LOS ANGELES — At the midseason mark of his inaugural year, coach DeShaun Foster’s UCLA team found itself struggling with a disappointing 1-5 record, a situation made worse by a lackluster rushing offense. However, after securing three consecutive victories, the Bruins appear to be turning their season around, showcasing an improved ground game.
“Our confidence is steadily increasing,” noted wide receiver Logan Loya.
Now standing at 4-5 overall and 3-4 in the Big Ten, UCLA has a viable shot at achieving bowl eligibility for the fourth consecutive year. This would mark the first time the program has reached this milestone since the 2011-2015 seasons. A win against Washington on Friday would place Foster on the verge of becoming the fifth coach in UCLA history to lead the team to a bowl game in his first year.
Fittingly, considering Foster’s past as a prosperous tailback and running backs coach at UCLA, it has been the revitalized rushing attack that has propelled the Bruins forward. Throughout their winning streak, UCLA has consistently managed at least 30 rushing attempts per game, accumulating 95 yards against Rutgers, 139 yards at Nebraska, and an impressive 211 yards during the game against Iowa.
Against Iowa, junior T.J. Harden emerged as a standout, rushing for 125 yards on 20 carries—the first time this season for a UCLA player to hit the 100-yard mark. Foster praised Harden for showing maturity in spite of a challenging start to the season, especially coming off last year’s performance where he rushed for 827 yards and eight touchdowns.
“T.J. could have easily gotten disheartened by the way things were going early on,” Foster reflected. “However, he remained positive, and when you keep a good attitude, the football gods tend to reward you.”
Before this breakout performance against Iowa, Harden had managed to surpass 50 rushing yards only once. He has been active in other areas, leading the Bruins with 29 receptions and ranking third on the team with 257 receiving yards, demonstrating skills in the passing game as well.
“He gives his all, whether it’s blocking, running, or executing a pass route,” Loya said. “He always performs his duties efficiently and goes above and beyond.”
Harden’s success has been supported by a bolstered offensive line. Despite the loss of left tackle Niki Prongos due to injury during the Iowa game, the line held steady, with Foster also recognizing tight end Jack Pedersen’s contributions.
Their joint efforts allowed the Bruins to stick with the run even after falling behind 10-0 early in the game.
“Success in the run game early on boosts our confidence, making it easier to stick with it throughout,” Foster remarked.
This ability to control the ground game has proven essential in securing victories. For instance, against Iowa, UCLA ran the ball 13 times for 58 yards in the fourth quarter, successfully maintaining possession for over ten minutes.
In contrast, during their 21-17 defeat to Minnesota on October 12—the game that preceded their winning streak—the Bruins could only muster 17 yards on seven carries in the fourth quarter, a performance that highlighted their struggles to close out games.
“Clearly, we needed to evolve as a team,” Loya acknowledged. “While we wish those moments had turned out differently, we learned from those experiences and have since improved.”
With a significant portion of the roster returning after averaging 197.9 rushing yards per game in 2023 under previous coach Chip Kelly, Loya is optimistic that the offense will eventually click.
“We always believed we had this capability,” Loya stated. “It just took longer than we anticipated. Nonetheless, we are thrilled to finally showcase our potential.”