UCLA's Late Night Kickoff Presents Unique Week 1 Obstacle

DeShaun Foster details the struggles in the Bruins' 8 p.m. kickoff against Utah.

Sep 14, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster reacts after the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

DeShaun Foster and the UCLA Bruins kick off his second season against Utah as the last game of Saturday's Week 1 college football slate at 8 p.m. PST.

While the program has spent the last month preparing for the Utes, the late kickoff presents a unique challenge to open up the season.

"It's a tough thing, you know, just playing that late at night," Foster said during Monday's media availability. "But, if they want to play big-time ball on Sunday, Monday night games, Sunday night games, this is the same thing. They got to get used to being able to get ready to play no matter what the time is.

Nov 8, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster leaves the field with the game ball after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

"But we're going to make sure that they get enough rest and their body clocks don't start until a later time, just so when 10 o'clock comes, you're not sleepy, you're still ready to go."

Saturday's late start isn't the only thing to look forward to. The season-opener against the Utes allows the Bruins to kickstart a turnaround year.

Why Utah is UCLA's Most Important Game

Oct 30, 2021; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; UCLA Bruins and Utah Utes line up to snap the ball during the third quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

UCLA's season opener against Utah is, in my opinion, the perfect storm for setting the tone on a new season headlined by massive acquisitions and change. The Bruins are going to be underdogs against the Utes. What better way to announce you're here than starting the season off with a bang?

A win over Utah not only sets the precedent for UCLA football for the rest of the season, but it also gives the Bruins a head start on a pretty favorable first half of the season.

Walk with me. If UCLA defeats Utah to open the season, further confirming the type of team many expect the Bruins to be, there is a realistic path to a 6-1 start, with wins over UNLV, New Mexico and Northwestern in the next three games, a penciled-in loss to Penn State after that, and then favorable matchups against Michigan State and Maryland after that.

It all starts with Week 1.

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