UCLA's Week 2 Matchup vs UNLV Now Deemed a Toss-Up

The Bruins were regarded as favorites going into the season until their brutal loss to Utah.

Aug 30, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) runs the ball against Utah Utes defensive end Logan Fano (0) during the first half at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The dominoes are falling after UCLA's brutal 43-10 loss to Utah to open the season.

A team ripe with momentum and promise heading into the season, the Bruins fell 27 spots in ESPN's SP+ rankings and now sit as the 76th-ranked team in the nation, according to Bill Connelly's system.

Interestingly enough, ranked one spot above UCLA on the SP+ rankings is its Week 2 opponent, UNLV. Despite starting the season 2-0, Dan Mullen's Rebels overcame a narrow matchup against FCS Idaho State in Week 0 and turned around to beat Sam Houston this weekend.

Oddsmakers peg the Bruins as favorites, ESPN's updated FPI deems UNLV a heavy favorite, and now Connelly's SP+ has UCLA just one spot behind the Rebels, making Saturday's clash a true toss-up. More importantly, it's the next most important game of UCLA's season.

DeShaun Foster on Loss to Utah

Aug 30, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster watches game action against the Utah Utes during the second half at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Here is a transcript of what Foster had to say following the crushing loss:

Biggest concern moving forward

“We just played a good team. That was it. We played a good team that came out and played their style of play. I won’t take anything away from them. They were able to execute and do what they wanted to do out there on the field. We’ve just got to come back in, regroup and really just grade yourself and be hard on yourself. This isn’t going to be easy. You can’t just go in there and point the finger at other people. You’ve got to see ‘What did I do to help this team?’”

Nico Iamaleava's moderate performance

“Nico’s a competitor. He’s not going to quit; he keeps playing hard. Kept motivating the guys around him. We’ve got to do a better job of protecting him and keeping him upright.”

Anthony Woods shining

“He did a great job. That’s something he’s been doing since he’s been here. Really took off in training camp, and you can see that he’s far removed from his ACL and ready to continue to play well.”

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