Bruins RB Fighting for Breakthrough in Backfield Rotation

UCLA veteran running back Anthony Frias II is looking to stand out in a crowded, yet underperforming backfield.

Oct 5, 2024; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive tackle Coziah Izzard (99) and safety Jaylen Reed (1) stop UCLA Bruins running back Jalen Berger (0) during the third quarter at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

One of the many areas in which the UCLA Bruins (0-3, 0-0 Big Ten) are underperforming in this catastrophic season has been the running game.

Coming into the season, the Bruins had one of the deepest backfields in the conference on paper. And yet, star quarterback Nico Iamaleava is leading the team in rushing yards through three games, and UCLA's inability to establish the rush has held its offense back.

The elevation of interim head coach Tim Skipper means a fresh start for the Bruins, and 4th-string running back Anthony Frias II is always looking to move up in the depth chart, while acknowledging that he trusts the coaching staff with rotational decisions.

"I'm just trying to do my part every day," Frias said Tuesday ahead of their Big Ten opener against Northwestern. "Trying to make sure that I take care of everything. I just really trust what the coaches are going to do, and whoever they put out there, whatever we have schemed up, I have all faith in our offense and our staff.

"I know that we're taking it day by day and we're making sure that we're going to put our best foot forward coming this weekend."

Nov 30, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster greets UCLA Bruins running back Anthony Frias II (29) as he returns to the bench during the third quarter against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Coming into the season, DeShaun Foster laid out his running back plan, citing that it would be a two-man show with Jalen Berger and Jaivian Thomas. But, through three games, Utah transfer Anthony Woods has been the Bruins' best back, while Berger and Thomas have acted as backups.

Skipper emphasized after he took over that he'd be reaching deep into the sidelines to find anyone who wants to help the team win -- making way for Frias to step up if he wants it.

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Skipper Seeking New Contributors Ahead of Northwestern Clash

Whether it be taking the team bowling or back to training camp, UCLA Bruins interim head coach Tim Skipper squeezed as much as he could out of the the bye week.

Nov 30, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs head coach Tim Skipper during the second quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Sparking a turnaround when taking over a team that is 0-3 and just dismissed a head coach -- DeShaun Foster -- who was well admired by players, is a difficult task. But Skipper is doing all he can ahead of the Bruins' Big Ten opener against Northwestern on Saturday, including searching for new contributions deep in the Bruins' depth.

"Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday's practices are going to be huge on that front," Skipper said Monday on searching for different contributors amid a turnaround. "I'm the type of guy [that] I'm not so much of who starts the game. It's going to be more who's playing throughout the game. So, how much we rotate and who's getting in there and all that type of stuff is where the deep discussions will happen.

"Like I said, we were in training camp last week. That was to see who can help us. We wanted to go deep into the roster and see anybody out there that can help us. And then, as we get into this game week, we're going to try to focus on getting those guys opportunities and seeing if they can handle it."

Sep 12, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins running back Anthony Woods (6) runs with the ball during the second quarter against the New Mexico Lobos at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Though the Bruins have left much to be desired on the playing field through three games, perhaps searching for a spark off the sidelines is the jolt UCLA needs to spark a turnaround, or even win a game.

The Bruins enter conference play winless, each loss coming more devastating than the last. ESPN gives the Bruins a 25.6% chance to beat the Wildcats on Saturday, a far cry from where UCLA was entering the season. Kickoff is at 12:30 p.m. PT in Evanston, Illinois on the Big Ten Network.

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