The UCLA Bruins’ 2024 season was a rollercoaster that never went up. It started with big hopes and ended with a 5-7 record. They stumbled through the year and won only three conference matches. They even had a tough time on their home turf with a 2-4 record. Despite having the potential, they had a season of yellow flags.
Yes, that’s right. Penalties were the Bruins’ biggest enemy. In just five games, they had taken 46 penalties for 347 yards. That’s almost four football fields worth of self-inflicted pain. In their match against Washington, they lost 31-19, all because of false starts and offsides.
To make matters worse, the offensive line was injured. Every first-and-10 turned into a first-and-15, which was like watching a team punch itself in the face. This year could be a chance at redemption, but the schedule is far from easy.
List of 2025 Opponents UCLA Bruins
- Aug. 30 Saturday:
vs. Utah -The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA - Sept. 6 Saturday:
at UNLV – Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV - Sept. 13, Saturday:
vs. New Mexico – The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA - Sept. 27, Saturday:
at Northwestern – Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium, Evanston, IL - Oct. 4 Saturday:
vs. Penn State – The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA - Oct. 11, Saturday:
at Michigan State – Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI - Oct. 18, Saturday:
vs. Maryland – The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA - Oct. 25 Saturday:
at Indiana, Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN - Nov. 8 Saturday:
vs. Nebraska – The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA - Nov. 15, Saturday:
at Ohio State – Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH - Nov. 22, Saturday:
vs. Washington – The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA - Nov. 29, Saturday:
at USC – L.A. Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
Now, with a new season comes a clean slate and a chance to clean up the mess of 2024. The Bruins are stepping into their second year in the Big Ten, and it is also the second season for their head coach. While the Bruins are looking for a comeback narrative, 247Sports’ Brad Crawford is not buying it.
Crawford seems to think that this year might just end the same way for the Bruins—with another 5-7 finish. Crawford’s predicted rundown includes losses to Utah, UNLV, and Penn State, and yes, even to crosstown rivals USC to end the season. That being said, if the Bruins wish to break their cycle of loss, they will have to win the early non-conference games.
With transfer QB Joey Aguilar expected to lead the offense and a highly rated transfer class coming in, UCLA might have a chance. And if DeShaun Foster wants to stay in LA, he must clean up the flags soon.
KEEP READING: Ranking All 18 Big Ten Season Openers For The 2025 College Football Season
The only question remains whether it will be another year of “what ifs” and almost, or whether this is the season in which the Bruins finally put it together.
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