A Mid-Season Miracle: Inside UCLA’s Game-Changing Turnaround

By Sophie Beck | 21 October, 2025

The Beginning of the Season

After weeks of offseason training and new additions made to the roster, namely Tennessee transfer redshirt sophomore Nico Iamaleava, expectations were high for the 2025 season. However, the first few games of the season told a different story. UCLA’s 2025 season opener was a significant defeat against the Utah Utes, as the Bruins lost 43-10. The following week, UCLA lost to UNLV 30-23, with a second half surge that couldn’t quite overcome the mistakes that were made in the first half. On September 12th, the Bruins were outmatched at home by New Mexico, losing 35-10 as they gave up nearly 300 rushing yards and failed to sustain any offensive momentum. A 17-14 loss at Northwestern capped off the winless stretch for the Bruins. Mistakes piled up on both offense and defense, and frustrating losses left fans questioning whether this team could live up to their perceived potential. There was a struggle to find consistency and the team seemed disconnected, which unfortunately defined the first few weeks of their season. By the end of September, UCLA sat at 0-4, and the energy around the program had disappeared. The Rose Bowl was as empty as ever, media narratives turned bleak, and players were visibly frustrated. The results left fans asking, how is such a highly regarded school, both academically and athletically, struggling to win a football game? After their third loss, UCLA relieved head coach DeShaun Foster of his duties, ending his brief tenure a little over a year after his appointment as head coach on February 12, 2024. Athletic Director Martin Jarmond praised Foster’s long-standing contributions to the program, calling him, “a Bruin for life,” while naming Tim Skipper interim head coach for the remainder of the season. All hope was lost until October 4th, when UCLA faced Penn State. 

Mid-Season Winning Streak

The tide began to turn when UCLA faced the James Franklin-led No. 7 Penn State, a team that no one expected the Bruins to even be competitive against. In Tim Skipper’s debut as head coach, despite the odds, the Bruins pulled off one of the most shocking upsets of the season. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava put on an absolute show, accounting for all five of UCLA’s touchdowns. He threw for 166 yards and two scores, while rushing for a team-high 128 yards and three touchdowns – tying a record for the most rushing touchdowns by a UCLA quarterback in school history. Still, Penn State fought back, cutting the lead to a single possession late in the fourth quarter. With the Nittany Lions deep in UCLA territory and threatening to steal the win, defensive back Scooter Jackson delivered the play of the game: a perfectly timed tackle-for-loss that sealed the victory and sent the Rose Bowl into chaos. Students and fans, overcome with excitement and disbelief, began rushing towards the field. The energy of the fans was contagious, absolutely overwhelmed by the magnitude of the win. After being written off from the beginning of the season, UCLA pulled off a historic win against a top-ten school. Additionally, the debut of assistant coach Jerry Neuheisal as the offensive play-caller helped spark the shift. With only two days to implement a new game plan, the Bruins played with belief, discipline, and heart – something that was clearly missing just days earlier. Neuheisel said after the game that, “We had two days to practice a new game plan, and all they did was believe, and we came out and played as hard as we could for 60 full minutes.” It wasn’t just a victory – it was a statement to the world that the Bruins were capable. 

Tim Skipper asked his players one important question before going into the game against Michigan State: “Are you a one-hit-wonder?” The players answered not with their words, but with a commanding 38-13 win at Michigan State, scoring 38 straight points after giving up an early touchdown. Running back Jalen Berger led the way with three touchdowns and over 100 total yards, while quarterback Nico Iamaleava added 180 passing yards and three scores. The Bruins were perfect on fourth down, converting three on offense and stopping four on defense. UCLA’s defense dominated, Devin Aupiu sacked Michigan State’s Aidan Chiles, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Titus Mokiao-Atimalala. The Bruins held the Spartans to just 87 rushing yards, while the Bruins had 238 yards. And with that, UCLA proved that they were, in fact, not just a one-hit wonder.

UCLA’s win streak would continue as the team capped off their third straight win with a dramatic 20-17 victory over Maryland on Homecoming weekend. Maryland came into the game as a formidable team with a solid 4-2 record, having secured wins against FAU, Northern Illinois, Towson, and Wisconsin, while suffering losses to Washington and Nebraska. The Terrapins also featured 2025 Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Watch List quarterback, Malik Washington, who showed off his dynamic playmaking ability throughout the entire game. With just 40 seconds left and the game tied, quarterback Nico Iamaleava led a fast-paced drive that featured two completions to Titus Mokiao-Atimalala and a 35-yard run by Anthony Frias II, setting up Mateen Bhaghani’s clutch 24-yard field goal as time expired. Iamaleava finished with 211 passing yards and a touchdown, while Frias added 97 yards and a score on just four carries. The defense held firm in key moments, highlighted by a red-zone stop and a fourth-quarter interception by Scooter Jackson. The Bruins moved to 3-1 in Big Ten play, proving their early-season turnaround was no fluke.

Nico Iamaleava rushing in for a touchdown against No.7 Penn State. (Scott Chandler)

The Emotional Catalyst: Jerry Neuheisel’s Play-Calling Debut

The most visible change occurred on offense under the newly named interim offensive coordinator and Bruin alumnus, Jerry Neuheisel. The former UCLA quarterback has spent seven years coaching in Westwood, including three years as the wide receivers coach. He helped the Bruins set a school record in 2022 with over 500 yards of offense per game and was recognized on 247Sports’ 30Under30 list in 202. Neuheisel also played professionally in Japan’s X League and is the son of former UCLA quarterback and head coach Rick Neuheisel. 

