DeShaun Foster is a beloved Bruin, so the doubts of his being in over his head as the UCLA football coach are merely whispered. Attending a recent panel discussion, I heard Times columnist Bill Plaschke refer to Coach Foster as “a placeholder.” Saturday’s game against Utah only solidified both perceptions. In today’s college football landscape there are plenty of teams who use the transfer portal to be competitive while building toward something better. One game in, UCLA appears to be failing miserably to do so. As a 42-year season-ticket holder and alumnus, the football program, its fans, and the university deserve so much more.
Eric Forseth Murrieta
All we heard from UCLA preseason was Nico, Nico, Nico [Iamaleava]. After watching his performance against unranked Utah, he has to be the most overrated transfer in the country. Add in the fact that the defense was absolutely pathetic, it’s another losing season. Rose Bowl you better order more tarps.
Joe Novak La Crescenta
As I walked out of the UCLA-Utah football game in disgust in the fourth quarter after watching an uninspired and incompetent defense and a team that looked, frankly, soft, I had to smile as the PA system in the Rose Bowl appropriately blasted the song “Build Me Up Buttercup.” Uninspired and untalented. Basically, buttercups.
Alan Abajian Alta Loma
Will somebody please explain to the Bruin defense that it is called TACKLE football??
Steve Cizmar Huntington Beach
After UCLA’s humiliating, devastating and humbling 43-10 loss to Utah in the season opener, coach DeShaun Foster said, “We were close.”
Karl Dorrell acknowledged not knowing where to stand on the sideline while losing his first game to Colorado in 2003?
Manual Arts High blew UCLA out, 74-0, in the program’s first game in 1919?
Regardless of your choice, what happened Saturday night at the Rose Bowl was awful. Putrid. Dreadful.
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UCLA’s 43-10 setback against Utah — the Bruins’ most lopsided loss in a season opener since they absorbed a 38-3 thrashing by top-ranked Oklahoma in 1986 — came largely as a result of losing the battle on both lines of scrimmage.
The offensive line couldn’t help the run game produce anything of note on the way to 37 yards from its three running backs.
The defense looked lost from the first snap. There was no containment of Utes quarterback Devon Dampier, who often saw more open field in front of him than closing defenders.
Quarterback Nico Iamaleava, appearing overly amped in his UCLA debut, overthrew several receivers on the way to completing only half of his passes but showed flashes of why his arrival was such a big deal. His slippery runs and perfect touch on a 19-yard touchdown pass to running back Anthony Woods were a possible harbinger of far greater success.
The big hope is that the Bruins accelerate their rebound from a year ago. Remember, UCLA looked equally pitiful in its home opener against Indiana last season (a 42-13 drubbing) as part of a 1-5 start, only to turn things around and nearly make a bowl game.
Defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe moved players around until he found the right combination, putting Oluwafemi Oladejo at edge rusher and inserting linebacker Carson Schwesinger into the starting lineup on the way to one of the greatest individual seasons in school history.
But is there enough talent on this team to spark a turnaround? These guys looked slow-footed and couldn’t tackle very well. Finding a capable edge rusher or two must be a top priority.
For UCLA to have any meaningful success this season, it’s going to have to pile up wins against the soft patch of its schedule that starts next weekend. A road game against Nevada Las Vegas (2-0, albeit with victories over Sam Houston and Idaho State) will be followed by a home game against New Mexico (0-1) and the Big Ten opener on the road against Northwestern (0-1).
Was the Bruins’ opener just a bad night against a good team or an omen? We’ll know soon enough.
Joey and Dante watch
Former Bruin Joey Aguilar had a nice game against Syracuse on Saturday.
(Mike Stewart / Associated Press)
Compounding UCLA’s misery was the success that two former Bruins quarterbacks enjoyed in their season openers.
Joey Aguilar, briefly a Bruin in the spring before transferring to Tennessee as part of the so-called trade for Iamaleava, starred in his Volunteers debut. Joey Football, as he’s been known since his gunslinger days at Appalachian State, looked like a gamer Saturday during Tennessee’s 45-26 victory over Syracuse, throwing for 247 yards and three touchdowns.
Dante Moore, who looked so spectacular early in the 2023 season at UCLA before throwing a pick-six in three consecutive games and losing his starting job to Ethan Garbers on the way to the transfer portal, returned to a starring role during Oregon’s 59-13 victory over Montana State. Moore completed 18 of 23 passes for 213 yards and three touchdowns without an interception.
It’s important to note that Aguilar and Moore thrived against far lesser competition than Iamaleava faced in the Utes, a possible College Football Playoff contender. Iamaleava also projects as the best of the bunch in terms of NFL upside and could eventually lead UCLA to a renaissance in what’s likely to be his only season as a Bruin.
Perhaps the overriding takeaway after one week is that Iamaleava doesn’t have nearly the supporting cast that he enjoyed last season at Tennessee. The big question: Can he make something worthwhile out of what he has to work with and will others step up to help him?
New fan loyalty program
Airlines, hotels and even local coffee shops have loyalty programs, so why not college sports?
In an effort to strengthen the connection between UCLA and its fans while generating additional revenue, the Bruins athletic department last week announced the creation of the Blue & Gold Society, a loyalty program in partnership with sports marketing agency Two Circles.
Daniel Cruz, UCLA’s deputy athletic director and chief revenue officer, said he wanted to find a new way to connect with fans both inside and outside of Southern California.
“For our fans in New York or the Midwest,” Cruz told The Times, “how do they get access to different things that are cool and memorable and have that connection to the school and contribute directly to the student-athlete so that we can continue to support them and continue driving this program to winning?”
Fans who join the Blue & Gold Society will have access to limited-edition merchandise, behind-the-the scenes tours and specially curated game-day experiences, among other perks. Among the items that fans could secure are surplus jerseys or maybe a piece of the old Pauley Pavilion floor. Experiences could include getting to watch a select team practice.
The program has three tiers with a corresponding level of benefits. The signature tier (priced at $39.99 per month, or available at a discounted annual price) provides a welcome pack, exclusive video and editorial content, an annual merchandise box, quarterly sweepstakes opportunities and an Olympic sports card good for admission to every UCLA sporting event besides football and men’s basketball.
The premium tier ($59.99 per month) comes with enhanced benefits, including two merchandise boxes per year, two tickets to a UCLA sporting event and behind-the-scenes tour of Pauley Pavilion. Those who splurge for the elite tier ($99.99 per month) will receive four merchandise boxes per year, four tickets to two UCLA sporting events and behind-the-scenes tours of both Pauley Pavilion and the Wasserman Football Center, among other benefits.
UCLA is the third college to launch a fan loyalty program in collaboration with Two Circles, joining Kentucky and Colorado.
“It’s not just going to a game or buying a piece of merchandise; it’s really, truly like an immersive experience for the fan,” said Nick Garner, executive vice president for Two Circles. “We want them to know that by joining the Blue & Gold Society, you will have the opportunity to do something that you couldn’t otherwise.”
Cruz said the venture could be instructive in letting UCLA know where fan strongholds exist outside of Los Angeles.
“It could maybe help one day dictate, like, OK, we have a massive fan base in this state,” Cruz said, “why don’t we try to play a game there or do something special there when we do play a team in that region, so I’m pretty excited about that.”
Heard on campus
Delays in the completion of UCLA’s new football practice fields outside the Wasserman Center, which have forced the Bruins to use Drake Stadium and the intramural fields, were twofold, according to an athletic department spokesperson.
The new grass and artificial turf fields were not completed before the season because of extended approval and bid processes after the project was submitted for campus approval in August 2024. Once construction started in July, the schedule for completion has remained on the expected timeline.
The Bruins could start using their new practice fields as soon as the last week of September. The estimated cost of the project is $2.9 million.
A blue-and-golden anniversary
There was another season debut at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.
The UCLA Alumni Band, entering its 50th anniversary, performed before the game to kick off a yearlong celebration.
The band will perform a two-hour concert in the Fan Zone outside the Rose Bowl starting three hours before every home UCLA football game — including a show with the UCLA spirit squad 90 minutes before kickoff — followed by a 30-minute concert in the Court of Champions starting 45 minutes before kickoff. All fans are welcome to attend.
Olympic sport spotlight: Women’s volleyball
The free agency era of college sports could be a great thing for this team.
Coming off a sub-.500 season, the UCLA women’s volleyball team restocked its roster with a bunch of highly coveted transfers. Among the new arrivals are outside hitter Maggie Li, a former Pac-12 Conference freshman of the year at California; Zayna Meyer, a former Big West Conference setter of the year at Long Beach State; middle blocker Phekran Kong, a onetime star at Louisville; and defensive specialist-libero Lola Schumacher, a former All-Big Ten freshman from Wisconsin.
