The season opener at the Rose Bowl was supposed to be a night of fresh beginnings, but UCLA’s debut under new leadership quickly unraveled. Facing former Pac-12 rival Utah, the Bruins fell into an early hole and never recovered, suffering a 43-10 defeat before their home crowd.
By Earl Heath | Contributing Sports Writer
The season opener at the Rose Bowl was supposed to be a night of fresh beginnings, but UCLA’s debut under new leadership quickly unraveled. Facing former Pac-12 rival Utah, the Bruins fell into an early hole and never recovered, suffering a 43-10 defeat before their home crowd.
All Eyes on Iamaleava
Quarterback Nico Iamaleava, the high-profile transfer who led Tennessee to the College Football Playoff last season, drew plenty of attention in his first start as a Bruin. The Long Beach native returned to Southern California to play closer to home, but his debut was uneven.
Iamaleava finished 11 of 22 for 136 yards with one touchdown and one interception. His lone scoring strike came in the second quarter on a 19-yard pass to running back Anthony Woods, who was making his UCLA debut after transferring from Idaho. Woods, who finished with a team-high 48 receiving yards, recorded just the second touchdown catch of his career.
“We know we can be better than that,” Iamaleava said afterward. “It all came down to execution, and we didn’t do that at a high level.”
Utah Sets the Tone Early
The Utes wasted no time taking control, building a 20-0 lead before Woods’ touchdown briefly stopped the bleeding. Utah quarterback Devan Dampier, who followed offensive coordinator Jason Beck from New Mexico, was highly efficient. He completed 21 of 25 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing 16 times for 87 yards.
“Just a slippery guy,” UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster said of Dampier. “It was really hard to get our hands on him.”
Bright Spots on Defense
Despite the lopsided score, a few Bruins stood out defensively. Linebackers Isaiah Chisom (five solo, 12 assisted tackles) and JonJon Vaughns (six solo, nine assisted tackles) each recorded double-digit stops, showing hustle and resilience in an otherwise tough outing.
What’s Next
With the loss, UCLA starts the season 0-1. The Bruins will look to regroup next week when they host UNLV, while Utah (1-0) returns home to face Cal Poly in Salt Lake City.