismal passing offense ranks 129th in the country, with quarterback Cade McNamara completing only 60% of his passes.

If UCLA’s offense can jump out to an early lead, the Bruins can pressure McNamara and the Hawkeyes to throw the ball and take away their best attribute, potentially lifting them to a win.

Big Ten with four top ten teams in week 11 rankings

Four Big Ten teams are ranked within the top ten of both major polls ahead of week 11.

The Big Ten will enter week 11 of the 2024 college football season with four of the top ten teams in the country in both the US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Top 25.

The Oregon Ducks, Ohio State Buckeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions, and Indiana Hoosiers are all ranked within the top ten in both polls.

Oregon is the consensus No. 1 team, with all 62 first-place votes in the AP Poll and 53 of 54 first-place votes in the Coaches poll. The Ohio State Buckeyes, fresh off a top-five win over then No. 3 Penn State, are the No. 3 team in both polls.

Penn State, after suffering its first loss of the season, dropped to No. 6 in the AP Poll and No. 7 in the Coaches poll, while Indiana made its top ten debut at No. 8 and No. 10 in each respective poll.

Outside of the four top-ten-ranked teams, the Big Ten has no other conference members ranked within the top 25 this week. The Washington Huskies were the only other program to receive votes in the AP Poll, while the Minnesota Golden Gophers, the Iowa Hawkeyes, and the Illinois Fighting Illini all received votes in the Coaches Poll.

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UCLA Bruins surge in latest CBS College Football Ranking

UCLA and their Big Ten opponent moved up in the rankings.

The UCLA Bruins are finally hitting their stride this season as they enter the back half of the 2024 college football season. After starting 1-5, the Bruins have rallied to a 3-5 record and knocked off Nebraska for their latest win.

One notable college football ranking took notice.

After a slow start to the season, the Bruins climbed the CBS Sports College Football ranking, rising 14 spots from No. 90 to No. 76. Similarly, after their Big Ten beatdown of Wisconsin, the Bruins opponent this week, Iowa, jumped from No. 36 to No. 27.

Though the Bruins and the Hawkeyes are two very different programs, they share one thing in common: They are trending in the right direction at the right time of the season.

At 6-3, Iowa poses a threat to the Bruins’ two-game win streak. However, with UCLA hosting the Hawkeyes at the Rose Bowl, Iowa will be coming into a hostile environment with a Bruins team looking to pick up their first win at home this season.

How bad has UCLA football’s first season in the Big Ten been?

Why context matters for UCLA’s first season in the Big Ten.

UCLA’s first season in the Big Ten has been up and down. From a first-week win over Hawai’i to several Big Ten blowouts, the 2024 college football season has been a rollercoaster for the Bruins.

That said, as the season rolls on, one thing has become abundantly clear: UCLA’s season is hardly as bad as it looks on paper when in context.

The Bruins have lost to five teams this season: Indiana, LSU, Oregon, Penn State, and Minnesota. Those teams hold an astonishing 37-6 combined record. Though overmatched in each of these losses, the Bruins still showed effort, toughness, and fight.

Now at 3-5, the Bruins have strung together consecutive wins over Rutgers and Nebraska in the Big Ten, proving they can beat Big Ten opponents, not simply compete with them. Though not the most talented roster in the Big Ten, credit is due to DeShaun Foster and his coaching staff as they continue to show signs of improvement.

The Bruins have only four games remaining on their schedule, none of which are against ranked opponents. While it is unlikely the Bruins will win out, there should be cautious optimism for the direction of the program and their end-of-season win total.

Having faced a murderer’s row of opponents in their first season in the Big Ten, the Bruins are a better team today than at the beginning of the season. If those improvements can continue, by this time next year, the Bruins could have more than bowl aspirations in the Big Ten as they bring in another talented recruiting class.

How to buy UCLA Bruins vs. Iowa Hawkeyes football tickets

Want to watch the UCLA Bruins vs. Iowa Hawkeyes in person on Friday, Nov. 8? Tickets still remain for as little as $74.

The UCLA Bruins welcome the Iowa Hawkeyes to the Rose Bowl on Friday night for the first time as a member of the Big Ten, and if you want to catch the early college football Week 11 action in person, we have the ticket information you need right here.

The Bruins are just 3-5 overall while winning just two out of six in their first year in the new conference. The good news for UCLA is that they have won their last two against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and Nebraska Cornhuskers, respectively.

The Hawkeyes have been better this fall, assembling a 6-3 total tally and a tidy 4-2 mark against fellow Big Ten schools. That has been good enough to earn 13 votes and a de facto No. 34 ranking in the US LBM Coaches Poll.

The UCLA Bruins will host the Iowa Hawkeyes on Friday, Nov. 8 at 9 p.m. ET.

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How to buy UCLA vs. Iowa football tickets

What better way to spend your Friday night in a historic venue than watching two Football Bowl Subdivision programs face off against each other? Here is what you need to know to get tickets to the Rose Bowl event.

