UCLA’s night against Cal was built on one thing above everything else: the run game. The Bruins piled up 277 rushing yards, averaged 8.7 yards per carry, and never let the Golden Bears settle in.
Anthony Woods was the headliner, finishing with 118 yards on eight carries. The returning back did most of his damage on the ground while UCLA kept feeding fresh bodies into the backfield and forcing Cal to chase. That approach paid off in a big way in the Bruins’ 45-24 win late Saturday night.
The scoring on the ground came in waves. UCLA found the end zone six times on rushing plays, with transfer back Wayne Knight, who came over from James Madison, punching in three of them. Woods added two more, and Iamaleava got the Bruins started with a rushing touchdown of his own.
For Bob Chesney, the smartest move in Week One was keeping the rotation alive in the backfield. Each of UCLA’s running backs brings something different, and that showed immediately against Cal. The Bruins were able to lean on fresh legs all night, and that wore down the defense as the game went on.
That kind of depth could make the run game the centerpiece moving forward. With four different players in the backfield who can hurt a defense, including Iamaleava, preparing for UCLA is going to be a different kind of problem.
That doesn’t mean the passing game was invisible. It did its job, even if it wasn’t the main source of damage against Cal.
Iamaleava had some cleanup work to do, especially after a costly interception in the red zone. Still, that kind of mistake can get sharper as he builds more comfort with his teammates.
The timing looked off, and that should improve with more reps.
Now UCLA turns to Week Two and a home opener against San Diego State, another team that already has a win under its belt. The Bruins’ ground game looks like a real weapon in Westwood, and all three of their talented running backs could end up shaping how the season finishes.
In Other News...
UCLAs Biggest Post-Cal Challenge Is Just Getting Started
After a road win at Cal, Bob Chesney spent Monday trying to steer UCLA away from the easy trap that follows a result like that. The Bruins got the kind of victory that can make a locker room feel a little too good about itself, and Chesney leaned on a lesson from his time at James Madison to make sure the message stayed clear: the work is not finished just because one good day turned into a better one.
San Diego State is next, and Chesney said UCLA still has to keep improving and lock back in quickly. For a team coming off a confidence-boosting trip, the challenge now is less about celebrating the win and more about proving it meant something by carrying the same edge into the next game. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA Left One Costly Red Zone Mistake That Better Teams Will Punish
UCLA opened Week One with a 21-point win and, for the most part, looked efficient when it got inside the red zone. The Bruins turned most of those chances into touchdowns and kept control of the game, which made the overall offensive showing feel encouraging even if there were a few early-seasons rough edges to clean up.
One empty trip still loomed large because it came just before halftime, when a short Nico Iamaleava pass was intercepted in the red zone and Cal quickly answered with a touchdown to trim the lead to 21-17. UCLA steadied after that and allowed only seven second-half points, but better teams are far more likely to punish that kind of wasted scoring chance. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA Gets Its First Real Chance To Prove Week 1 Was Real
UCLA gets a cleaner read on itself Saturday when it hosts San Diego State at Rose Bowl Stadium, a follow-up that should say more about the Bruins than the season opener did. The 4:15 p.m. kickoff comes after a win over California that gave first-year head coach Bob Chesney and his team an encouraging first step, with running back Wayne Knight and defensive back TaShawn James among the players who helped set the tone.
Chesney arrived with a proven track record, and his first game in charge suggested the Bruins may have more immediate traction than some expected. But Week 1 can only tell you so much, and this home game offers UCLA a chance to see whether its fast start was a one-night burst or the beginning of something sturdier as the schedule starts to sharpen. [Read more 🡒]