UCLA’s unbeaten run stayed intact Saturday, but the Bruins didn’t get the full spotlight in the aftermath of their 28-10 win over Michigan State at the Rose Bowl. That belonged, at least for a while, to a viral set of photos featuring UCLA cheerleader Kelsey Lowder, which quickly took off across social media as the game was still being dissected online.
The victory moved UCLA to 7-0 and kept its College Football Playoff hopes alive, but it didn’t come cleanly. The Bruins had to work through a rough opening stretch, and head coach Bob Chesney was blunt about what went wrong early. Two fumbles proved costly, and Michigan State turned those miscues into more than 100 return yards.
“That first half was not our type of football, not really how we want to play the game, with two fumbles, for them to have 100 and some yards of returns on those two,” Chesney said after the game.
UCLA settled in after halftime, tightening up on defense and coming up with key turnovers to finish the job. Still, once the game ended, the online conversation had already drifted in another direction as fans latched onto Lowder’s photos.
The reactions came fast. Some users posted straightforward praise, while others leaned into the moment with jokes about the post going viral during UCLA’s strong run.
Among the comments: “Spartans in trouble lol,” “Holy cow,” “Insane!” “you are so wow omg” and “Perfect woman oh my god.”
Another fan on Instagram wrote, “Fall football season>>>”
Lowder has posted other game-day photos on Instagram as well, giving followers regular snapshots of her on the sidelines supporting the Bruins.
For UCLA, the bigger picture remains the same: a 7-0 start, a spot firmly in the playoff conversation, and plenty of room to clean things up. Chesney made it clear the Bruins have work to do, especially after that sloppy first half. If they want to keep this momentum rolling, the margin for mistakes is shrinking fast.
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