They will join senior outside hitter Cheridyn Leverette, a returning first team All-Big Ten selection, in the bid for a breakthrough. UCLA opens the season Monday evening against Long Beach State at the Pyramid in Long Beach.
Opinion time
So, does UCLA’s football team rally immediately against the soft pocket of its schedule — consecutive games against UNLV, New Mexico and Northwestern — or fall further into despair before facing Penn State on Oct. 4 at the Rose Bowl?
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From the first snap of training camp, DeShaun Foster tightly controlled any narratives about his team.
Reporters never knew how much — or little — of UCLA’s practice sessions they would get to watch, one day being limited to eight minutes of stretching. Mostly they saw individual drills, field goals and — in recent weeks — one snap of the full offense going against the defense.
Photography and video were banned, even at a Rose Bowl practice open to spectators who faced no such restrictions. Foster preferred to let the team’s social media posts and internally produced video series suffice as the story of his team.
As of late Saturday night, the story could no longer be kept secret.
The Bruins don’t appear to be any good.
In a clunker of a season opener, they couldn’t tackle on defense or consistently move the ball on offense behind new quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
While it’s important to throw in the caveat that it’s just one game, UCLA’s 43-10 loss to Utah at the Rose Bowl represented a giant step backward after the Bruins had closed their first season under Foster with four wins in their final six games.
Eleven NFL scouts, including representatives from the Rams and Chargers, probably won’t be returning to watch anyone on a UCLA defense that missed a slew of tackles and failed to put any semblance of pressure on Utah quarterback Devon Dampier, whose fingerprints and footprints could be found all over this game.
Dampier completed 21 of 25 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns while running for 87 yards. He basically put the game out of reach late in the third quarter when he ran untouched into the end zone on fourth and goal from the UCLA two-yard line. Utah rolled up 492 yards of offense while converting 14 of 16 third downs.
Utah quarterback Devon Dampier scores a touchdown against the Bruins in the third quarter Saturday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Meanwhile, Iamaleava enjoyed only a few pockets of success during his first game running new offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri’s scheme. Iamaleava completed 11 of 22 passes for 136 yards with one touchdown and an interception midway through the fourth quarter that sent large swaths of fans headed for home. He ran for 47 yards in 13 carries, proving to be his team’s best option on the ground.
UCLA’s running backs weren’t nearly as productive. Tailbacks Jalen Berger, Jaivian Thomas and Anthony Woods combined for just 37 yards, averaging 2.5 yards per carry. Wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer compounded his team’s inability to move the ball by dropping a pass while cutting across the field on third and four.
UCLA’s preseason secrecy appeared warranted by halftime, when the Utes outclassed the Bruins on the way to a 23-7 advantage.
The Bruins’ inability to get any pressure on Dampier was the big story. Dampier had all the time he needed to throw and run while accounting for 170 yards (including 78 on the ground) and completing 10 of 13 passes. The only way to stop him appeared to be having his helmet come off in the second quarter, which would have forced him to come out for a play had the Utes not smartly called a timeout so that he could return.
UCLA coach DeShaun Foster runs onto the field before Saturday’s loss to Utah at the Rose Bowl.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Utah converted its first six third-down attempts, including a third and four in which Wayshawn Parker ran off tackle for a 13-yard touchdown and a third and three in which UCLA safety Key Lawrence missed a potential tackle for loss, allowing Smith Snowden to run for an eight-yard touchdown.
Everything was tilting in the Utes’ favor when Dampier found linebacker — you read that right — Lander Barton in the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown. Utah led 20-0 and it was fair to wonder if UCLA could mount a sustained drive.
Iamaleava answered emphatically, showing some slippery moves on a 21-yard run and later completing a 21-yard touchdown pass to running back Anthony Woods on a wheel route that finally put the Bruins on the board midway through the second quarter.
There wouldn’t be many positives for UCLA the rest of the way.
Greg Biggins, the 247Sports.com college football recruiting analyst who is one of the best in the nation at what he does, likes to say that you need dudes to win big.
No one has won a national championship in the College Football Playoff era whose roster wasn’t at least halfway stocked with four- and five-star players. Only a handful of teams have made the title game without meeting that blue-chip ratio — and they’ve been walloped.
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“So you’ve got to have dudes, you have to have talent,” Biggins recently told The Times. “Coaching and development is huge, but you take coaching and development with guys who look like [star Ohio State wide receiver] Jeremiah Smith, now that’s a different level altogether.”
As UCLA’s DeShaun Foster prepares to open his second season as the head coach at his alma mater, he’s increasingly replenished his roster with dudes. Transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava is a five-star talent, and 13 other players who arrived through the transfer portal were rated as four stars either coming out of high school or as a transfer.
While the Bruins’ blue-chip ratio still falls well short of 50%, it’s creeping upward. But as Biggins mentioned, coaching and development also matter. Former UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger, who received zero stars coming out of high school, is now with the Cleveland Browns after being selected in the second round of the NFL draft.
For the Bruins to have the breakthrough they’re seeking under Foster, they will need both blue-chippers and less heralded prospects to emerge as stars. Here are 10 players who must become dudes for UCLA to succeed in 2025:
Offense
QB Nico Iamaleava: Well, duh. UCLA is not going to have the kind of season it wants unless its quarterback puts himself in the conversation for the school’s best player at the position since Brett Hundley. (Sorry, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Josh Rosen, eight- and nine-win seasons don’t suffice.) Efficiency will tell the story. If Iamaleava exceeds his 2024 accuracy, when he completed 63.8% of his passes and tallied nearly four times as many touchdowns (19) as interceptions (five), then the Bruins will be in business.
OT Courtland Ford: Quickly slotting into the starting left tackle spot in spring practices, Ford projects to have his biggest role since he started the first eight games of the 2021 season at USC. He went on to become a part-time starter with the Trojans in 2022 and at Kentucky in 2023 and 2024 before transferring to UCLA. The hope is that he can provide stability and bolster an offensive line that was a major weakness last season amid several injuries at left tackle.
RB Jaivian Thomas: Jaydn who? Foster likes to point out that Thomas was the top tailback at California last season despite Jaydn Ott receiving much of the hype. There’s a widespread expectation that Thomas will reprise that role with the Bruins as part of a deep group of running backs that also includes Jalen Berger, Anthony Woods, Anthony Frias II and Karson Cox. While each of those players holds promise, Thomas appears to have the biggest upside given his speed, patience and vision.
WR Kwazi Gilmer: Often by Iamaleava’s side getting off the team bus at training camp, Gilmer quickly established a narrative of becoming his quarterback’s go-to receiver. The duo established a strong connection during the short practice viewing window open to the media, Iamaleava often finding the speedy and shifty Gilmer in the end zone. It’s easy to envision Gilmer more than doubling his output from 2024, when he caught 31 passes for 345 yards and two touchdowns. Gilmer showed some swagger by saying he wanted to win the Biletnikoff Award that goes to the nation’s top college receiver; now he’s got to back up those words.
TE Hudson Habermehl: After shedding his surfer look, those long blond locks replaced by a far more streamlined hairstyle, Hambermehl yearns to reintroduce himself as a sleeker, more productive version of the player Bruins fans last saw in the spring of 2024. That’s when he suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury that would require two surgeries and more than a year of recovery. Now Habermehl is back, ready to become the team’s most targeted tight end while exceeding his 2023 production (nine catches for 148 yards and three touchdowns).
Defense
LB JonJon Vaughns: Having abandoned his baseball pursuits for football full time, Vaughns needs to slide into a starring role. He’s shown glimpses of promise, particularly during a 2022 season in which he started 11 games and made two interceptions and five pass breakups. Now comes the challenge of sustaining that sort of production while leading a defense that thirsts for new playmakers to emerge at every position.
S Key Lawrence: Perhaps the most energetic player on the team, the Mississippi transfer also boasts plenty of talent thanks to his combination of speed and smarts. Barring a setback from the minor right leg injury he sustained midway through training camp, Lawrence projects to be an opening-day starter. He’ll need to anchor a secondary that’s replacing every starter.
Edge Devin Aupiu: UCLA’s pass rush was meh last season, generating 22 sacks to rank tied for No. 78 in the nation. As a part-time starter, Aupiu made 4½ tackles for loss, including 1½ sacks — decent production given his role and easily the most among returning players. Getting into the backfield more often this season is a must for the redshirt senior.
DT Gary Smith III: Most successful diets don’t end with someone weighing 340 pounds. But after shedding 20 pounds thanks to what he described as clean eating, Smith appears slimmer, stronger and more explosive in his return from the ankle injury that sidelined him all of last season. He posted a video of his squatting a team-high 700 pounds and could combine with fellow interior defensive lineman Keanu Williams to make running up the middle the place where ambitions go to die for opposing tailbacks.
