UCLA football showing gratitude with a new attitude

LOS ANGELES — It had been choppy waters for UCLA’s offense through four games. The Bruins had failed to lead before Saturday, slow starts sabotaging first quarters.

At times, it seemed as if UCLA (1-4, 1-1 Big Ten) had been playing with a handicap. Against UNLV, the Bruins fell a score short. In Evanston, UCLA almost rallied for a comeback victory against Northwestern, just to lose by three points.

Saturday could be a turning point. Under new offensive play-caller Jerry Neuheisel, it seemed as if UCLA scored at will against then-No. 7 Penn State. Nico Iamaleva became the first Bruins quarterback to notch a three-rushing touchdown effort since 1985, leading a successful rushing attack that closed at 269 yards.

Neuheisel brought in mentor Noel Mazzone, UCLA’s offensive coordinator from 2012-15, to help develop his first offensive scheme as a coach. Now two eras of UCLA play-callers – thanks to an unlikely staff exodus – helped guide the Bruins to a season-high scoring performance.

“To have Coach Mazzone here has been honestly one of the coolest things ever,” Neuheisel said after Saturday’s game. “To have him with me, to have him helping with the quarterbacks, to have us to be able to bounce ideas off of – awesome.”

UCLA’s 42 points were the most it had scored since Oct. 21, 2023, when the Bruins routed Stanford 42-7. Much of the reason the Bruins were able to do that was because of improved blocking. Junior center Sam Yoon, who beat out redshirt senior Oluwafunto Akinshilo during the preseason to retain his role as a starter, was the highest-graded college center of Week 6, according to Pro Football Sports Network.

Yoon turned to offensive line coach Andy Kwon, graduate assistant Ryan Krum and Neuheisel for setting the Bruins up for success against the Nittany Lions.

“They’re working tirelessly to get us prepared,” Yoon said. “Just to have us believe, believe in ourselves, when no one else would. And it’s truly just that emotional leadership that led us to our result.”

Redshirt senior offensive lineman Garrett DiGiorgio slotted in at right guard after previously starting at right tackle. Yoon mentioned Yutaka Mahe and Akinshilo as other linemen willing to switch positions, showing versatility to help depth shine on offense.

Even the wide receivers got in on the blocking. During the game, CBS play-by-play broadcaster Brad Nessler pointed to the Bruins’ blocking effort as proof of a driven attitude despite UCLA’s 0-4 start. Redshirt senior Titus Mokiao-Atimalala said he and his teammates take pride in their blocking technique, allowing running backs like Anthony Woods and Jaivian Thomas to make big plays or Iamaleava to burst forward on last-ditch scrambles.

“One of our main goals throughout the game was just to show that we can help on the perimeter,” Mokiao-Atimalala said. “We know that [Iamaleava] can extend plays. If we can just hold our block for one or two extra seconds, that would make something happen.”

Those small details can now be expanded with Neuheisel getting a full week – compared to just two full days – to prepare for Michigan State (3-2, 0-2), something Yoon is looking forward to as the Bruins try to add another win.

“We’ve had more time to go through the game plan, break it down into smaller segments, so it’s easier for us to internalize everything,” Yoon said. “We were able to install a lot more, which is fantastic.”