< The Latest 2025-10-17T22:42:36+0000
The Pasadena Star-News | Fri 10/17 09:30am PST | Benjamin Royer
Week after week, since Tim Skipper took over as UCLA’s interim head coach, there have been slogans thrown around the football program like darts hitting a bullseye. After the Bruins defeated then-No. 7 Penn State two weeks ago, Skipper shouted the first of many.
“No more sad Sundays,” he said in the locker room as the players celebrated in jubilee.
During the week before UCLA traveled to East Lansing to take on Michigan State, Skipper seared the idea of overcoming a “one-hit wonder” moniker into the heads of his players – even printing out the phrase “ARE YOU A ONE-HIT WONDER” on papers spread across the team plane.
They overcame their status as a one-week top hit to secure a confidently dominant second consecutive victory.
Now, with UCLA awaiting Maryland at the Rose Bowl on Saturday, what is the message the Bruins are embracing now?
“I was getting a lot of jokes from people back home, and they were saying, ‘Are you guys going to say, are you going to be two-hit wonders?’” redshirt senior tight end Hudson Habemehl said. “And I was like, ‘We’ll see what the message is.’”
Habermehl walked into UCLA’s team auditorium and gazed up toward the projected message on the surrounding screens:
“The standard is the standard.”
After two wins, victories so transformative they turned the Bruins (2-4 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) into national headlines, with Skipper and offensive play-caller Jerry Neuheisel doing the rounds on television shows across the country, Skipper wanted to share a message that pushes sustaining success.
Another chance for a victory – and an outside shot at top dog in the conference, come the weekend’s end – will see the Bruins push for the standard they’ve created with their average of 40 points per game across the last two games.
‘‘We know how to win, we know what it feels like,” Skipper told his players, according to Habermehl. “We have all the talent we need. We’re not bringing any guys in to help us. Like, this is the team we have, so let’s do what we can with it.”
Earlier this week, the 30-day transfer portal window that opened when UCLA parted ways with DeShaun Foster as head coach ended. Skipper admitted earlier this week that he felt the biggest challenge in taking over the program was the many sleepless nights over retaining his players.
“I think we’ve shown them that, ‘Hey, we can make it, make it a good environment here. Even though we have all this change and stuff, just stick with us and we’re going to be all right,’” Skipper said of his players. “And I think that keeping a team intact has probably been the biggest thing.”
Whereas the Bruins have begun to jell with a rag-tag group of players, many of whom are transfers from UCLA’s 57 new players acquired during the offseason, their foe come Saturday is trusting a traditional recruiting process.
Maryland coach Mike Locksley turned to Malik Washington under center, where the true freshman has thrived so far. The true pocket passer, at 6-foot-5 and 231 pounds, can sling the ball, recording 13 total touchdowns and just two interceptions through six games so far – continuously building on his now 1,506 passing yards. He’s been named Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice.
Redshirt senior defensive lineman Keanu Williams touted Maryland’s “dynamic passing offense,” but does not see an advantage with the Terrapins quarterback’s inexperience potentially being a factor in Saturday’s game.
“I’ve played with freshmen who were ballers, so I respect every opponent I got, and that’s in front of me,” he said. “If you’re out there, you’re ready to play. So I’m respecting my opponent, for sure.”
A traditional quarterback duel could be on display when Nico Iamaleava faces off against Washington, who beat out UCLA transfer Justyn Martin to become the starting quarterback during the preseason.
For wide receiver Mikey Matthews, he likes his signal caller’s odds come Saturday.
“He’s been doing what he’s doing since fall camp,” Matthews said. “So now, it’s just we’re doing it against other teams now and we’re winning.”
The Terrapins (4-2, 1-2) produce a spread offensive attack for the most part. Washington turns to wideouts Shaleak Knotts and Octavion Smith Jr. often, connecting with the duo for more than 700 yards. Both receivers average at least 16 yards per reception, making it imperative for UCLA’s secondary to buckle down Saturday.
Washington has yet to throw for fewer than 200 yards in a game this season, while the Terrapins average less than 100 yards per game on the ground. It’s clear where their bread and butter lie.
Expect a similar offensive approach for the Bruins against the stout Terrapins, who boast the 18th-ranked scoring defense in the nation at 16.83 points per game. Running back Anthony Woods might be unavailable after an injury took him out late against Michigan State – and that could push Anthony Frias II further into the tailback rotation.
Iamaleava has been the heart and soul of UCLA’s offense since its victory over Penn State. If that continues, it might not be too long until award conversations begin to develop.
When: Saturday, 4 p.m.
Where: Rose Bowl
TV/Radio: Fox Sports 1/790 AM