LB Isaiah Chisom: In case Chisom was tempted to get cocky after one season at Oregon State in which he was selected a freshman All-American by The Athletic, he lost out to new UCLA teammate Jalen Woods in the battle to keep his No. 9 jersey. Maybe every time he glances at his No. 32, it will remind him of the work he needs to put in to become a super sophomore.
Olympic sport spotlight: Men’s soccer
The program that produced Sigi Schmid, Cobi Jones and Paul Caligiuri hasn’t been in the news much lately.
UCLA men’s soccer has not made it past the Round of 16 in the NCAA tournament since reaching the finals in 2014, when it lost to Virginia. The Briuns’ last national championship came in 2002.
Could 2025 be a breakthrough year?
Answers will start to emerge once the Bruins open the season Thursday evening at UC Irvine. UCLA returns four starters, including junior midfielder Philip Naef, who led the team last season with 10 assists — the most since Jackson Yueill also reached double digits in 2016. A bevy of talented freshmen from the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class, according to TopDrawerSoccer, should also help coach Ryan Jorden’s bid to guide his team deep into the NCAA tournament.
Alumni watch
UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger at the NFL football combine earlier this year.
(Michael Conroy / Associated Press)
Carson Schwesinger’s incredible ascent continues.
The linebacker who was essentially unwanted out of Oaks Christian High when UCLA snagged him with a walk-on spot impressed in his NFL preseason debut, leading the Cleveland Browns with six tackles during a 30-10 exhibition victory over the Carolina Panthers.
Making that production all the more impressive, it came in only 13 snaps. Maybe that transition from college to the NFL isn’t so hard after all.
“I mean, I think there’s always going to be a difference going to the next level,” Schwesinger told reporters after the game, “but we’ve been practicing against it so much now that it’s something that I’m getting used to. So there wasn’t a huge difference, I would say, from practice to the game. I think that’s because of how we practice.”
Remember when?
UCLA quarterback Mike Fafaul gets away from Utah defensive back Justin Thomas in a 2016 matchup.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
My favorite UCLA-Utah game felt like one played in an alternate universe.
The Bruins, who ran what could have been called the “Point-Three Yards and a Cloud of Dust” offense under Kennedy Polamalu in 2016, came out in a spread, no-huddle, hurry-up formation against the Utes for the first time all season.
It might have resulted in a UCLA victory had the Bruins’ defense showed up.
Utah running back Joe Williams ran for a school-record 332 yards and four touchdowns during the Utes’ thrilling 52-45 victory, overcoming a record-setting day for UCLA quarterback Mike Fafaul. Continuing to start in place of the injured Josh Rosen, Fafaul completed 40 of 70 passes for a career-high 464 yards and five touchdowns while breaking Rosen’s previous school records for completions (34) and pass attempts (57).
In a lost season for the Bruins, this was as entertaining as it got.
We asked, “Which UCLA football player not named Nico Iamaleava will be the team’s most important in 2025?” and gave you five choices: offensive tackle Courtland Ford, running back Jaivian Thomas, wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer, defensive tackle Gary Smith III or linebacker Isaiah Chisom.
After 534 votes, the results:
Running back Jaivian Thomas, 37.4% Wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer, 23.7% Offensive tackle Courtland Ford, 17.6% Defensive tackle Gary Smith III, 17.4% Linebacker Isaiah Chisom, 3.9%
Opinion time
UCLA’s 2025 football schedule features a handful of games that scream intrigue.
The opener against Utah is a battle of former Pac-12 rivals. A showdown against presumed national title contender Penn State could match undefeated teams if the Bruins get off to a hot start. The game at Ohio State provides fans willing to travel more than halfway across the country a chance to visit one of college football’s top venues. The rivalry game at USC speaks for itself.
Do you have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future UCLA newsletter? Email me at [email protected], and follow me on X @latbbolch. To order an autographed copy of my book, “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die,” send me an email. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
It was 68 degrees and overcast, a cool coastal breeze wafting across the practice fields, when UCLA commenced its first off-campus football training camp in nearly a decade.
San Bernardino, this was not.
With 55 newcomers dotting a roster of 105, not to mention eight new assistant coaches, the Bruins’ camp that started in Costa Mesa on Wednesday morning was more about togetherness than toughness in the triple-digit temperatures of the Inland Empire.
Every offensive player was matched with a roommate from the defense or special teams. A series of bonding exercises was planned inside and outside the nearby team hotel. Everything the Bruins do over the next 2 ½ weeks will be of the get-to-know-you variety.
UCLA linebacker JonJon Vaughns lines up with his hands on his hips and looks across the field during the first day of the Bruins’ preseason camp in Costa Mesa on Wednesday.
(Nate Donlevy / UCLA Athletics)
“I have a lot of tough guys, but it’s more of the connection,” coach DeShaun Foster said. “There’s a lot of new coaches and players, so I just wanted to find a way to make us be able to connect a little bit more, you know? To be able to eat three meals with each other and just get close.”
Foster said the football facilities at Cal State San Bernardino that the Bruins had last used in 2016 weren’t available, forcing the move to his native Orange County.
After going through the initial two-hour practice, temperatures topping out at 75 degrees, the consensus was that the Jack R. Hammett Sports Complex felt more like a day at the beach than one inside a sauna.
“In the beginning, it was a little humid,” linebacker Isaiah Chisom said, “but the sun came out, it was beautiful out here.”
The facilities included three grass fields, a makeshift locker room under one tent and a makeshift weight room under another. Trainers set up near the field, unfurling folding tables next to carts of supplies. Fences lining the field were adorned with signage reflecting the Bruins mantras — “Discipline, Respect and Enthusiasm” and “Do More.”
There was the usual training-camp cadence. Whistles blew and on cue, players wrapped up foam pads and dragged them to the ground. After another whistle signaled the start of stretching, a roar rang out. Players dropped to their knees to commence a series of body bends, twisting their arms and shoulders one way and then the other.
After a series of leg stretches, new defensive line coach Jethro Franklin offered an opening salvo to a group of nearby players.
“Bruin football,” Franklin said, “should not be for the timid or the weak.”
UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava warms up during the first day of the Bruins’ preseason camp in Costa Mesa on Wednesday.
(Nate Donlevy / UCLA Athletics)
During the 25-minute media viewing period, new quarterback Nico Iamaleava made a couple of handoffs to running backs, including one to Anthony Woods for a short touchdown, and threw one pass into the end zone that fell incomplete.
“He slings it,” tight end Jack Pedersen said of Iamaleava’s throwing style. “It’s a nice, firm spiral, man, and the guy doesn’t miss. Literally, can’t say enough great things.”
Before the training session, Foster said he was confident Iamaleava had sufficiently mastered the offense after enrolling in June.
“He’s pretty much grasped the playbook already,” Foster said of the transfer from Tennessee. “We haven’t had to hold back on anything. And I know at least he has these first two installs down pretty well. So just looking forward to getting out there and just watching him.”
The practice was staged in relative secrecy. Other than a handful of donors and a few city officials from Costa Mesa, fans were not allowed to attend like they had been in San Bernardino, where they sometimes lined multiple practice fields. The six reporters on hand Wednesday were barred from taking photos or videos of even the warmup periods.
Foster said training camp was about preparation, not publicity.
“We’re here to work,” he said. “We’ve got 16 days to come out and really be able to put a good product out there on the field.”
This is a business trip complete with bed checks and a curfew. Chisom is rooming with running back Anthony Frias II and has a connecting door attached to the room of linebacker Ben Perry and running back Troy Leigber, providing ample opportunities to learn about new teammates.
“I think it makes us build brotherhood,” Chisom said. “You’re staying with some people that you may have never talked to before … it kind of forces us to be close.”
The schedule called for an off day Thursday to accommodate players’ final exam schedules, one of four breaks interspersed among the 14 practices before the team breaks camp on Aug. 16. The Bruins hope that by the time they return to campus, the installation of a new 100-yard grass practice field alongside two smaller artificial turf fields will be complete.
If not, they’ll have new friends to commiserate with as they shift practices elsewhere on campus.
“This is a great opportunity to spend 2 1/2 weeks with a guy you don’t really know, right?” said Pedersen, who is rooming with defensive back Croix Stewart. “Being able to branch out, I think it’s really cool that they do this, and this is now getting an opportunity to meet other guys on the team and branch out and make those lifelong connections.”
Etc.
Although a judge denied wide receiver Kaedin Robinson’s request for a temporary restraining order that would have granted him immediate eligibility, Foster said his confidence level remained in the “90s percent” that Robinson could play for the Bruins this season. Robinson, a transfer from Appalachian State, has a preliminary injunction hearing set for Aug. 18 that will decide whether he’ll be cleared to play. … Freshman defensive lineman Robert James III maneuvered the area on a scooter, his lower right leg encased in a protective boot. … Luke Duncan took the snaps as the top backup quarterback. … Foster said linebacker Weston Port had commenced a Mormon mission and was expected to return by the spring of 2027.
