UCLAs loss to UNLV showcases its plethora of

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

Given a likelihood to rapidly proper issues after a season-opening blowout loss, UCLA instead doubled down on disappointment.

There was another horrible start. A protection that was slow and often out of place. An offense couldn’t maintain drives until it was too late.

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

After reviewing the footage of his workforce’s 33-point setback against Utah, UCLA coach DeShaun Foster pinpointed all the issues that almost went proper and said his workforce was “close” to executing the performs it needed to win.

Where are the Bruins now?

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

A yr after dropping two video games over the season’s first three months on the best way to serving to Tennessee attain the College Football Playoff, Iamaleava has already absorbed that many losses after two video games as a Bruin.

“I hate losing, man,” a watery-eyed Iamaleava said after finishing 29 of 41 passes for 255 yards with one landing and one interception along with a 30-yard landing 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 begins at the top. A loss to a Mountain West Conference opponent will undoubtedly increase the strain on Foster and raise more questions early in his second season. Can his protection stop anyone? Why isn’t his offense more productive, significantly early in video games?

Every week after falling behind, 20-0, the Bruins one way or the other fell into a deeper gap when they confronted a 23-0 deficit late in the second quarter. Foster said he had tried a number of issues in observe to enhance his gamers early in video games, to no avail.

UCLA’s 10 consecutive factors in the fourth quarter did little to salvage issues.

“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 have been making an attempt to run out the clock, UCLA had a likelihood to power time beyond regulation or go for the win when it acquired the ball back at its own 19-yard line while trailing by seven factors with a little more than two minutes left.

Iamaleava rapidly moved the ball into Rebels territory. But destiny intervened when the quarterback tried to join with Mikey Matthews over the center and his move 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 got here off the sector, though there was actually no comfort to be had after UNLV (3-0) beat a Big Ten workforce for the first time since topping Wisconsin in 2003. Rebels quarterback Anthony Colandrea was the largest Bruins nemesis, throwing for 203 yards and three touchdowns.

UCLA discovered itself confronted by a new fear against UNLV.

Every week after logging only three penalties, UCLA dedicated 14 for 129 yards, including a number of that worn out big performs. Iamaleava momentarily appeared to have linked with Kwazi Gilmer for a landing in the third quarter before it was worn out by offensive move interference on Titus Mokiao-Atimalala, finally forcing the Bruins to kick a subject objective.

“Guys got to own it,” Foster said of the shortage of self-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 began shifting the ball after making a swap along the offensive line in the second half. Garrett DiGiorgio took Courtland Ford’s spot at left deal with and Reuben Unije took DiGiorgio’s spot at proper deal with. Foster said Ford was dealing with an unspecified leg injury.

“There were some flashes in there,” Foster said after his workforce 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 sport away with a landing early in the fourth quarter that gave the Rebels a 30-13 lead, but Iamaleava’s nifty landing run and another subject objective gave the Bruins one more likelihood after their protection acquired a stop to give them the ball back.

They didn’t convert. Not even close.