Saturday, October 4
Pasadena, CA
12:30 PM (PT)
UCLA
vs
Penn State
WR Kwazi Gilmer
Photo by: Jan Kim Lim
Football to Host Penn State at Rose Bowl Saturday Afternoon
September 30, 2025 | Football
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Rose Bowl Stadium (Pasadena, Calif.)
Kickoff Time: 12:30 p.m. (PT)
Television: CBS
TV Talent: Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (analyst), Jenny Dell(sideline)
Local Radio (UCLA Bruins Audio Network): AM 790 (LINK)
Local Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Matt Stevens (analyst), Wayne Cook (sideline), Nick Koop (pre/post-game host)
SiriusXM: Ch. 161 or 201
Game Notes: PDF
Live Stats: LINK
ย
THE MATCHUP
The UCLA football team hosts Penn State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. for the first time on Saturday, Oct. 4. Kickoff between the Bruins (0-4, 0-1 Big Ten) and Nittany Lions (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. (PT) on CBS with announcers Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson and Jenny Dell on the call. Fans in the greater Los Angeles region can listen live on AM 790, the new home of the UCLA Bruins Audio Network.
ย
COACHING CHANGE
Tim Skipper will serve as UCLA's interim head coach for the remainder of the 2025 season after DeShaun Foster was relieved of his head coaching duties on Sept. 14, 2025. Skipper previously served as the special assistant to the head coach under Foster earlier this season.
ย
Last season, Skipper became Fresno State's interim head coach in July of 2024 and guided the Bulldogs to a 6-7 record and a bowl appearance. Skipper was also the acting head coach for Fresno State at the 2023 New Mexico Bowl, which the Bulldogs won over New Mexico State, 37-10. Skipper's previous coaching experience includes stints as defensive coordinator, most recently at UNLV from 2018-19, and assistant head coach responsibilities at Colorado State, Central Michigan and Fresno State. He also coached running backs at Florida from 2015-16 and linebackers from 2017-18.
ย
LAST TIME OUT
UCLA dropped a 17-14 decision to Northwestern at Martin Stadium in Evanston, Ill. on Saturday, Sept. 27. The Bruins had rallied back from a 17-0 deficit but were unable to pull into field goal position, down 17-14, on their final two offensive drives late in the fourth quarter. Down 17-6, the Bruins cut Northwestern's cushion to 17-14 with a touchdown, capping a four-play and 80-yard drive at the 6:19 mark in the fourth quarter. Bruins' quarterback Nico Iamaleava connected on a 29-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer, before UCLA scored on a two-point conversion. Iamaleava finished Saturday's Big Ten contest having completed 19 of 27 pass attempts for 180 yards and one touchdown. The Bruins' signal-caller had 14 carries on the ground for 65 rushing yards, finishing the contest as UCLA's leading rusher.
ย
KEY NOTES ON UCLA
โข Quarterback Nico Iamaleava has averaged 197.0 passing yards per game on 81-of-124 passing (65.3%), including four touchdowns, over the first four starts of his UCLA career. He has led the Bruins in rushing yards in three of their first four contests of the season (204 total rushing yards).
โข UCLA has allowed just 267 passing yards combined over its last two games (152 vs. New Mexico, 117 at Northwestern). It's the second-fewest passing yards allowed by the Bruins over a two-game stretch since 2018; UCLA allowed just 259 passing yards combined against N.C. Central (142) and Utah (117) during the 2023 campaign.
โข Linebackers Isaiah Chisom (11.8) and JonJon Vaughns (10.5) rank third and seventh in the FBS in total tackles per game, respectively. The pair also ranks 1-2 in the Big Ten in total tackles per game. Vaughns has recorded the first four double-digit tackle performances of his career to begin his final campaign in Westwood.
โข Wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer hauled in his first touchdown of the season on a 29-yard strike from N. Iamaleava in the fourth quarter of UCLA's 17-14 loss at Northwestern (Sept. 27). Gilmer has now recorded a catch in 13 straight games.
โข Junior kicker Mateen Bhaghani is 7-for-7 on his field goal attempts this season and is 2-for-2 from 40-plus yard out. Bhaghani has made 11 attempts in a row; his last miss came in the fourth quarter of Game 10 at Washington last season.
โข True freshman Noah Fox-Flores recorded the first catch and touchdown of his career on a four-yard pass from Nico Iamaleava at the 7:48 mark in the third quarter at UNLV (Sept. 6). Fox-Flores is the first UCLA true freshman tight end to record a touchdown since Thomas Duarte in 2013.
