LOS ANGELES, CA —UCLA’s nightmare football season continued Friday against New Mexico. Home-field advantage has become a myth for the Bruins, as they were unable to fend off the Lobos in Week 3. A score of 35-10 keeps Westwood with a winless football team. The Blue and Gold entered as -15.5 favorites with their season on the line — and fumbled it. The 0-3 start is the program’s worst since 2019.
“Yeah, it’s pretty low right now,” UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster said after the loss. “I’ve been around this program for a long time. It’s just unfortunate what’s going on at this moment.”
UCLA vs. New Mexico 2025: Week 3 College Football Game Recap
Penalties and more penalties…
After a clean opener with just three penalties, the Bruins have racked up consecutive double-digit penalty weeks — 14 against UNLV and 13 against New Mexico. Their lack of discipline must be addressed going forward as there’s too many calls result from mental errors.
“Too many penalties,” Foster stated. “We’ve got to find a way to stop shooting ourselves in the foot. We’re not good enough to keep having the type of penalties that we’re having.”
The offensive line was especially jittery, jumping for six false starts. Overall, UCLA committed six penalties that costed them at least 10 yards each. Compare that to New Mexico’s four flags that totaled 29 yards — a much more composed group.
UCLA Can’t Solve Areas of Concern
Different week, same issues.
The run defense has no excuse. Weekly, teams are hitting big holes for large gains.
New Mexico rushed for 298 yards — the most UCLA has allowed all season. Interestingly enough, they were out their top running back Scottre Humphrey for the majority of the game as well. It didn’t seem to matter though, as the Lobos had seven runs eclipse 10 yards and stamped three rushing touchdowns.
Nonetheless, UCLA still struggled to find its rhythm early. For its third consecutive game, the Bruins have failed to score in the opening 15 minutes and trailed at halftime. In first quarters, the Blue and Gold have been outscored 30-0. While by halftime, they’ve fallen to a combined score of 60-17. The slow starts practically end games early for the Bruins.
“Not the outcome at all that we wanted,” Foster opened up with. ” It’s coming down to discipline and execution. Not executing at a high level and not making plays when we need to.”
Third downs have also been a disaster, and Friday night didn’t aid any concern. Faced with 11 third-down situations, Quarterback Nico Iamaleava and company only managed to move the chains just three times. A lot of three-and-outs were deep in Bruins territory, giving the Lobos short field opportunities.
The key group heading into this matchup was UCLA’s front seven and the pressure they generate. They’ve been faced with mobile quarterbacks all season, and New Mexico was a chance to play a more pocket-passing player. Regardless, the type of distributor didn’t matter. The Bruins couldn’t record any tackles for loss or sacks.
Time to Press the Panic Button?
Looking at the schedule ahead and it’s going to be hard to find sure-handed wins for the Bruins. Heading into the season, UNLV and New Mexico — on paper — were going to be UCLA’s easiest opponents, but losses raised panic. This program is not trending in the right direction, and a lot of individuals are on the hot seat. The biggest one being Foster.
“Most definitely,” Foster said in response to whether he believes he’s the right coach for UCLA. “I can get these boys to play. … No. Not at all. [I don’t feel overmatched].”
In 15 games under Foster, the Bruins have managed a 5-10 record.
2024 ended on a high note for Foster, but the start of 2025 has been the opposite. Foster stepped into a head coaching role and implemented the mantra “D.R.E.” — discipline, respect and enthusiasm. However, through three weeks, Foster has vocalized the lack of discipline and execution he sees from his players. But, he hasn’t shied away from the blame.
“Everything that happens can fall on me,” Foster made clear. “I’m the head coach. It can fall on me.”
What’s Next for UCLA?
This season has turned dark for the Bruin faithful. There’s been little to nothing that has allowed for celebration, just heartache.
“If you’re a real Bruin, you’ll still be a fan,” Foster claimed. “You’re either going to stick with it or not.”
The unsettling truth lies in the fact that the road only gets steeper. With non-conference play in the books, UCLA will regroup over the bye and prepare for the Big 10 gauntlet. Illinois’ Northwestern will be the first to welcome the Blue and Gold off their bye and into conference play.
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Eric Hayrapetian
Eric is a lifelong Angeleno and a sports journalist who graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. He joined The League Winners in January of 2025, and is the lead beat writer for the UCLA Bruins. Follow Eric on X (formerly known as Twitter) @EricHayrapetian.