How Week Eight Could Change Everything for UCLA

The Bruins were playing quite well going into the eighth game of the season, despite the shaky year they'd had before then.

They were able to move past their awful first three games, which included a blowout in their season opener against the eventual No. 15-ranked Utah Utes, a close loss in week two, and a hardly close game in week three.

UCLA, Uta — Aug 30, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) leaves the field following the loss aganst the Utah Utes at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Their struggles continued once conference play started, with a loss, but something flipped in the locker room, and the Bruins toppled one of the better teams in the Big Ten, the Penn State Nittany Lions, during week five before blowing out Michigan State on the road the next week.

They then made a push for bowl game eligibility in week seven by beating the Maryland Terrapins in a close game; however, the match as a whole boded poorly for the Bruins going forward.

UCLA, Rodrick Pleasan — May 2, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins defensive back Rodrick Pleasant watches during the spring game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

They struggled on both sides of the ball and got a little bit lucky when the Terrapins struggled similarly, and the next week against the No. 1-ranked Indiana Hoosiers was the biggest turning point of the season.

In a game they could have won only under extraordinary circumstances, UCLA ended up getting blown out by an inane 50 points, and if something like that happens this year, fans will lose hope for the rest of the season.

UCLA, Indiana, Football — Indiana's Dominique Ratcliff (91) pressures UCLA's Nico Iamaleava (9) during the Indiana versus UCLA football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

So it's imperative that the Bruins make game eight of this year a good turning point instead of a rough one. How can they do that offensively, and how can they contain teams like Indiana defensively?

What the Bruins Need To Ensure a Good Turning Point Offensively: Turnovers

Turnovers were already a massive issue the week before against the Terrapins; without a few messy plays from their opponent, UCLA would have likely lost the game, and the issue continued against Indiana.

Nico Iamaleava threw two picks for the second week in a row, and it was clear he needed to be taken off the helm of passing in some capacity before the issue could get worse.

Furthermore, the Bruins fumbled to the Hoosiers, and most of Indiana's possessions led to a score, so those three turnovers practically amounted to 21 points for their adversary.

It's something Bob Chesney has been tackling in the off-season, as evidenced by the spring game, and it needs to continue into the regular season if UCLA wants to be a dark horse for the College Football Playoff

What the Bruins Need To Ensure a Good Turning Point Offensively: Flexibility

Another issue Chesney has been tackling in the off-season is the ability to switch directions when the passing game isn't working, as it was against the Hoosiers.

He has been cultivating many excellent players new to the team, as well as bringing forth a lot more hidden talent already within the organization, and for good reason.

This is because the Bruins were killed by the lack of offense flexibility against teams like Indiana, where the passing game got nothing going, and no running back was given more than a handful of attempts despite having nothing else to lose.

If UCLA cannot switch things up mid-game this year, their turning point in week eight will likely end up on the wrong side of things.

What the Bruins Need To Ensure a Good Turning Point Defensively

It's an odd case, looking at what the Bruins could have changed last year defensively against the Hoosiers, who had a messy but decent statistical game despite allowing 56 points by the end.

The issue boiled down to the team's offensive struggles and the field position the Hoosiers were given over and over again, which was really good for Indiana and almost impossible to defend.

Not to mention how unstoppable the Hoosiers' offense was to every team in the Big Ten, not just the Bruins, because of its depth and consistency every week.

So, when looking specifically at week eight, there is little to find concerning the Bruins' defense other than general messiness, an unstoppable offense, and poor field positioning.

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