UCLA offensive lineman Garrett DiGiorgio takes part in practice in April 2024.
(Meg Oliphant / Los Angeles Times)
Maybe Garrett DiGiorgio & Co. can land an NIL deal with STP oil treatment or the Stone Temple Pilots.
That’s because the offensive line has a new motto — STP, standing for “Something To Prove” — that would fit either brand.
It’s certainly an accurate assessment given the offensive line gave up 34 sacks last season and was part of a running game that averaged just 86.6 yards, ranking No. 131 out of 133 major college football teams.
“I think that’s very true,” DiGiorgio said of the motto, “because we do have something to prove as a unit.”
DiGiorgio split time between right tackle and left guard in spring practice as part of new offensive line coach Andy Kwon’s bid to get his best five players on the field. When DiGiorgio played left guard, Reuben Unije slotted in at right tackle.
Kentucky transfer Courtland Ford appears the front-runner to start at left tackle alongside DiGiorgio or Oluwafunto Akinshilo at left guard, Sam Yoon at center, Julian Armella at right guard and DiGiorgio or Reuben Unije at right tackle.
Armella’s story is similar to many of the new transfers on the roster. A widely heralded prospect who never fulfilled the hype in three seasons at Florida State, Armella is seeking a breakthrough with the Bruins.
Kwon’s strategy for improvement goes beyond catchphrases. DiGiorgio said there’s been a new emphasis on sustaining blocks instead of just making an initial block and releasing the defender.
LAS VEGAS — It’s easier for everything to go according to script when you have one.
As DeShaun Foster strode across the stage inside a convention center here Thursday afternoon, the UCLA football coach clutched several pages of prepared remarks that helped him navigate a lengthy opening monologue with poise and confidence.
Poking fun at his widely mocked and memed performance from a year ago, when he delivered a short, unrehearsed address filled with awkward pauses and an uneasy smile, Foster indulged reporters in a short recap of the lowlights.
“Last year I stood up here and reminded everyone that UCLA is in L.A., which looking back might have been the most obvious geography lesson in Big Ten history,” Foster said. “But you know what? Important things are worth stating clearly. We are in L.A., and we’re proud to be in L.A. This year we’re ready to show the Big Ten what L.A. football looks like when it’s firing on all cylinders.”
The Bruins can only hope their turnaround on the field is as stunning as their coach’s transformation onstage.
A year ago, as UCLA stumbled to a 1-5 start, “We’re in L.A.” became a catchphrase freely wielded to ridicule a team that often looked as lost as its coach had while delivering his opening remarks inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Rather than run from his troubles, Foster barreled ahead like a running back who found an opening in a wall of defenders. The rookie coach found his footing with a team that won four of its last six games, narrowly missing an opportunity to play in a bowl game.
His offseason was even more impressive. Foster overhauled his staff (only two assistants from last season remain) and redoubled his recruiting efforts, leading to a 2026 high school class ranked No. 21 nationally by 247Sports.com. Landing Nico Iamaleava from the transfer portal after the quarterback’s spring of discontent at Tennessee generated immediate buzz.
“We’re just excited to have a playoff quarterback, somebody that was able to lead his team to the playoffs,” Foster said. “They might not have gotten the outcome that they wanted, but he still was able to play. He showed how tough he was in that game. Just being able to come back home and be comfortable and being in a familiar environment, I think the sky is the limit. We’re excited about this.”
While Iamaleava’s arrival isn’t expected to vault the Bruins into contention for the Big Ten title, much less the College Football Playoff — UCLA was picked to finish 15th in the 18-team conference by a media poll conducted by Cleveland.com — there is recent precedent for teams taking a big leap in their coach’s second season.
Colorado finished 9-4 last season after going 4-8 in Deion Sanders’ debut season and Arizona State went 11-3 and made the CFP one year after going 3-9 in Kenny Dillingham’s first season. Foster said he hopes this season goes as well as his second in the NFL, when he helped the Carolina Panthers reach the Super Bowl.
Questions abound, particularly on a defense that loses every key playmaker, as the Bruins prepare to open training camp in Costa Mesa on Wednesday. The team will practice off campus for the first time since training in San Bernardino in 2016 because of the installation of a grass field outside the Wasserman Football Center.
Some changes around the program feel more than cosmetic. UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond said that Foster’s willingness to make wholesale changes on his coaching staff after just one season and the associated recruiting surge are signs that this is a program on the rise.
“He’s just brought a vibe back, a buzz and energy about UCLA football that we haven’t had since I’ve been here, quite honestly,” Jarmond said. “And that’s what you want to see.”
A few hours before Foster took a few sips of water and dabbed his head with a handkerchief before ascending stairs to the podium inside the Mandalay Bay, his boss predicted that he would have a better showing than he did last year.
“I think he’s just more comfortable,” Jarmond said. “You know, everybody is new at something and you don’t nail the landing every first time. And so, thankfully, you’re not graded on what you say; you’re graded on how you perform and how you lead, and that’s what he’s done exceptionally well. I mean, the last half of the season, we finished 4-2 — the momentum he had going into the second half of the year and then the recruiting, that’s what matters, what you’re doing with the program.
“So I think he’s excited about today. I think he’s going to feel more comfortable because he’s done it before. And that’s just part of the deal. But he’s going to be himself and he’s going to be great.”
Foster said his verbal stumbles from a year ago taught him a valuable lesson.
“Authenticity resonates more deeply than perfection,” he said. “Our players saw me being human, and it brought us closer together. We’ve been joking about it for about a year now. The players know that that same genuine approach is how we coach, recruit and build this program.”
Entering his second season, Foster said he expected significant improvement not just from his team but also from himself.
“Growth is part of the process, and we’re all committed to being better than we were last season,” Foster said. “I know there are questions about our progress, expectations and how well we’re performing in this conference. That’s totally fair. We’re here to earn respect, not demand it. However, I can tell you this: My team is ready. They’re confident. They’re prepared, and they’re hungry to show up and show out and redefine what UCLA football can be. So, yes, we’re still in L.A. We’re proud to be Bruins, and we’re ready to make it happen starting now.”
And with that, Foster announced that he was happy to take any questions, having answered a big one about himself.
OMAHA — For 12 years UCLA waited to return to Omaha and the College World Series. It waited 15 total hours to play the fourth inning of its game with Louisiana State. Now, the Bruins will have wait several months to play again.
UCLA fell behind in the first inning for the second time on Tuesday and couldn’t complete an improbable comeback. The Bruins’ season ended at Charles Schwab Field in a 7-3 loss to Arkansas.
Starting pitcher Cody Delvecchio showed rust in his first appearance since March 28. Arkansas’ Wehiwa Aloy sent a 2-2 pitch into the UCLA bullpen at 108 mph off the bat to give the Razorbacks a 2-0 lead after two batters. Delvecchio lasted four more innings before coach John Savage went into his bullpen. Six pitchers worked through trouble, with the biggest mistake leading to Logan Maxwell’s two-RBI double to the wall in center field in the seventh. The Bruins’ pitchers received limited support.
UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky throws against Arkansas in the College World Series on Tuesday night.
(Mac Brown / UCLA Athletics)
The Bruins failed to score with runners on second and third with one out in the first and again with two outs in the fifth. They had runners on the corners with one out and Roch Cholowsky at the plate in the eighth. The star shortstop grounded into a 6-3 double play.
UCLA’s ninth-inning rally fell short. Mulivai Levu started the inning with a triple down the right-field line and scored on an error. AJ Salgado scored on the next play, a throwing error after a Payton Brennan single. Brennan eventually scored on a wild pitch.
UCLA hit .167 as a team and went 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position before the ninth inning.
OMAHA, Neb. — UCLA head coach John Savage walked out of the dugout and to freshman pitcher Wylan Moss. The righty sat down the first two batters he faced Tuesday morning but stepped into trouble with a walk and a base hit. When Moss’s first pitch to LSU’s Steven Milam didn’t catch the strike zone, Savage wanted to give the righty encouragement.
Milam singled to continue the two-out rally. It was the first of four Tigers two-out RBIs on Tuesday, fifth of the game. LSU went 7-for-15 with two outs. It didn’t matter if it was Moss or one of the seven other Bruins pitchers that faced LSU. Even reliable closer Easton Hawk gave up a final RBI in the bottom of the eighth, preventing UCLA from building momentum from a scrappy eighth inning.
“Just seemed like we were swimming upstream a little bit most of the game,” Savage said.
