UCLA receiver J. Michael Sturdivant, right, tries to break away from a Minnesota player during a game this year at the Rose Bowl. Sturdivant and the rest of the Bruins offense will need to be at the top of their game if they expect to beat Fresno State on Saturday at the Rose Bowl.
The long 2024 season for the UCLA Bruins football team is coming to a close after another tough week of football for head coach DeShaun Foster and his coaching staff. Foster is in his first season as the UCLA head coach and the latest loss to the USC Trojans has to be frustrating to Foster.
The Trojans came from behind in the fourth quarter to defeat the Bruins at the Rose Bowl, 19-13. The Bruins led 13-9 at the start of the fourth quarter, but a shanked punt set up the Trojans at the UCLA 49-yard line and four plays later, with the help of a trick play on offense, the Trojans took a 16-13 lead and never looked back after that.
The loss dropped the Bruins to 4-7 and will keep them out of a bowl game this season. The Bruins will close the season against the Fresno State Bulldogs this Saturday, November 30, at the Rose Bowl. Fresno State is 6-5 on the season and has a six-game winning streak versus the Bruins. The Bulldog fans usually show up in large numbers for this game at the Rose Bowl. The game will start at 12:30 pm and will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
The Trojans improved to 6-5 on the season and became bowl eligible with the victory. They are 2-0 since they changed quarterbacks, going from Miller Moss to Jayden Maiava. The Trojans close out the regular season on Saturday, November 30 against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The game will start at 12:30 pm and will be televised nationally on CBS.
The victory was the third straight win over UCLA at the Rose Bowl. In all three games, the Trojans trailed in the second half but found a way to win. The win also means the Victory Bell goes back to the USC campus, much to the chagrin of Foster, the players, and the entire UCLA campus.
"Defensively, the defense came out and played a great game," Foster said. "We stopped them plenty of times. We held them to a lot of field goals. Offensively, they just didn't do their part in the game. It's a team sport. I just need our offense to be at their best when their best is needed. We're having problems in the red zone in certain situations – just having false starts, not being able to make a play. I like how hard my guys played. It just showed that they're resilient. But we just didn't do enough to win this game."
It is easy to see where the Bruins are falling short this season. They cannot run the football, and it showed up at critical point in the game. In the fourth quarter, trailing 16-13 with 5:43 remaining in the game, the Bruins had a 3rd-and-1 from their own 34-yard line. The Bruins needed a first down to keep the critical offensive drive going.
The Bruins were unable to pick up the yard, first on a dive by running back Keegan Jones and next on a quarterback sneak by Ethan Garbers. In the 18-team Big Ten Conference, the Bruins are last in rushing yardage per game at 87.7 yards per game and last in rushing yards per carry at 3.2 yards per carry. The Bruins are second in the Big Ten in sacks allowed at 31, and the Bruins lead the Big Ten in penalties and penalty yardage.
A good running game would solve a lot of problems for the Bruins. That needs to be addressed in the offseason through the transfer portal and recruiting. The offensive line needs improvement or just new direction. The penalty issue makes it even more difficult for the Bruins. Foster's three pillars are discipline, respect and enthusiasm. The discipline pillar has been lacking in many games.
Foster did address the penalty issue in his postgame press conference. "We've got to continue to stop, and I will keep reiterating discipline," Foster said. "That's why it is my first pillar. I didn't pull it out of nowhere. It was my first pillar for a reason. I felt like that was something we were lacking. We're still missing it, so we will continue to strive in the direction of discipline. And eventually, it's going to get fixed."
As Foster indicated, the defensive side has been better, with linebacker Carson Schwesinger leading the way. Schwesinger is one of the five finalists for the Butkus award, an award given to the top linebacker in college football. Schwesinger leads the nation in solo tackles with 79 and the Big Ten in total tackles with 121. He also has 8 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 1 forced fumble. He appears to be a strong candidate for the award.
A win for the Bruins on Saturday would be nice way to end the season and give the Bruins a good start to the offseason and spring practice. USC, on the other hand, has victories over LSU and UCLA, and would like to add another with a win over 5th ranked Notre Dame. That would probably take the heat off of USC head coach Lincoln Riley and would clinch a winning record. USC has been projected to go to either the Las Vegas Bowl or Sun Bowl.
A victory would help Foster at UCLA, but he is not under the same kind of pressure the Riley is. Foster just needs time to recruit and develop talent. He may want to make some changes with the current coaching staff, and he certainly needs to get the players to play a more disciplined style of football.
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