It is hard to ignore one quote after UCLA football’s disastrous opener against the Utah Utes on Saturday. “I’m not worried about the marketing. Because what marketing does, if you win games, you’re marketed.” UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster said last month during training camp.
Foster and the Bruins have five more home games they can market for the rest of the season after UCLA was bullied 43-10 by Utah at the Rose Bowl to open the 2025 season.
The Bruins brought in 30 new players in the transfer portal and hired former Indiana offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri to run their offense but on Saturday the Bruins looked quite similar to the 2024 team. UCLA fell behind 20-0 less than 18 minutes into the game and the embarrassment didn’t end there.
Quarterback Nico Iamaleava flashed his talent a few times but Sunseri’s offense looked like a mess overall and Iamaleava’s struggled to throw with any touch. UCLA’s ground game only found success on Iamaleava scrambles, with UCLA’s running back corps having a quiet night outside of a receiving touchdown by Anthony Woods.
The worst aspect of UCLA’s game was easily their rush defense, allowing 286 rushing yards while Utah moved the ball at will. There was no better example than Utah’s dominance than their opening drive of the second half, an epic 20-play drive that ended with a Utes touchdown on 4th and Goal. The UCLA defense created zero sacks or turnovers, allowed seven scoring drives and forced only one Utah punt.
Fox’s broadcast referenced Josh Rosen’s famed 44-10 comeback that UCLA pulled off but that was to maintain their viewership, not because the Bruins showed any signs of life in the second half. Iamaleava threw his first UCLA interception in the third quarter after missing Kwazi Gilmer on a screen pass. The pick was Iamaleava’s last pass of the night, as Sunseri and Foster waved the white flag, helping Utah run the clock out.
UCLA will head to Las Vegas to face UNLV next week with a chance to get back to .500 but the Bruins began their new season with a whimper.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Humilation: UCLA stomped by Utah 43-10 to open 2025 season
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