LSU leapfrogged UCLA’s three-run first inning by scoring four, giving the Tigers an early lead on Monday night. They maintained that lead for 15 hours as storms rolled over Charles Schwab Field, forcing the game to continue Tuesday morning. LSU scored two when play resumed in the fourth. UCLA scrapped together an eighth-inning rally until Phoenix Call, the potential tying run, grounded out to shortstop, dooming the Bruins to a 9-5 loss in the Men’s College World Series. The Bruins now face Arkansas and possible elimination at 4 p.m. PDT Tuesday. The game will air on ESPN.
“We put up three and then they put up four. Then they come out and do a good job with two outs in the fourth, and they got two there,” Savage said. “And it seemed like we were just trailing a little bit from the mound, mostly.”
None of the eight pitchers used in the loss recorded more than six outs. Landon Stump allowed five runs in two-plus innings before Chris Grothues ended the third inning going into the weather delay. Moss only pitched two outs. Sophomore Cal Randall came in to provide 1.2 innings of one-hit relief. Ian May, Jack O’Connor, August Souza and Hawk combined to throw under three innings, allowing three hits, two runs and two walks.
“They were competing. Just some days you have it better than others,” said Cashel Dugger, who caught all eight pitchers. “We’re in the World Series. They’re giving it their all. Just some days you don’t have it as good as others.”
UCLA sophomore pitcher Cal Randall delivers the ball from the mound during a Men’s College World Series game against LSU on Tuesday, July 17, 2025. The Bruins lost the game that started Monday night and resumed Tuesday following a weather delay.
(Mac Brown / UCLA Athletics)
The Bruins’ bats struggled to answer the call. Collectively, UCLA lead-off batter went 1-for-11 (.091) in the game. The Bruins went 2 of 10 with two outs, 4 of 14 with runners on base. Dugger was one of three Bruins with two hits, joining Mulivai Levu and AJ Salgado.
At the core of UCLA’s offensive struggles is standout shortstop Roch Cholowsky. While his sacrifice bunt against Murray State on Saturday started a rally, he’s still without a hit in the College World Series after going 0-for-5 against LSU. He hadn’t done that since early March against UConn. Cholowsky is now hitless in his last 12 at bats.
He popped out in foul territory to start the eighth inning, where UCLA made it’s last stand. Payton Brennan scored Levu on a fielder’s choice and Blake Balsz sent an RBI single up the middle to give the Bruins momentum. Dugger then walked to load the bases. LSU brought in sophomore righty Chase Shores to face Phoenix Call, the tying run. Call swung at the first pitch, a dribbler to the shortstop. The rally ended with a flip to second.
“We had some opportunities, but at the end of the day I just thought they were the better team today,” Savage said. “So we’ve got to regroup and focus on Arkansas now.”
The Bruins dodged bad Big Ten weather all season. Now they will play their first doubleheader of the season in the College World Series. Awaiting them in the elimination game is a team riding the emotional high of a 19-strikeout no-hitter on Monday.
OMAHA, Neb. — UCLA will wake up Tuesday morning with a chance to rally from a two-run deficit.
The Bruins’ winner’s bracket game against Louisiana State on Monday night was suspended until Tuesday at 8 a.m. PDT following a three-hour rain delay — it will resume in the top of the fourth inning with UCLA batting and LSU leading 5-3. The remainder of the game is scheduled to air on ESPN.
It allows UCLA to regroup after a promising start fell apart.
The Bruins jumped in front early with three straight RBIs. Roman Martin laced an RBI double to left field, AJ Salgado followed with an RBI single and Payton Brennan’s weak grounder to the pitcher was enough to score Martin. For the 29th time this season, UCLA scored first. They were 27-1 in such scenarios before Monday.
Then LSU answered with three straight singles before junior Jared Jones sent a Landon Stump fastball 368 feet to give the Tigers a 4-3 lead before the first inning ended. Stump’s night ended in the third inning but not before he was responsible for the runner who scored on a Luis Hernandez single that doubled LSU’s lead.
The grounds crew brought out the tarp before UCLA could respond. Charles Schwab Field remained in a weather delay for nearly three hours until the announcement was made to suspend the game until Tuesday morning.
OMAHA, Neb. — UCLA’s return to the College World Series started with three hours of sweaty palms in 86-degree heat and high humidity. An early lead shrunk across four innings on a muggy afternoon.
Only when closer Easton Hawk struck out Murray State’s Dominic Decker on a full count for the final out could the Bruins exhale. They walked off Charles Schwab Field for the first time in 12 years with a 6-4 win Saturday.
The Bruins jumped ahead early but couldn’t build momentum. They loaded the bases on their first three batters but only scored after Roman Martin drew a four-pitch walk. Dean West ripped an RBI single to right field in the second. Then he got thrown out trying to get back to first after rounding the bag. In the third, Murray State left fielder Dustin Mercer made an athletic catch on the warning track to rob the Bruins of a two-run hit.
Finally, UCLA broke through in the fourth with four runs. Martin and Roch Cholowsky each drove in runs before AJ Salgado’s two-run double to right field. The Bruins’ first multi-run inning gave them a 6-0 lead.
UCLA’s Mulivai Levu runs to first base against Murray State on Saturday.
(Cory Eads / Associated Press)
That was enough behind a gritty start from junior Michael Barnett. The righty scattered three hits and four walks across 4 ⅔innings. The bullpen conceded three more runs and escaped to secure the win.
UCLA will play the winner of Saturday’s evening contest between Louisiana State and Arkansas on Monday.
Since coming to Westwood, Roch Cholowsky has had Omaha on his mind.
The Big Ten Player of the Year — a projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLB draft by some analysts — turned Charles Schwab Field in Omaha into a playground during the Big Ten tournament, winning player of the tournament honors despite UCLA not claiming the championship.
So far, in the NCAA tournament, Cholowsky had been uncharacteristically quiet for his standards. He still made hard plays look easy as a “premium shortstop” — as UCLA coach John Savage glowed about his defensive skills — but his bat wasn’t making its usual noise.
Lagging behind for Cholowsky isn’t the same for the rest of Division I baseball. The Arizona-raised team captain was still hitting .333 through the regionals and super regionals entering Sunday. A big swing, however, had yet to come — Cholowsky flying out to the deep outfield on numerous occasions across the last two weeks.
“He’s just trying to do too much, probably,” Savage reasoned after Game 1 of the Los Angeles super regional on Saturday. “All he cares about is winning. That’s all what these guys all care about. We like an average Roch. Average Roch is pretty good.”
Cholowsky finally had his moment Sunday. He did a little too much, as Savage said, trying to catch Texas San Antonio’s defense sleeping and got picked off at third base in the fifth. But his big swing finally arrived — a swing that helped deliver the Bruins to Omaha.
“I ran out and told [starting pitcher Conor Myles] not to throw a strike to Roch,” said Pat Hallmark, Texas San Antonio coach. “He threw him a strike.”
Cholowsky’s RBI single off that strike in the fifth, a part of his two-for-five day, clinched UCLA’s spot in the Men’s College World Series with a 7-0 victory over Texas San Antonio . The two-game sweep of the Roadrunners gave the Bruins their sixth berth to Omaha and first since 2013, when they won it all.
UCLA players celebrate after defeating Texas San Antonio to win the L.A. Super Regional on Sunday to advance to the Men’s College World Series.
(Ross Turteltaub / UCLA Athletics)
“It’s not easy, but I think we have the right cast of characters in terms of just people, great people on this team, people that want to represent UCLA,” Savage said.
Cholowsky, whose trip to Omaha as a high school senior convinced him of going to UCLA rather than becoming a likely first-round MLB draft selection, will now get his wish. The shortstop fell to the ground as Phoenix Call caught the final out in shallow right field, holding his head to the dirt. Cholowsky then leapt up, his teammates already celebrating at the center of the diamond. He joined them, jumping in glee; his dreams, realized.
“This is surreal to me,” Cholowsky said. “It’s just something that I’ve dreamed of for as long as I can remember, and then just getting back there and getting to go experience that a couple years ago just added that much more fire to the dream. I haven’t wrapped my head around it.”
Savage said UCLA being able to live a full week in Omaha during the Big Ten tournament last month gave the Bruins an idea of what the College World Series environment will be like.
“I think it’s huge for us,” Cholowsky said. “Using that next week I feel like going to help us. Same ballpark, same everything.”
Whereas Cholowsky may be one of the most well-known Bruins baseball players in recent memory, it was a little-playing junior who broke a scoreless game. Outfielder Toussaint Bythewood, a Harvard-Westlake alumnus, dunk a soft line drive into right field for a two-out RBI single against Myles.
UCLA sophomore infielder Roman Martin follows through on a hit against Texas San Antonio on Sunday.
(Ross Turteltaub / UCLA Athletics)
Bythewood, who had started twice all season and taken just 12 at bats entering the game, provided the Bruins with their winning swing. UCLA added two insurance runs in the eighth and three in the ninth to build enough distance for its arms to pitch a little more comfortably as the Roadrunners ran out of outs.