At the time of publication, the cheapest available tickets for the UCLA Bruins vs. Iowa Hawkeyes are $74.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop UCLA vs. Iowa tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/aWB9O4R/”]

How to buy UCLA Bruins vs. Iowa Hawkeyes football tickets

Want to watch the UCLA Bruins vs. Iowa Hawkeyes in person on Friday, Nov. 8? Tickets still remain for as little as $74.

The UCLA Bruins will host the Iowa Hawkeyes on Friday, Nov. 8 at 9 p.m. ET.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Bruins vs. Hawkeyes tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/aWB9O4R/”]

How to buy UCLA vs. Iowa football tickets

At the time of publication, the cheapest available tickets for the UCLA Bruins vs. Iowa Hawkeyes are $74.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop UCLA vs. Iowa tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/aWB9O4R/”]

DeShaun Foster’s strong 5-word take message after UCLA’s win over Nebraska

Foster with a strong take here.

At the beginning of the season, questions swirled about whether or not DeShaun Foster was the right guy to be the head coach of the UCLA Bruins.

UCLA barely defeated Hawaii on the road in Week 1 before losing five in a row. However, UCLA has turned it around a bit with back-to-back road wins against Rutgers and Nebraska, which keeps the slim bowl hopes alive for at least another week or two.

After the win in Lincoln on Saturday, Foster had a short but strong message, per Bruin Report Online.

“Martin hired the right guy.”

Martin Jarmond, the UCLA Athletic Director, had to move quickly once Chip Kelly suddenly left to become the offensive coordinator at Ohio State. That prompted in bringing back Foster, who briefly left for an assistant job with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Foster was hired just days after Kelly’s departure, although the move was questioned by many at that time.

However, despite a rough start, UCLA is gaining momentum and has managed to pull off two road wins in the Big Ten.

Photos of UCLA’s big win over Nebraska

This was a big win for UCLA.

The UCLA Bruins got the second straight Big Ten Conference win with a road victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

The Bruins squeaked out a hard-fought 27-20 win on the road as they suddenly have shown signs of life after a 1-5 start to the season.

UCLA had a 13-7 lead at halftime and then scored 14 third-quarter points to extend the lead.

Ethan Garbers played well again, throwing for 219 yards with a pair of touchdowns in the game as Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola struggled, throwing for 177 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

UCLA not only gets a tough road win, but their slim bowl chances stay alive for the time being.

Here are photos from the win on Saturday.

UCLA football upsets Nebraska for second-straight Big Ten win

The Bruins survived on Saturday to take down their second-straight Big Ten opponent.

The UCLA Bruins have back-to-back wins for the first time in the 2024 college football season. Taking down their second-straight Big Ten opponent, UCLA upset Nebraska on the road 27-20 to improve to 3-5 on the season.

Behind a productive performance by all three units, the Bruins offense, defense, and special teams played in perfect unison, never trailing in the game for a second.

The Bruins started the day strong, owning the time of possession and holding Nebraska to only two yards in the first quarter. A pair of field goals and a touchdown pass later, the Bruins held a narrow but pronounced 13-7 lead.

In the second half, the Bruins kept piling it on. Linebacker Kain Medrano intercepted Cornhusker quarterback Dylan Raiola and returned it for a 38-yard pick-six, and shortly after, Bruins quarterback Ethan Garbers tossed his second touchdown to wideout Kwazi Gilmerpass to give the Bruins a 27-14 lead. Despite a late surge by the Cornhuskers, UCLA’s defense stiffened to secure the win with a game-sealing pick by cornerback Kaylin Moore.

Garbers put together another nice game through the air and on the ground, combining for 275 yards on 17-25 passing with two touchdowns.

Capitalizing on the over-aggressiveness of the Cornhusker defense, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s use of play-action and misdirection proved to be a winning, on-the-fly strategy for the Bruins offense all game long.

But the most notable takeaway from the Bruins win was that head coach DeShaun Foster, for the second week in a row, had his players ready to go on the road. With four winnable games remaining for UCLA, bowl eligibility could be on the table for the surging 2024 Bruins.

What Matt Rhule said about UCLA’s Big Ten move ahead of Nebraska clash

Matt Rhule shared about UCLA’s move.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers are hosting the UCLA Bruins this weekend in Lincoln.

As such, this marks the first meeting between these programs since UCLA moved to the Big Ten Conference.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule, who is in his second year with the program, spoke about UCLA’s move to the Big Ten and what it means, per Evan Bredeson of Cornhuskers Wire.

“Even me coming here last year, and it’s your first time in the Big Ten. Learning the structures, learning the personalities, learning the towns, learning the travel, learning the style of play, the weather. All of those things matter. When you go into a new conference, you’re trying to figure out who wins in this conference. The unique thing here is we’ve all joined a new conference…We’re probably going to have a USC or UCLA game every year, and that can be a cool thing in recruiting. We’re trying to do that, I’m sure they’re trying to figure it out. USC is recruiting kids here in Lincoln and Omaha. It just changes the footprint of everything…Just college football in general is changing.”

It will be an interesting meeting between the two programs on Saturday.