For the second week in a row, the UCLA football team will be taking on an in-state opponent after opening its season with a road win at Cal.
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San Diego State will be making the trek up to the Rose Bowl for Saturday’s game against the Bruins and is looking to play spoiler in what should be a hostile environment for the Aztecs after their coach took a shot at them.
“I’m going to respect who that opponent is, but I’ve got plenty of experience where there’s a galaxy of stars and talent on the other sideline. I’ll take me and mine against them,” San Diego State coach Sean Lewis told reporters on Labor Day. “All their polos, all their khakis, all their resources, all that. Put the ball down, let’s go play.”
Lewis has no shortage of confidence in his team, which has historically struggled against UCLA.
“The best of the best want to compete against the best. So let’s go put the ball down and play. I know they’re going to be prepared. Coach (Bob) Chesney and his staff do a hell of a job. We’ll be prepared as well,” Lewis said.
After being a member of the Pac-12 for nearly a century before making the move to the Big Ten in 2024, the Bruins will be taking on a San Diego State program that is in the midst of its first year as a Pac-12 team.
Chesney believes that, despite taking down Cal, the Aztecs could pose just as big of a threat if the Bruins look past them.
“This was a win against a really good football team. [San Diego State] might be better in some ways. I think our guys understand that and they’ve got to clean up a whole bunch of stuff before they get to this Saturday,” Chesney said. “It’s in their hands to hold each other to the standard. I know our coaches will not relent, our captains will not relent, and I really know the players won’t relent.”
When UCLA has the ball
The Bruins mixed it up offensively in their 45-24 victory over Cal. Despite being down by double-digit points in the second half, UCLA never flinched.
Chesney trusted quarterback Nico Iamaleava to make the right reads and never asked too much of him down the stretch. Iamaleava came out of game after getting cleated in the calf late in the fourth quarter, but played the last two drives.
The senior from Warren High will be good to go for Saturday’s game and should be a focal point of the offense as the Aztecs allowed 280 yards through the air against Portland State last week.
On the ground, expect to see a heavy dosage of Anthony Woods, Wayne Knight and Jaivian Thomas. The trio combined for 233 rushing yards and five touchdowns in the season opener.
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SDSU senior linebacker Sione Hala, a St. John Bosco High alum, will be someone for UCLA’s offense to watch. Hala had 10 tackles in the season opener and offers a combination athleticism and football IQ. He’s an experienced player and pairing him with senior defensive lineman Gavriel Lightfoot, a Corona Centennial High graduate, gives the Aztecs some comfortability in their rush defense.
When San Diego State has the ball
The Aztecs have established their offensive identity under Lewis with a physical run game.
Running backs Lucky Sutton and Javion Kinnard will do a lot of the heavy lifting on the ground for San Diego State, but they have a stable of athletes who can tout the ball if needed.
In their 53-20 win over Portland State, the Aztecs had six players, not including quarterbacks, get at least one carry.
At quarterback, Jayden Denegal is serviceable and can move the ball down the field and can pose a threat with his legs if needed.
“These guys do a really good job,” Chesney said. “They move people. There’s a lot of gap scheme, there’s insert plays. They’re creating double teams at the point of attack and looking for that kickout block. They’re keeping this ball tight and keeping his shoulders as square as they can possibly be.”
For UCLA, former James Madison linebacker Trent Hendrick, who played only 16 snaps last week, could be featured more in defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler’s scheme as he continues to integrate into the program.
Hendrick, who participated in two NFL camps but never made a roster, joined the team Aug. 23 after being ruled eligible by a Louisiana court.
Making his UCLA debut, linebacker Sammy Omosigho instantly became a fan favorite. The Oklahoma transfer recorded a team-high 14 tackles and proved to the Bruins faithful why he was so highly regarded during spring and fall camp.
“The immediate influx of talent. Obviously [Nico Iamaleava] is a special talent who was there, but the pieces they’ve brought in are an experienced crew,” Lewis said. “You line up and count them up, there is over 13,000 career snaps on their offense between their starters and there’s over 11,500 career snaps on defense.”
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San Diego State (1-0) at UCLA (1-0)
When: 4:15 p.m. Saturday
Where: Rose Bowl
TV/Radio: Big Ten Network/790 AM