“Toussaint’s been really consistent in practice,” Savage said. “He should have had more opportunities at the end of the day. He was ready for that opportunity — hadn’t come up with a huge hit. So happy for Toussaint.”
A UTSA offense that was dominant in an Austin Regional sweep a week ago, exited with a whimper, rallying just four hits against UCLA’s pitching staff. Starting pitcher Landon Stump couldn’t get through the fifth, but the Bruins’ relief pitchers carried the brunt of the battle to shut out the Roadrunners.
Left-hander Chris Grothues tied a career high with 2 ⅔ scoreless innings, striking out two and making a nifty play to catch a popped-up bunt to end the sixth. Righties Cal Randall and August Souza bridged the gap to the ninth, where freshman closer Easton Hawk shut the door.
“They pounded a zone pretty good,” Savage said. “We walked two guys in two games, and it just seemed like we were very competitive. … Today, just a lot of contributions from a lot of different guys.”
Across the final five innings, the Bruins’ bullpen no-hit the Roadrunners.
Savage, who is in the 12th and final year of the contract extension that UCLA rewarded him with after winning the 2013 national championship, will get his long-awaited chance to revisit old memories and create new ones as the Bruins attempt to win their second national championship beginning next weekend in Omaha.
“It just tells you one thing — how difficult it is to get there,” Savage said about finally returning to Omaha after 12 years. “It’s great to be back and looking forward to the challenge.”
What advice does Savage have for his team at the Men’s College World Series?
“Enjoy the moment, enjoy the process, enjoy the journey,” he said.
Texas San Antonio wasn’t going to be a team UCLA could walk over.
Just a week ago, the Roadrunners made a mockery of the Austin Regional — scoring 26 runs across three games — and took down No. 2 Texas twice on the Longhorns’ home turf. Their greeting to the Bruins on Jackie Robinson Stadium on Saturday night was just as loud.
American Athletic Conference Player of the Year Mason Lytle sent Michael Barnett’s second pitch of the game into no-doubt territory beyond the left-field wall for a home run. UTSA’s dugout poured onto the field in response — earning an early warning from the umpires. A straight steal of home from Roadrunners left fielder Caden Miller in the second brought even more juice from the road support. Down 2-0, the Bruins were shell shocked, in need of a response.
“They jumped on us, no question about it,” UCLA coach John Savage said. “You know it’s going to be a dogfight. Every game is going to be a dogfight from the end of the season until the end of the year.”
The runs may not have been coming at the same pace, when UCLA scored a season-high 19 in the opening game of regionals, but the hits kept on rolling like they did a week ago. UCLA tallied 10 hits and six walks — scoring two runs in the third and one in the fourth to take the lead — but stranded 13 on base, toeing the line of nail-biting baseball to win 5-2.
Leading 3-2 with two outs in the eighth, it wasn’t until sophomore third baseman Roman Martin connected for a two-RBI triple that the Bruins could breathe. He waved his arms in celebration as Bruins fans behind the third-base dugout led an “eight clap” for the first and only time Saturday.
UCLA’s Roman Martin celebrates during the Bruins’ win over Texas San Antonio on Saturday.
(Ross Turteltaub / UCLA Athletics)
“You can get overly excited in these situations,” said Savage, one win from his first trip to Omaha since leading UCLA to the College World Series crown in 2013. “That’s lesson No. 1. Rule No. 1. A lot of baseball left this weekend. We understand that — that game really could have gone either way.”
UTSA still hit the ball all over the ballpark, as it did against Texas, but Barnett relied on his defense to limit the damage. He tossed six innings of two-run ball, giving up six hits, walking none and striking out one.
Barnett has steadily climbed in the Bruins’ rotation since his freshman campaign. He was a midweek starter in 2023, a Sunday starter in 2024. Now he’s the pitcher Savage uses to set the tone for the Bruins in the postseason.
“It’s obviously a huge privilege to be able to start these big games for us and set the tone,” said Barnett, who has 4.02 earned-run average. “A little adversity early on doesn’t matter. This team’s built off adversity.”
It was a clean, defensive clinic from the Bruins. Roch Cholowsky made a slick play in the seventh, fielding a hard ground ball to his left and throwing to first off-balance from behind second to help reliever Jack O’Connor toss a scoreless inning. Catcher Cashel Dugger handled dropped-third strikes from righty August Souza to make it smooth sailing in the eighth.
“They did the fundamentals a little bit better than us, and it’s that time of year,” UTSA coach Pat Hallmark said. “I just tip my hat to UCLA.”
Bruins first baseman Mulivai Levu doubled down the line to score Dean West for the Bruins’ first run. Cholowsky then managed to score on a ground out to third by Martin, tying the score 2-2.
An inning later, West drove in a run on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly after three UCLA singles to give the Bruins a 3-2 lead.
Savage pointed out his team’s collective offensive effort and how the Bruins didn’t rely on Cholowsky to carry them. He said Martin, West, Payton Brennan and AJ Salgado have improved, adding, “This is not a one-man show.”
Freshman right-hander Easton Hawk hurled a shutdown ninth inning to earn the save. In a bullpen that’s been in flux all year long, mixing in different relievers in late innings, Hawk has emerged as the team’s closer.
“He’s come in and pounded pretty good with multiple pitches, and you clearly see his talent,” Savage said of Hawk, who has given up just one run over his last 10 appearances. “That end of the game is no joke, and that’s only built for certain guys, and we felt that he could handle it.”
As the Bruins celebrated on the field, after Hawk ended the game with a strikeout, it signaled a truth heading into Sunday — UCLA is one win from booking a flight to Omaha.
UCLA has tallied numerous No. 1 national rankings, seven NCAA tournament berths, four first-round draft picks and one super regional appearance since then, but not a single return to Omaha. The last two years of Bruins baseball were poor by the program’s standards — missing the postseason in back-to-back years and ending 2024 with a losing record for the first time since 2016.
UCLA pitcher Wylan Moss celebrates after an out against UC Irvine on Sunday night.
(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)
Something had to give in 2025, the final year of Savage’s contract, as UCLA tried to build upon a sophomore class that has helped transform it into one of the best offenses in the nation.
UCLA entered the NCAA tournament with reason to be optimistic. With star players such as Roch Cholowsky on the roster, perhaps a return to the College World Series wasn’t out of the question.
On Sunday, the Omaha oracle pointed UCLA’s way, the Bruins inching one step closer to advancing to the College World Series. Bullying second-seeded UC Irvine with its bats like it had against every team in the Los Angeles Regional, first-seeded UCLA won 8-5 to advance to the NCAA super regionals for the first time since 2019. UCLA will host the Los Angeles Super Regional against Texas San Antonio at Jackie Robinson Stadium this week.
“I’m very proud of our team, very proud of our guys winning 19 games last season and coming back,” Savage said. “It’s just a team — and they’re playing together. … Proud of our program, proud of my coaches.”
UTSA defeated Texas 7-4 in the Austin Regional final, taking down the national second-seed Longhorns to advance to its first-ever super regional.
If UCLA beats UTSA, it’ll advance to the College World Series in Omaha for the first time since 2013.
UCLA pitcher Easton Hawk delivers against UC Irvine on Sunday.
(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)
UCLA’s offense was just as ready to explode — like they did versus Fresno State and Arizona State — against a depleted UC Irvine pitching staff (with high-leverage bullpen arms Ricky Ojeda and David Utagawa unavailable after pitching earlier Sunday). Rallying for six hits across the first two innings, the Bruins put together three runs thanks to RBI singles from Roman Martin and Cashel Dugger, and a sacrifice fly from Roch Cholowsky.
UCLA first baseman Mulivai Levu helped place the game in blowout territory — an 8-0 lead — when he connected for a three-run home run in a five-run fourth inning. Much like UCLA had done all weekend, the lineup kept on churning.
Levu led all Bruins with three RBIs, while Cholowsky went one for three with two RBIs from sacrifice flies.
“Everyone has a great approach at the plate,” Levu said. “It’s kind of hard for the other team to get past us.”
Freshman Wylan Moss set the tone for UCLA’s combined pitching effort. Moss, who entered the contest with a 2.25 earned-run average and an All-Big-Ten Freshman Team recognition, was as good as advertised to stymie UC Irvine, which came off an 11-run offensive showing earlier in the day.
The 6-foot-3 righty struck out the top of the Anteaters lineup — Will Bermudez, Chase Call and Jacob McCombs — swinging on change ups. Moss, who had yet to pitch in the NCAA Tournament, was lying in wait for a game of magnitude.
