The UCLA Bruins stayed unbeaten in Week 2 against San Diego State but the team looked much more beatable, being held scoreless in the first half before blowing things open in the fourth quarter. UCLA has needed big fourth quarters in both games this season but Bob Chesney's team has gotten the job done.
UCLA was expected to be much-improved from last season but the Bruins are looking to match their 2025 win total by Week 3 this season. While Colin Hitschler and the Bruin defense has looked the part through two games, UCLA hasn’t shown too much of an ability to move the ball through this year this season putting a cap on the explosiveness of the offense.
Chesney looks like a winner but it might take a year or two before the Bruins can seriously
compete at the top of the Big Ten Conference. Trojans Wire writer Matt Zemek was impressed by the Bruins but sees a ceiling for this UCLA roster.
“Fourth-quarter Bob Chesney. That's the early-season read on UCLA football in 2026. The Bruins don't dominate for 60 minutes, but they definitely dominate the final 15. It's a credit to Chesney and his staff that they make adjustments. It's a credit to UCLA's strength and training program that the Bruins are fresher and faster late in games. This is not the soft and frail UCLA team from seasons past. Identity and culture have clearly improved in Westwood.
Yet, for all of the improvements, it should also be said that this offense was kept under wraps for more than a full half by San Diego State. That's a reminder that top-shelf-level talent still doesn't exist on this roster. The floor has been raised by several notches, and the team is likely to make a bowl game, which is its main 2026 goal. However, a higher floor and a higher ceiling are not the same thing. The San Diego State game showed it will take at least the 2027 season for UCLA to attain elite status. This won't quite be Curt Cignetti striding into Indiana and making the playoff in Year 1.”
UCLA will have another chance to prove themselves this weekend, hosting Purdue Saturday night at the Rose Bowl.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Fourth-quarter Bob Chesney has shown up twice so far for UCLA
