UCLA Football Suffers Third Loss, Draws Widespread Conference Criticism

The UCLA Bruins football program is experiencing an unprecedented low, starting the 2025 season 0-3, including a humiliating 35-10 home loss to the New Mexico Lobos, who dominated on the ground and exploited UCLA's weak defense. Despite playing in the iconic Rose Bowl and boasting a top transfer quarterback, Nico Iamaleava, the Bruins have shown poor discipline, converting just three of 11 third downs and accumulating 116 penalty yards, contributing to their struggles. The team’s performance has made them the subject of ridicule across college football, with other conferences like the Pac-12 and Big Sky mocking UCLA's woes on social media, even joking about the Bruins moving to a lower division. The Bruins' lack of competitiveness and fan engagement, as evidenced by an empty stadium during the New Mexico game, underscores the severity of the program’s decline under coach DeShaun Foster. With a difficult Big Ten schedule ahead and no clear signs of improvement, UCLA faces the real possibility of a winless season and urgent need for a program overhaul to regain relevance. The Bruins’ current state contrasts starkly with their historic prestige, highlighting deep-rooted challenges that extend beyond the field.