He pitched 3 ⅓ innings, giving up two runs and two hits, while walking three and striking out four. From there, a five-pitcher bullpen effort kept Irvine at bay, pitching 5 ⅔ innings of five-run ball the rest of the way to wrap up regional action in Westwood.
UCLA players and coaches celebrate after their Los Angeles Regional victory over UC Irvine on Sunday.
(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)
Things got more complicated for UCLA in the sixth, when freshman right-hander Cal Randall gave up a solo home run to UC Irvine designated hitter Alonso Reyes to make it a three-run game, but right-hander Jack O’Connor entered to extinguish the threat — and set down UC Irvine outfielder Chase Call on a fielder’s choice to close out the inning.
It wasn’t easy sailing for the Bruins in the late innings.
Graduate student right-hander August Souza bailed UCLA out of a bases-loaded jam by freezing the potential go-ahead run, Blake Penso, on a full-count, 87-mph fastball in the seventh.
When the Bruins needed it the most, Souza struck out two in a scoreless eighth, putting metaphorical champagne on ice in Westwood.
“Just honestly blessed to play this year,” said Souza, who didn’t pitch in 2024 because of injury. “It’s my sixth year. Didn’t think I’d play in college this long, and just happy to get this win with my team and celebrate getting to a super regional.”
Freshman right-hander Easton Hawk tossed a perfect ninth, striking out James Castagnola to end it, prompting the Bruins to run onto the field in celebration. UCLA owned the Los Angeles Regional title.
“I liked everything today,” said UC Irvine coach Ben Orloff, who praised Savage as one of the best coaches in the nation. “Besides the third out.”
What makes the 2025 Bruins different from other UCLA teams? Savage said leadership and teamsmanship could make the Bruins national title contenders.
Cholowsky, with pitchers Cody Delvecchio and Michael Barnett, helped transform the team’s culture as team captains, Savage said. They accomplished this despite having to endure the legal saga that temporarily forced the Bruins out of Jackie Robinson Stadium in the fall.
Now, postseason baseball will remain in Westwood for at least one more weekend.
Highlights from UCLA’s 8-5 win over UC Irvine in the Los Angeles Regional on Sunday.
“We got knocked out of the stadium the first day of school,” Savage said. “It was unfortunate, but they came together, man, and they did a remarkable job of just building this team. I gotta tip my hat to the players. The players did a remarkable job.”
But it’s not time to celebrate just yet. If UCLA wants to go to the College World Series, Savage said, the focus needs to shift to beating UTSA.
“Like I told them, ‘there’s nothing to really celebrate,’” Savage said. “You can enjoy this, but at the same time, we got to get back to work on Tuesday.”
UCLA’s Ian May came out of the bullpen and induced Kien Vu to ground into a double play in the fourth to cut short a potential big inning and the Bruins never looked back during an 11-5 victory over Arizona State at the Los Angeles Regional.
The top-seeded Bruins (43-16) advance to the regional final at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
May entered the game in the fourth inning and protected UCLA’s lead, giving up three runs in five innings.
“His line doesn’t completely tell you the story with his two earned runs at the end of the game, but I don’t think we’d be where we were tonight without Ian,” UCLA coach John Savage said.
May said he was pleased with the result.
“It felt pretty good tonight, just happy to get the team a win,” he said.
AJ Salgado scored the opening run for UCLA, followed by Payton Brennan to make it 2-0. Cleanup hitter Roman Martin then broke the game open with a grand slam in the second, driving in Mulivai Levu, Roch Cholowsky, and Dean West to extend UCLA’s commanding lead to 7-0.
Arizona State scored a run in the bottom of the second and again in the fourth to cut into the deficit, but UCLA’s offense kept the pressure on. The Sun Devils added two more runs in the ninth but could not close the gap.
The Bruins will face the winner of the Arizona State-UC Irvine game at 7 p.m. Sunday for a spot in the super regionals.
Michael Barnett flipped a weighted baseball into his hand and threw it against the side of the strength-training room next to UCLA’s clubhouse.
Jostling through folding tables, water coolers, television stands and a postgame news conference podium, he resumed his starting pitcher routine, as he would for any start, moving inside the weight room to stretch his right arm with resistance bands.
The junior right-hander’s pregame obstacle course — navigating university staffers, media and more — before trotting down to the bullpen, was outside of the ordinary. Friday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Stadium was different — from the energy on the concourse to the noise from the dugouts and ultimately, the power from the Bruins’ bats.
Hosting its first regional since 2019, national No. 15 seed UCLA posted season highs for hits and runs in a dominant, 19-4 victory over regional No. 4 seed Fresno State.
“It wasn’t the cleanest game — it didn’t feel like the cleanest game,” said UCLA coach John Savage, “but at the end of the day, at this time of the year, you win any way you can and certainly we did that today. So it was a good win.”
A six-run, seventh-inning sent the Bulldogs unknowingly waving a white flag. UCLA first baseman Mulivai Levu’s line drive off the left-field wall cleared the loaded bases to provide the Bruins with a 12-2 lead. Fresno State’s nine players dejectedly walked off the field, as if they’d been walked off in a mercy-rule defeat.
But the field crew reminded the Bulldogs that in the NCAA tournament, no matter how many runs you trail by, both teams play nine innings. The Bruins still had seven more runs to score in the eighth inning Friday.
It wasn’t Big Ten player of the year Roch Cholowsky — the 20-year-old who dreamed of Omaha when he chose the Bruins over entering the MLB draft — who led the offensive barrage that gave UCLA a 4-0 lead in the first inning. The middle of the UCLA lineup helped produce a rally as they had all year.
UCLA’s Dean West makes contact during the Bruins’ blowout win over Fresno State on Friday.
(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)
Levu — who led the Bruins in regular-season RBI with 74 and led UCLA with five RBI against Fresno State — singled into left field to start the rally. Cleanup hitter Roman Martin brought home the first run of the game with a single into left. Payton Brennan and Blake Balsz (who tallied his third-career, three-hit game) connected for back-to-back RBI base hits, solidifying a lead as the Bulldogs awaited the walk back to the dugout for a mid-inning reprieve.
“The nice part about today is I was just trying to simplify everything and trust that my teammates are gonna pick me up,” Balsz said.
Before Fresno State starting pitcher Jack Anker knew it, UCLA strung together four runs in the blink of an eye, creating distance against the Mountain West champions they never made up.
Martin connected for a third-inning solo home run — his seventh of the year — while Balsz joined his teammate with multiple RBI after a run-scoring single a few batters later.
“One of the huge things we talked about, one of our offensive goals is to score first, and that’s really a huge momentum shift for us,” Martin said. “It definitely kind of took a little bit off, especially during our first playoff game, kind of eased us into it a little bit.”
UCLA tagged Anker for six earned runs and 10 hits across five innings, holding the Bulldogs junior who entered the game averaging 10.5 strikeouts-per-nine innings to just two punchouts. The two strikeouts were the second-fewest Anker forced against an opposing team this season.
UCLA pitcher Michael Barnett delivers during the first inning Friday.
(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)
Barnett’s outing on the mound was an obstacle much like his routine before toeing the Jackie Robinson Stadium mound. The sinkerballer struggled with command against the Bulldogs, throwing just 40 strikes among 74 pitches, and lasted just 4⅓ innings before UCLA coach John Savage pulled Barnett with runners on the corners and one out in the fifth.
Southpaw Chris Grothues, a junior in his first season of high-leverage pitching opportunities, broke Barnett out of the inherited jam with a 3-6-1 double play to end the inning. Grothues then spun a scoreless sixth — placing the Bruins in cruise control for the rest of the contest, earning the victory.
“They did a really good job against Barnett,” Savage said, adding that he felt lucky to be up 6-2 entering the seventh. “Our bullpen did a nice job. Grothues came in, got that double play. That was a big play — the 3-6-1 — that was a big momentum swing.”
Cholowsky, who also led the nation in wins-above-replacement with 6.36, according to D1Baseball, still collected two hits Friday.
Leadoff hitter Dean West was hit by a pitch three times by Bulldog pitchers, the last of which brought home a run to make it 9-2 in the bottom of the seventh.
Brennan hit a two-run home run in the eighth, while catcher Cashel Dugger also pulled a solo home run over the right-field wall for the Bruins’ 15th run.
UCLA advances to the winner’s bracket where it’ll face the winner of the UC Irvine-Arizona State game late Friday. The Bruins split midweek season series against both the Anteaters and the Sun Devils.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Jessica Clements hit a walk-off, two-run home run in the seventh inning early Friday morning to carry ninth-seeded UCLA past No. 16 Oregon 4-2 at the Women’s College World Series, after the Ducks tied the game in the top of the inning on a call at home plate that was overturned.