Despite having just two days to install a new game plan, Neuheisel set aside any doubt and fully leveraged the strengths of his players. In his debut leading the offense against a top-ten opponent, UCLA scored a season-high 42 points, nearly doubling their previous high. The emotional result from the players and fans was palpable. After the final whistle, the team hoisted Neuheisel onto their shoulders and carried him off the field while students chanted his name. This moment for Neuheisel was reminiscent of the moment he was carried off the field as a player in 2014 after UCLA’s comeback win against Texas, linking the two unforgettable moments of triumph in his UCLA journey. 

Offensive Coordinator/Assistant Coach Jerry Neuheisel being carried off the field after UCLA upsets Penn State. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Player Mindset

The mid-season revival of UCLA Football wasn’t just a result of strategic adjustments or standout performance, but rooted in a dramatic shift in mindset throughout the locker room. After weeks of losses and self-doubt, the players were forced to ask themselves: Who do we want to be when nobody believes in us – not even ourselves?

Many of the players have reported that they always had the potential. They just needed to buy into believing in themselves and each other. The newfound confidence in themselves, teammates, and coaches completely changed their game and it was evident to fans. An interesting perspective was given by running back, Anthony Frias II, when talking about their recent success. Frias said, “I think one of the things that has contributed to our success has to be how we all stayed together as a team and honestly the losses made us closer. People started to write us off and so we just got closer as teammates and brothers, which made us play harder for each other.” In a sense, the losses made them a closer team, making them more determined than ever to make a comeback. However, this comeback had to come from every single player, on and off the field. UCLA linebacker Jalen Woods said, “The biggest difference is the belief that we have in each other. Everyone tried to say we had bad players, but we all kept the faith and belief and now we are seeing results.” After four straight losses, the Bruins could have accepted their fate for the rest of the season, but they kept relying on the support of one another to reach success. 

UCLA vs. Maryland Recap

In the midst of the team’s critical resurgence, Nico Iamaleava received a seemingly game-ending hit from a Maryland defensive lineman. Yet, he immediately reemerged from the sideline, strapping on his helmet to lead a crucial fourth quarter scoring drive after Maryland had tied the game. To lock in the win, UCLA kicker Mateen Bhaghani perfectly placed a 23-yard field goal in the final seconds of the game to reach the 20-17 victory. This display of raw resilience became the powerful, visual manifestation of this mid-season miracle. 

Iamaleava and Bhaghani weren’t just the only players that showed an incredible amount of resilience and passion for the game this past Saturday against Maryland. Titus Mokiao-Atimalala, Anthony Frias II, and Jalen Berger were crucial in the Bruins’ late game drive. Mokiao-Atimalala connected with Iamaleava for back-to-back completions for 33 yards, which set up Frias II’s 35-yard run to the Maryland 5-yard line. Frias II finished with 97 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Berger added 65 yards on the ground to help secure the Bruin win. 

Additionally, UCLA linebackers JonJon Vaughns and Isaiah Chisom were vital in creating a key defensive takeaway. Chisom forced a fumble from Maryland’s DeJuan Williams, and Vaughns quickly recovered it, which gave the Bruins the opportunity to advance down the field. Isaiah Chisom also spoke about the new changes to the program and claimed that, “The new coaches have been doing a great job at listening to the team on what we need and it’s paying off. We knew we had the right players on the team. It was just going to be a matter of when and how we put it together.” The Bruins have definitely started to put it together, as shown by their three consecutive wins after a losing streak. The real question is: can they keep this momentum going as the season heats up? Fans will find out this Saturday, October 25th when the Bruins face No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers. 

UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava hit from behind by a Maryland defender. (USA Today)

Fan Engagement and the Bruin Mantra

The football team’s transformation spilled into the stands. Early in the season, empty seats hinted at the growing fan frustration in the team’s performance. But as the team quickly found a winning rhythm, that apathy returned back into the undying support for the Bruins. Students are truly the heart of the college football experience, ultimately shaping the culture and vibe of the program. In recent games, students eagerly flocked back to the Rose Bowl, creating new chants and traditions to remember this historic turnaround. 

Videos circulating social media have shown students chanting “Jerry, Jerry, Jerry,” to rally behind the interim offensive coordinator, Jerry Neuheisel, for his breakthrough play-calling performance. A new tradition has taken root in the UCLA student section that started this past weekend, which perfectly captures the enthusiasm of this new era. It started small, with a few students waving their shirts in the air after every big play. But as the game progressed, more and more students joined in, until a large portion of the student section was cheering and waving their shirts in the air. This sight has become a symbol of the Bruin’s resurgence, both on and off the field. This return of enthusiasm and collective energy created a true home field advantage that has been fueling the players. 

Media coverage, both locally and nationally, rapidly shifted its focus from the team’s dysfunction to the positive atmosphere radiating from Westwood and the resilience that this UCLA team has shown. This momentum has carried over into a powerful statement that instantly became the motto for the turnaround. Reflecting on the chaos and ultimate triumph of the past three weeks, Jerry Neuheisel perfectly captured the emotional summit of this cultural shift for UCLA, giving voice to the entire Bruin community: “It’s a great day to be alive and be a Bruin.”

Going into next weekend, UCLA prepares to face No. 2 Indiana on Saturday after their three straight Big Ten wins. Indiana coach Curt Cignetti mentioned that the Bruins’ mid-season revival was “very impressive” and that the Hoosiers will be going into the game with the mindset of “playing a 3-0 football team that’s undefeated, that’s 3-0 in the conference since they have retooled their staff.” After being overlooked by almost every college team, the Bruins are finally getting the respect and recognition that they deserve. Make sure to keep following UCLA Football this season and don’t miss the game this Saturday at Indiana’s Memorial Stadium at 12:00 ET. 

UCLA students and fans supporting their fellow Bruin football players. (Photo 1: Don Liebig/ASUCLA; Photo 2: X/@UCLAFootball)