Bruins ready to say ‘aloha’ to a quick start
DeShaun Foster just gave away part of his first game plan.
Contrary to many of his counterparts who take their teams to Honolulu, UCLA’s new football coach said he would not wear a tropical shirt when the Bruins face Hawaii on Aug. 31 in their season opener.
“We’re not on vacay,” Foster said Wednesday. “You know, bowl games, it’s a different feel; this is our first game — people are always saying this is their Super Bowl [but] this is ours too, you know. We want to get this started off on the right foot.”
Foster said his team could play its opener now but would gladly take 10 more days to simulate as many game-like scenarios as possible. There are also positions to be won — Mateen Bhaghani and Blake Glessner are competing to be the kicker and Brody Richter and Chase Barry the punter — and plays to be perfected from among the “million” that Foster said percolated inside offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s brain.
DeShaun Foster is a man of few words. He plans to make UCLA football the talk of L.A.
The doubts have resurfaced, the same old chatter as before, swirling around DeShaun Foster like an all-out blitz.
He’s never been a coordinator, much less a coach. What does he know about leading a team? Isn’t he way too mellow and reserved for this?
Some of the skepticism that greeted UCLA’s new football coach upon his hiring in February subsided during a feel-good offseason. Foster salvaged recruiting, galvanized his team and energized fans over four blissful months.
Then came Foster’s freeze during Big Ten media day. The coach went quiet after about a minute of small talk on the big stage, his silence broken only by an uncomfortable smile. One of the few things he did say — “We’re in L.A.” — became an instant meme. It was all the radio hosts and podcasters needed to turn back on the spigot of suspicion.
DeShaun Foster is ready to make his head coaching debut
DeShaun Foster makes his entrance before his first game as UCLA football head coach.
From NCAA Division III to the Big Ten: The unlikely rise of UCLA’s Luke Schuermann
Luke Schuermann often gets “the look” whenever he mentions his last football stop. It can be a quizzical expression or a blank stare based on the level of knowledge of the words just spoken.
Johns Hopkins? Wait, give me a second. Oh, you mean the school known for producing renowned journalists, doctors and scientists?
That’s right. That one. Among its most famous alumni are CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, former President Woodrow Wilson and film director Wes Craven.
Something the Baltimore-based private research institution is not known for is its football program. Its first team, in 1882, had to play as the Clifton Athletic Club because of the school’s contempt for the emerging sport. For its first 13 seasons, students served as coaches.
UCLA’s offensive line vows not to let other teams feast on quarterback Ethan Garbers
Can Lincoln Riley cool down his already hot coaching seat? Can UCLA’s DeShaun Foster coach the team to a winning record?
UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers went out to dinner with his starting offensive line Sunday at a barbecue joint in Santa Monica. The only thing heftier than the five 300-pounders might have been the bill.
There was no doubt who was picking it up — the same guy who will rely on these beef-eaters more than anyone else this season.
“He did, yeah,” right tackle Garrett DiGiorgio confirmed Monday with a laugh.
Preventing Garbers from absorbing hits as the Bruins approach their season opener Saturday at Hawaii is among their top priorities, especially given what happened last season. UCLA allowed 42 sacks in 2023, ranking No. 113 out of 130 major college football teams.
UCLA vs. Hawaii: Betting lines and how to watch
Here’s a look at the betting odds, spread and over/under for UCLA vs. Hawaii, which is set to start at 4:30 p.m. PDT on Saturday.
The game will be shown live on CBS and Paramount+ and will air on 1150 AM in Los Angeles.
Five things to watch as the DeShaun Foster era begins when UCLA faces Hawaii
Aloha, DeShaun Foster.
Greetings, Big Ten.
Hello, the start of something special?
UCLA will embark on new beginnings galore when it faces Hawaii at 4:30 p.m. PDT Saturday at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu. It’s the debut for the Bruins’ football coach and the team’s first game after officially ditching the Pac-12.
The question is whether any of it will lead to fresh results for a program that has been frozen in frustration since Foster ran free like a kid on Waikiki Beach when he played for the Bruins more than two decades ago.
Answers may not be immediately forthcoming. UCLA is a two-touchdown favorite against a team that struggled to beat Delaware State in its opener last weekend, pulling away with 21 unanswered points in the second half.