UCLA’s defense is about to get a clear test in Week Two, and the assignment is simple: slow down San Diego State’s run game or deal with a long afternoon in Pasadena.
The Aztecs arrive with the Mountain West’s 2025 rushing champion, Lucky Sutton, who put together a huge season last year with 1,297 yards on 254 carries and 10 touchdowns. He averaged just over five yards per carry and served as the engine of San Diego State’s offense.
That ground-first identity showed up again in the opener. SDSU rolled past Portland State, 53-20, and while Sutton found the end zone three times, he was not even the team’s leading rusher. That honor went to Javion Kennard, the Colorado State transfer, who ran for 79 yards on eight carries and broke loose for a 55-yard burst.
Sutton still did what he does best near the goal line, finishing with 18 carries for 58 yards and those three scores. It was another reminder that even when the yardage doesn’t explode, he can still wreck a defense where it hurts most.
The bigger picture is hard to miss. San Diego State threw for just 157 yards in its opener, while the run game produced 237 yards and four touchdowns. The offense runs through the backs and the line, and the line has enough returning pieces to suggest that approach isn’t changing anytime soon.
That puts the pressure squarely on UCLA, which had mixed results against Cal. Adam Mohammed was effective, piling up 120 yards on 28 carries, and the Bruins also saw one drive in particular expose some cracks. Early in the third quarter, Cal put together a 14-play, 85-yard touchdown march to tie the game, with 11 of those plays staying on the ground.
That kind of sequence is exactly what UCLA has to clean up now. If the Bruins want to move to 2-0 and keep building momentum in this new era under Bob Chesney, stopping the run has to be the priority.
In Other News...
UCLA Has One Lingering Injury Concern Entering San Diego State
UCLA came out of its Week One win over Cal with a few bumps and bruises, but the overall injury picture looks manageable as the Bruins turn their attention to San Diego State. Starting quarterback Iamaleava was hurt during the game, though postgame updates indicated he has been cleared to keep going, and receiver Mizell is also set to be back for the next matchup.
The one situation the Bruins are still watching closely is Tao Johnson, whose recovery remains a little murkier as the staff monitors how he responds in the coming days. If Johnson is unable to go, TaShawn James is the next man up, giving UCLA a ready fallback even as the final call on Johnson hangs over the lead-up to kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA Heads Into Week 2 With A Few Usage Questions Fans Noticed
UCLAs season opener offered a familiar early-season snapshot: plenty of bodies got work, the rotation was broad, and the offense made a point of spreading the ball around. Seven different receivers were targeted in Week 1, while the Bruins also mixed and matched defensively, with Malik Hartford and Tao Johnson starting ahead of Martin, who logged only 11 snaps.
The part worth watching now is how the staff sorts out the smaller usage decisions as the season settles in. Phifer and Loftin were on the field a similar amount at tight end but were barely involved in the passing game, Brian Rowe Jr. flashed early before fading in the second half, and those details can say as much about a depth chart as the snap counts themselves. Through one game, the Bruins have shown they trust their rotation, but the next few weeks should tell a lot about which pieces are getting a real role and which ones are still waiting for theirs. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA Fans Will Be Watching One Thing In Chesneys Home Debut
Bob Chesneys home debut at UCLA comes with the usual first-game curiosity that follows a new coach, but there is already one obvious thing Bruins fans will be tracking when San Diego State arrives. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who was injured during the Week 1 game, is expected to be available, and that matters because UCLAs offense showed plenty of life on the ground in the opener and now gets a chance to build on it in front of a home crowd.
San Diego State brings a defense under new coordinator Demetrius Sumler, which adds another layer to a matchup that already feels like an early read on where this Bruins team is headed in the Big Ten era. If UCLA can keep its run game rolling and stay steady at quarterback, Chesneys first home game could tell a lot about how quickly this group is settling in. [Read more 🡒]