UCLA's loss to UNLV showcases its plethora of problems once again

This wasn’t close, no matter what the scoreboard said. This was a full-blown debacle.

Given a chance to quickly right things after a season-opening blowout loss, UCLA instead doubled down on disappointment.

There was another terrible start. A defense that was slow and often out of position. An offense couldn’t sustain drives until it was too late.

Even with an inspired comeback that fell short after a Nico Iamaleava pass was tipped and intercepted with 52 seconds left, the Bruins’ 30-23 loss to Nevada Las Vegas on Saturday night at Allegiant Stadium showcased many of the same problems that had plagued them a week ago.

After reviewing the footage of his team’s 33-point setback against Utah, UCLA coach DeShaun Foster pinpointed all the things that nearly went right and said his team was “close” to executing the plays it needed to win.

Where are the Bruins now?

In a scary place. They are 0-2 for the first time since they lost their first three games in 2019 on the way to finishing 4-8.

A year after losing two games over the season’s first three months on the way to helping Tennessee reach the College Football Playoff, Iamaleava has already absorbed that many losses after two games as a Bruin.

“I hate losing, man,” a watery-eyed Iamaleava said after completing 29 of 41 passes for 255 yards with one touchdown and one interception along with a 30-yard touchdown run. “So, you know, it’s a tough position to be in. But, you know, that tells us how much harder we gotta work.”

That effort starts at the top. A loss to a Mountain West Conference opponent will undoubtedly increase the pressure on Foster and raise more questions early in his second season. Can his defense stop anybody? Why isn’t his offense more productive, particularly early in games?

A week after falling behind, 20-0, the Bruins somehow fell into a deeper hole when they faced a 23-0 deficit late in the second quarter. Foster said he had tried several things in practice to boost his players early in games, to no avail.

UCLA’s 10 consecutive points in the fourth quarter did little to salvage things.

“I’m just frustrated,” Foster said, “because when you know that you can execute better than we were and put together two halves like I wish we would have done and this outcome would have been different.”

Thanks to some questionable Rebels playcalling involving deep passes when they were trying to run out the clock, UCLA had a chance to force overtime or go for the win when it got the ball back at its own 19-yard line while trailing by seven points with a little more than two minutes left.

Iamaleava quickly moved the ball into Rebels territory. But fate intervened when the quarterback tried to connect with Mikey Matthews over the middle and his pass was tipped by Nevada Las Vegas’ Marsel McDuffie and intercepted by Aamaris Brown at the UNLV 13-yard line, ending the Bruins’ comeback hopes.

“Made a bad decision throwing it over the middle,” Iamaleava said. “Guy tipped the ball, and, yeah man, I gotta be better.”

Tight end Hudson Habermehl patted Iamaleava on the helmet as the quarterback came off the field, though there was really no consolation to be had after UNLV (3-0) beat a Big Ten team for the first time since topping Wisconsin in 2003. Rebels quarterback Anthony Colandrea was the biggest Bruins nemesis, throwing for 203 yards and three touchdowns.

UCLA found itself confronted by a new worry against UNLV.

A week after logging only three penalties, UCLA committed 14 for 129 yards, including several that wiped out big plays. Iamaleava momentarily appeared to have connected with Kwazi Gilmer for a touchdown in the third quarter before it was wiped out by offensive pass interference on Titus Mokiao-Atimalala, eventually forcing the Bruins to kick a field goal.

“Guys got to own it,” Foster said of the lack of discipline. “You’ve got to see what you did out there and did you put your best foot forward and are you thinking ‘we’ over ‘me.’”

Coincidence or not, UCLA’s offense started moving the ball after making a switch along the offensive line in the second half. Garrett DiGiorgio took Courtland Ford’s spot at left tackle and Reuben Unije took DiGiorgio’s spot at right tackle. Foster said Ford was dealing with an unspecified leg injury.

“There were some flashes in there,” Foster said after his team outscored the Rebels 20-7 in the second half, “to see when this offense is hitting on all cylinders, we can move the ball and it’s going to be effective.”

UNLV appeared to have put the game away with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter that gave the Rebels a 30-13 lead, but Iamaleava’s nifty touchdown run and another field goal gave the Bruins one more chance after their defense got a stop to give them the ball back.

They didn’t convert. Not even close.

Click here to read article