The Bruins Cannot Repeat Week 11 Next Season

The Bruins lost week 11 last year, and some things need to be changed for it to become a victory.

Nov 22, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; Washington Huskies running back Jordan Washington (4) is stopped by UCLA Bruins defensive back Aaron Williams (7) after a gain of 17 yards and a first down during the second half at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Bruins were very familiar with losing, whether it be in blowout fashion to many opponents across the season, or in very tight games that could have been won and frustratingly were not.

The first three games were utter disasters, as the season opener was a blowout, the second game was tight, but UCLA couldn't close it out, and week three was rough in every meaning of the word.

Nov 22, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; Washington Huskies running back Adam Mohammed (24) runs past UCLA Bruins linebacker Donavyn Pellot (0) for a gain of 15 yards and a first down during the second half at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The fourth game was also not kind to the Bruins, but things changed in the next stretch of three as UCLA was able to win all three of those games in a row with a thriller against Penn State, a blowout against Michigan State, and a close victory against Maryland.

But then everything crashed back into place and the Bruins quickly were back into their losing ways, starting with a massive loss to the Indiana Hoosiers, a nail-biter against Nebraska, and another blowout against Ohio State.

Nov 22, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; Washington Huskies running back Adam Mohammed (24) is stopped by UCLA Bruins defensive back Key Lawrence (4) after a gain of 15 yards and a first down during the second half at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The last chance of the season to end on a high note of games was to win against the Washington Huskies and close out with a victory against their rival, the USC Trojans, but the former did not happen, the opposite did.

So what will need to be altered in this year's week 11 to ensure the Bruins do not get blown out like they did against the Huskies and are able to end the season with a bang instead of a flop?

What Needs To Be Altered In Week 11: Energy

Nov 22, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) left the game after he was injured during the second half against the Washington Huskies at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

All in all, the Bruins had a bad day against the Huskies, especially after the blowout they faced the previous week, and it showed in how they played for the whole team, not just the offense or only the defense.

Statistically it did show most in the offense, which was only able to find one touchdown on the game and had no rushers get above 26 yards on the day, which is a sad mark for the team as a whole to be at.

Nov 22, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) escapes the grasp of Washington Huskies defensive end Devin Hyde (52) during the second half at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

But defensively the Bruins also had quite the lousy game, even if the numbers were a bit better, as no player had above four solo tackles or four assisted tackles, and for the first time in a while there were some players that did not have any tackles at all despite being on the field.

So the Bruins need to do all they can to ensure bad days such as against Washington do not happen, and that they will have the energy to do so; however, it seems like the answer has already arrived in spring training, and that answer is Bob Chesney due to his new style and ferocity as a coach.