BRUINS SURVIVE THE PANTHERS, SET THE STAGE FOR POT A SHOWDOWN
The Bruins are finding ways to win.
After opening the season with a dominant 45–10 victory over Arizona State and falling just short in a 37–34 double-overtime thriller at Washington, UCLA returned home for a battle against Tier 2 coach Crazytrain and his Pot C Pittsburgh Panthers.
It wasn't pretty, but when the clock hit zero, UCLA had secured a 27–21 victory and improved to 2–1 in CFCS play.
Pittsburgh controlled much of the statistical battle, outgaining UCLA 402–217 and holding the Bruins to just 22% on third down. Nico Iamaleava struggled to find the rhythm he'd enjoyed through the first two games, finishing 12-of-24 for 159 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.
But championships aren't won on the stat sheet and the defense came up big when it mattered most.
The Bruins forced four turnovers and held Pittsburgh to points on just one of five red-zone trips. Donavyn Pellot continued his impressive start with 12 tackles and two tackles for loss, while the defense repeatedly answered the call when Pittsburgh threatened to take control.
Offensively, tight end Brayden Loftin emerged as a major weapon, hauling in four catches for 85 yards. Landon Ellis added 72 receiving yards, while Wayne Knight battled for 63 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
It was a gritty, complementary win that in the past would have turned sour for Head Coach NTXblue1878.
📊 THREE GAMES. SEVEN POINTS. ONE MORE BLOCK 1 BATTLE.
UCLA now sits at 2–1 with seven league points, just 13 shy of its 20-point season goal.
But the Bruins have one more challenge before closing the opening block of the CFCS league phase.
🔥 WEEK 4 — BYU AT UCLA
Pot A vs. Pot D | 86 OVR vs. 82 OVR
The Cougars arrive in Los Angeles with one of the strongest rosters in the CFCS. Led by coach VickTim7, BYU carries an 86 overall rating and a Pot A designation.
UCLA? Just an 82-overall Pot D program trying to prove the preseason rankings don't tell the whole story.
The Bruins have already taken Pot B Washington to double overtime on the road and knocked off Pot C Pittsburgh at home. Now comes an opportunity to take down a Pot A opponent in front of the home crowd.
A victory would send UCLA out of Block 1 at 3–1 with 10 league points, halfway to its regular-season points goal after just four games.
But to pull it off, the Bruins will need to rediscover the offensive explosiveness that carried them through the first two weeks while maintaining the defensive toughness that delivered the win against Pittsburgh.
The first three weeks proved UCLA belongs in the fight.
Week 4 is a chance to prove just how dangerous these Bruins can be.
🐻 GO BRUINS!