Catcher Alexis Ramirez also hit a two-run homer in support of Bruins’ starter Kaitlyn Terry, who pitched a four-hitter and gave up one earned run. UCLA (55-11) will play No. 12 seed Texas Tech on Saturday at 4 p.m. (PDT) for a spot in the semifinals. Oregon (53-9) will face unseeded Mississippi in Friday’s elimination game.
Oregon’s Paige Sinicki doubled inside the third-base line to lead off the seventh, but the ruling was challenged by UCLA. The call was upheld, but the next hitter, Dezianna Patmon bunted Sinicki to third with one out. Emma Cox followed with a ground ball to third baseman Jordan Woolery, who tried to throw Sinicki out at home. The throw to Ramirez was on time and Sinicki was ruled out at home for the second out.
Oregon challenged the call, and it was overturned after a video review showed obstruction by Ramirez.
Oregon led 1-0 in the fourth inning when Ramirez hit a two-out pitch from starter Lyndsey Grein over the left-field wall to give UCLA a 2-1 lead. It was the first runs the Bruins had scored against Grein in four games this season. The Ducks took two of three from UCLA in April.
After Woolery singled and Megan Grant walked to open the sixth, Grein was pulled in favor of Elise Sokolsky, who retired the next two batters.
Lightning and rain resulted in a 75-minute delay, and two brief power outages lasting less than a minute each, turned Devon Park dark in the first inning.
UCLA’s Jessica Clements hits a walk-off home run against Oregon at the Women’s College World Series.
(Ross Turteltaub / UCLA Athletics)
Oregon scored first against Terry in the third inning. Kaylynn Jones led with an infield single before a bunt by Katie Flannery. Jones took third on a ground out by Kai Luschar. Her sister, Kedre Luschar, then drove in Jones on a single to right field.
The Bruins nearly answered in their half of the inning when Savannah Pola drove a pitch from Grein 220 feet to the base of the center-field wall that was hauled in by Kedre Luschar to end the inning.
The crack of the ball off Jordan Woolery’s bat in the first inning sent a sharp, resounding message — the Bruins weren’t going to let their opponent dictate the tone this time.
Woolery, UCLA’s RBI leader, went two for three with a three-run homer, a triple and five RBIs to lead the Bruins to a 10-0, six-inning shutout over San Diego State in Game 2 of the Los Angeles Regional on Saturday afternoon.
The No. 9 Bruins (51-10) cruised into Game 6 of the regional, where they’ll have a chance to clinch a spot in the Super Regionals with one more win. Their opponent has yet to be determined for Sunday’s 4:30 p.m. PDT first pitch.
It was a complete role reversal. Just a day after UCLA’s bats stayed quiet through the first four innings in an eventual victory over UC Santa Barbara, the Bruins opened their second regional matchup with intent.
On the first pitch, Jessica Clements ripped a leadoff double. One pitch later, Savannah Pola dropped down a bunt and, spotting an uncovered second base, the speedy second baseman turned it into a heads-up double.
With runners in scoring position, Jordan Woolery did what’s become second nature — she brought them home, and did so with a bang.
Staying patient in the box, Woolery worked the count full, waiting for a pitch she could drive. She then clobbered a high fly ball that just cleared the glove of San Diego State center fielder Julie Holcomb, sailing over the wall for a three-run homer.
A candidate for national player of the year, Woolery is one of UCLA’s most consistent threats near the top of the lineup. She entered the regional ranked fifth in the nation with 75 RBIs — the second-highest single-season mark in program history.
Woolery added another RBI later, legging out a triple after a diving attempt by the Aztecs’ right fielder missed and the ball skipped past, allowing Clements to score. The hit brought her total to six RBIs for the weekend.
In an encore to her heroics at the plate and dominance in relief the night before, Kaitlyn Terry took the mound with poise and command. The left-hander turned in a smooth outing, giving up only two hits and one walk while striking out five.
Her only trouble came in the bottom of the third. A walk, an infield single and a fielding error loaded the bases, giving San Diego State a prime chance to take the lead. But Terry stayed composed.
After recording two outs, Terry dug in for a seven-pitch battle with Angie Yellen — and won, inducing a routine groundout to end the inning and preserve the Bruins’ lead.
From there, she settled in and found her rhythm, retiring nine straight batters and striking out three, earning the complete-game shutout victory.
A six-run rally in the sixth inning sealed the game via the run rule. Kaniya Bragg opened the onslaught with a two-run double, followed by an RBI single to right field from Terry. Then, just like the night before, Megan Grant delivered the finishing blow — a two-run triple that slammed high off the center-field wall, narrowly missing a three-run homer.
With the win, the Bruins notched back-to-back mercy-rule victories — their 27th of the season, extending a program record.
With UCLA’s bats quiet early, Kaitlyn Terry stepped into the batter’s box looking to ignite a two-out rally — and with one swing she brought the Bruins to life.
Terry, a right fielder and left-handed pitcher, hit a three-run home run in the second inning to jump-start UCLA’s 9-1 win over UC Santa Barbara in six innings in the opening round of the Los Angeles Regional on Friday.
The No. 9 Bruins (50–10) advanced to Game 3 of the regional, where they’ll face the winner of Arizona State and San Diego State at 2 p.m. PDT Saturday.
Before the season, coach Kelly Inouye-Perez stressed that a UCLA championship push had to start with securing a regional at Easton Stadium — and taking care of business once there.
UCLA is chasing its ninth Women’s College World Series berth in the past decade, but early on Friday, the path looked shaky. Instead of a confident march into the postseason opener, it felt like déjà vu for a moment — a flashback to the haunting 2023 regional, when the Bruins dropped their first game and ultimately fell short of a trip to Oklahoma City.
The Bruins squandered early opportunities uncharacteristic of the nation’s No. 2 run-scoring lineup.
Trailing in the second inning, Alexis Ramirez reached base on a hit up the middle, then stole second. After advancing on a groundout, she was caught in a rundown between third and home. Still, UCLA had a chance to even the score with runners on first and second, but Terry flied out to end the inning.
UCLA pitcher Taylor Tinsley delivers against UC Santa Barbara in the Los Angeles Regional on Friday.
(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)
Terry found herself in a similar situation two innings later, and she delivered.
With two outs in the fourth, Kaniya Bragg reached first on a hit-by-pitch. Batting for the first time this season, Taylor Stephens followed with a slow roller into right field — just soft enough for Bragg to beat the tag at third while Stephens stepped onto second.
On the next pitch, Terry crushed a home run to center field.
Taylor Tinsley, an All-Big Ten first team selection, gave up three hits and one walk while striking out one. Her only blemish came in the second inning, when she gave up a run on an RBI single by UCSB catcher Delaina Ma’ae.
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1.UCLA’s Jordan Woolery fields the ball at third base against UC Santa Barbara on Friday.2.UCLA infielder Kaniya Bragg fields the ball.3.UCLA’s Megan Grant celebrates after hitting a game-ending home run in the sixth inning.(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)
A pair of home runs in the sixth inning ended the game via the mercy rule. Jessica Clements hit a three-run home run. That was followed by a walk and steal from Savannah Pola, who was driven in by Jordan Woolery’s RBI single. Megan Grant ended the game with a two-run blast to left-center field.
UCLA, which finished its first season in the Big Ten tied for second with Nebraska, has won 26 games by mercy rule this season.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Freshman Moni Nikolov posted six kills, four aces and a pair of digs and Long Beach State beat UCLA 25-17, 25-23 and 25-21 to win the NCAA men’s volleyball tournament Monday night.
It was the Beach’s (30-3) fourth championship in program history and first since 2019. Long Beach State also won the title in 2018 and claimed its first title in 1991 when current coach Alan Knipe was a player.
The 6-foot-10 Nikolov, who just turned 18, started the match with an opening-serve ace and ended UCLA’s two-time reign with a thunderous kill.
“Not for one second did we think we were going to lose that game,” Nikolov said. “Before the game in the locker room we told each other we were here. We were born for this …. game.
“Even when we were down five, we trusted each other because we knew we were the better team.”
Trailing 1-0, UCLA led 18-13 in the second set before the nation’s No. 1-ranked team outscored the Bruins 12-5 for a two-point win. In the third set, Alex Kandev’s kill gave Long Beach State a 4-3 lead and the Beach led for the remainder. Kandev finished with a .452 hitting percentage.
The Bruins entered the tournament with the second-highest hitting efficiency in the country but were stifled in part by Long Beach State’s length and were outhit by the Beach .354 to .192. UCLA’s Cooper Robinson finished with a .381 hitting percentage.
The championship match was the third meeting between the two teams this season with Long Beach State owning a 9-1 set advantage.
Long Beach State dropped just a single set as it beat Fort Valley State 3-0 and Pepperdine 3-1.
Two-time defending champion UCLA (22-7) sought to become college volleyball’s first three-peat champion since the Bruins won four in a row from 1981 to 1984.
