UCLA Football Hosts New Mexico Friday Night Rose Bowl Game

UCLA football, struggling with an 0-2 start, seeks its first win of the 2025 season in a non-conference game against New Mexico at the Rose Bowl on Friday night. Head coach DeShaun Foster emphasizes the importance of securing a victory to boost team morale and momentum as they approach Big Ten play. UCLA is favored by 15.5 points, with the Bruins relying on sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava and key defensive players Isaiah Chisom and JonJon Vaughns to lead the effort. New Mexico, coached by Jason Eck, enters with a 1-1 record, showing discipline as the least-penalized team in FBS and having performed competitively against strong opponents like Michigan. The game, televised on the Big Ten Network, also marks only the second meeting between the two programs since 2002. Local residents near the Rose Bowl should expect traffic disruptions due to the rare Friday night scheduling of the matchup.