Inside the Locker Room Change The Sparked UCLA's Turnaround

Bruins interim head coach Tim Skipper made sure the locker room changed as soon as he stepped in.

Oct 11, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; UCLA Bruins wide receiver Titus Mokiao-Atimalala (2) celebrates a touchdown with wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. (1) in the second quarter at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images | Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images

When a team is trying to turn a season around, like Tim Skipper and the UCLA Bruins (2-4, 2-1 Big Ten) are in the process of doing, every little thing matters.

Skipper, who was promoted to UCLA's interim head coach exactly a month ago, made sure to institute a crucial foundational change that made the Bruins more disciplined than they every were.

"The locker room is clean," Skipper said during Monday's media availability. "I think a clean locker room makes you a lot happier. It shows team discipline and it shows you can win off the field. So now you can go ahead and get on the field.

UCLA's interim head coach Tim Skipper celebrates after a Bruins touchdown against Michigan State during the third quarter on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"I think success and winning brings smiles to your face, and excitement. So execution fuels emotion. I'm hoping it looks like the guys are in good spirits and things like that and they know that tomorrow is going to be a work day, and they better be ready to go. I think we're giving guys the 'Why?' and reasons why we do things, and that's helping them to know what to expect."

Skipper's Westwood resurgence has been the biggest story in the sport over the last two weeks, and his message to the Bruins in between wins against Penn State and Michigan State received a ton of attention.

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Tim Skipper Wins Week 7 Superlative For UCLA's Dominant Win

Tim Skipper may not be getting all the credit across social media, but his turnaround of the UCLA Bruins has been one of the biggest revelations of the college football season.

Following their stunning win over then-No. 7-ranked Penn State last week, Skipper's phrase of the week was "Are you a one-hit-wonder?"

Oct 11, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; UCLA Bruins interim head coach Tim Skipper looks up at the video board in the fourth quarter at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images | Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images

The phrase reached every player, and the Bruins came out with a dominant 38-13 win over Michigan State. The widely publicized motivation tactic landed Skipper on ESPN's Week 7 Superlatives for 'Best Motivational Tactic.'

Here's what the ESPN staff said about Skipper's tactic:

"One week after pulling off one of the biggest upsets of the season, UCLA kept things rolling with a 38-13 win over Michigan State.

"Part of why UCLA was ready to keep its momentum on track after such a big win? A unique tactic was deployed by interim coach Tim Skipper before the team's flight to Michigan. Skipper placed a sheet of paper reading "Are you a one-hit wonder?" on each seat of the UCLA team plane.

Oct 11, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; UCLA Bruins defensive back Key Lawrence (4) holds up a towel branding the Michigan State logo after beating the Spartans at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images | Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images

"The Bruins -- who have scored 30-plus points in consecutive power conference games for the first time since 2022 -- proved they were not one-hit wonders."

Skipper's take on the tactic:

Following Saturday's win, Skipper spoke on not being one-hit-wonders:

• “Yeah, that was a message starting on Sunday. We preach it every day moving up. We just wanted to see who we really were, that was the whole thing about it. We wanted to come out and play 60 minutes of football, and we did that today. We strained, not being one-hit wonders, all those things, we're putting them all into the games now and that's exciting to see.

• "We'll have to continue that. The future is going to get harder and harder as we keep on going. We'll have a tough matchup on homecoming playing against Maryland. We're going to need all the Bruin fans to be there, that's the start of the message right now. Start thinking about how you're going to get to the Rose Bowl next Saturday.”

Michigan State's head coach Jonathan Smith, right, talks with UCLA's interim head coach Tim Skipper before the football game on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Bruins proved this week that their Penn State upset wasn't just a stroke of luck, and that a turnaround is fully underway. UCLA (2-4, 2-1 Big Ten) plays host to Maryland this week.

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