Bob Chesney Has Key Message for UCLA After Cal Win

After a big win on the road against Cal, it can be easy for Bob Chesney and the Bruins to get caught up in the heat of the moment.

Cal was not an easy opponent to start the season with, and for many teams, a win like that often leads to hangovers the next week. Bob Chesney isn’t letting that happen.

Chesney’s Thoughts on Responding to the Win

Sep 5, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Bob Chesney celebrates after defeating the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In Monday’s press conference, Chesney recalled a time at James Madison when the team was coming off a 70-50 win at North Carolina. Chesney said many teams across the country had lost after coming off major wins.

“I put up us at JMU beating UNC 70 to 50 and I had a question mark next to it: how are we going to handle that, that little bit of success that we just had? And we ended up winning the next game 64 to 7 or whatever it might have been; they responded to it,” Chesney said.

Sep 5, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Bob Chesney (center) yells at field judge Timothy Maguire (left) during the first quarter against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Our thing here was that same mentality of, you know, this is a win against a team that was a really good football team...They got to clean up a whole bunch of stuff before they get to this Saturday. It's in their hands to just hold each other to the standard. I know our coaches will not relent. I know our captains will not relent, and I really know the players won't relent. They know that they left a lot out there, and there's a whole lot more that they got to do to play their best football.”

Takeaways From Chesney’s Mindset

It’s refreshing to hear that the head coach understands that while beating Cal was an impressive win on the road, there is still plenty of work to be done.

Sep 5, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; UCLA Bruins running back Anthony Woods (6) celebrates with wide receivers Brian Rowe Jr. (2) and Mikey Matthews (7) after scoring a touchdown against the California Golden Bears during the second quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What makes this next week particularly scary is the possibility of overlooking a seemingly inferior opponent. San Diego State is not a bad team by any means, but in the Big Ten, it is one of the more winnable games on UCLA’s schedule.

UCLA is in good hands with Bob Chesney. I don't doubt the Bruins will regroup and adjust to address the weak points that showed up on Saturday, while building on the strengths they demonstrated.

It's a new era for UCLA football under Bob Chesney, and it has started off in the best possible way. However, the Bruins must look forward to this weekend.

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