UCLA vs. Washington 2025 Preview: Bruins’ Final Homestand Against Lifelong Foe

UCLA’s 2025 season kicked off at the Rose Bowl on August 30. Twelve weeks later, its last home game is scheduled to take place this Saturday. The Bruins have made it through the thick of their schedule, competing against three top-10 teams before entering Week 13 with a 3-7 record. All that remains are two final regular-season games against familiar faces.

First up for UCLA are the 7-3 Washington Huskies.

UCLA Bruins vs Washington Huskies: 2025 College Football Preview

The biggest concern entering the weekend’s matchup is the health of star quarterback Nico Iamaleava. The sophomore transfer missed his first contest of the season with a concussion last week against No. 1 Ohio State. Though listed as “day-to-day”, the likelihood of returning to action in Week 13 remains in the balance for Iamaleava.

The California native currently leads UCLA in rushing with 474 yards and has been an electric playmaker all season. His status will be heavily monitored for the Saturday night bout.

Matchup History

The Bruins and Huskies have met 77 times on the gridiron since 1932, producing historic performances.

Prior to being Big Ten opponents, the two programs were once Pac-12 foes. UCLA has a 42-33-2 record against Washington and has been 6-4 in the last 10 matchups.

However, the Huskies have won the most recent outing in 2024 with a 31-19 score. Though not a starter in that game, Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. did appear. He completed seven of his eight passing attempts for 67 yards and a touchdown, while also adding 31 yards on the ground. He’ll be the full-time starter this time around.

If history holds, we should be in store for a high-scoring duel. Regardless, it’s another opportunity for the Bruins to bounce back into the win column.

Washington opened the week as -11.5-point favorites and is presented an 80 percent chance at victory, according to ESPN.

Keys to the Game

Notable Bruins

With the talent that UCLA possesses in its running back committee, it’s hard not to look towards them as key contributors on a weekly basis. The Blue and Gold have a strong running identity and force opponents to cater to the run before unloading the pass.

“Washington is going to load the box,” Bruins’ interim head coach Tim Skipper said. “They play a ton of [man-to-man coverage]. They’re going to stop the run — they dedicate everything to it. … We’re going to continue to keep on [running the ball]. [We] just have to keep on pounding, blocking and moving [our] feet, and eventually [a run will] break. We’re not going to go away from that.”

The Huskies pose a strong front seven that has allowed just 107 rushing yards per game (fifth in the Big Ten). A lot of the focus will be on containing the legs of Nico Iamaleava — if he suits up — and the three-headed backfield.

However, this leaves opportunities for receivers such as Kwazi Gilmer and Rico Flores Jr. to win one-on-one matchups. Neither has posted a 100-yard game yet this year. Against a bottom-half passing defense in the conference, it could be a day where one of the two sophomore wideouts has a breakout game.

Notable Huskies

The Big Ten has not disappointed with star quarterbacks this season, and Demond Williams Jr. is another example. The Arizona native has compiled a season that so far consists of 2508 passing yards (fifth in the Big Ten), 17 passing touchdowns (t-seventh), 72.6 percent completion rate (fourth), 512 rushing yards (first among QBs) and four rushing touchdowns (t-sixth among QBs).

“[Williams Jr. is] very dynamic,” Skipper praised. “The quarterback makes [Washington] go. They’re kind of a combination of pro-style and a spread [offense]. They have a lot of team speed; they break a lot of tackles. So, we’re going to have to limit the yards after contact.”

With how many home run plays the Huskies connect on and how susceptible UCLA is to big plays, it could set up a huge day for the Washington offense.

Williams Jr., like Iamaleava, has the green light to use his legs to make plays, and he does it better than any other quarterback in the conference. If he can break the Bruins’ contain and get past any spies, he can be a defensive coordinator’s nightmare.

UCLA’s Road to Victory in Week 13

Not to say they have, but dwelling on the past never aids success. The Blue and Gold have lost their last three games by a near average of 32 points. Skipper and company must continue to look over their recent struggles and refocus on what remains the task at hand.

“[The players] have been good,” Skipper emphasized. “We’re focused on finishing the season right, taking it one day at a time and giving our best effort. Everybody knows you’re measured when you’re dealing with adversity, so we’re going to attack the situation and do everything we can to be successful by Saturday.”

For a successful night to be had, UCLA can’t afford to have another night where it scores on just two of 10 drives. This team has not showcased any crazy comeback potential, so starting strong should be the main focus. The run game will be a major factor in doing so.

On the defensive side, it’s one job: Tackle. It can not be stressed enough. The entire season has been plagued by poor tackling jobs. Whether it’s arm tackles, bad positioning or just poor effort, UCLA’s tackling — or lack thereof — has cost games.