โข Running back Anthony Woods scored UCLA's first touchdown of the season on a 19-yard reception versus Utah in the second quarter during his Bruins debut. The score marked the second receiving touchdown of Woods' career and first since 2023 as a sophomore at Idaho. Woods finished the game with a team-high and career-high 48 receiving yards.
โข UCLA's 2025 roster lists 59 new names (37 transfers, 22 true freshmen) for its most since at least the 2012 season. Of the Bruins' 22 starters on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball against Utah, nine of them were incoming transfers.
โข The Bruins' offseason was highlighted by the transfer portal addition of redshirt sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who spent the previous two seasons at Tennessee. The Long Beach, Calif. native returns home after leading the Volunteers to an 11-3 record as the starting quarterback and a College Football Playoff (CFP) appearance in 2024. Iamaleava finished last season completing 213-of-334 passes (63.8%) for 2,616 yards (201.2 yards per game) and 19 touchdowns with five interceptions. Iamaleava ranked second in the Southeastern Conference with six 50-plus-yard completions last season.
โข N. Iamaleava was tabbed to five preseason watch lists in anticipation of his first game as a Bruin: Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year, Davey O'Brien Quarterback of the Year, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and Polynesian Player of the Year.
TICKETS TO UCLA HOME GAMES AT THE ROSE BOWL
Various ticket packages, including season, mini-plan and single-game tickets, for the Bruins' inaugural Big Ten season are now available. Fans can clickย HEREย or contact UCLA Athletics Sales and Service at (310) 206-5991 or via emailย at tickets@athletics.ucla.edu for more information on personalized ticket options.
Sign up for UCLA Athletics emailsย HEREย to stay up-to-date on inside information, ticket deals and more.
ย
Venue: Rose Bowl Stadium (Pasadena, Calif.)
Kickoff Time: 12:30 p.m. (PT)
Television: CBS
TV Talent: Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (analyst), Jenny Dell(sideline)
Local Radio (UCLA Bruins Audio Network): AM 790 (LINK)
Local Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Matt Stevens (analyst), Wayne Cook (sideline), Nick Koop (pre/post-game host)
SiriusXM: Ch. 161 or 201
Game Notes: PDF
Live Stats: LINK
ย
THE MATCHUP
The UCLA football team hosts Penn State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. for the first time on Saturday, Oct. 4. Kickoff between the Bruins (0-4, 0-1 Big Ten) and Nittany Lions (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. (PT) on CBS with announcers Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson and Jenny Dell on the call. Fans in the greater Los Angeles region can listen live on AM 790, the new home of the UCLA Bruins Audio Network.
ย
COACHING CHANGE
Tim Skipper will serve as UCLA's interim head coach for the remainder of the 2025 season after DeShaun Foster was relieved of his head coaching duties on Sept. 14, 2025. Skipper previously served as the special assistant to the head coach under Foster earlier this season.
ย
Last season, Skipper became Fresno State's interim head coach in July of 2024 and guided the Bulldogs to a 6-7 record and a bowl appearance. Skipper was also the acting head coach for Fresno State at the 2023 New Mexico Bowl, which the Bulldogs won over New Mexico State, 37-10. Skipper's previous coaching experience includes stints as defensive coordinator, most recently at UNLV from 2018-19, and assistant head coach responsibilities at Colorado State, Central Michigan and Fresno State. He also coached running backs at Florida from 2015-16 and linebackers from 2017-18.
ย
LAST TIME OUT
UCLA dropped a 17-14 decision to Northwestern at Martin Stadium in Evanston, Ill. on Saturday, Sept. 27. The Bruins had rallied back from a 17-0 deficit but were unable to pull into field goal position, down 17-14, on their final two offensive drives late in the fourth quarter. Down 17-6, the Bruins cut Northwestern's cushion to 17-14 with a touchdown, capping a four-play and 80-yard drive at the 6:19 mark in the fourth quarter. Bruins' quarterback Nico Iamaleava connected on a 29-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer, before UCLA scored on a two-point conversion. Iamaleava finished Saturday's Big Ten contest having completed 19 of 27 pass attempts for 180 yards and one touchdown. The Bruins' signal-caller had 14 carries on the ground for 65 rushing yards, finishing the contest as UCLA's leading rusher.
ย
KEY NOTES ON UCLA
โข Quarterback Nico Iamaleava has averaged 197.0 passing yards per game on 81-of-124 passing (65.3%), including four touchdowns, over the first four starts of his UCLA career. He has led the Bruins in rushing yards in three of their first four contests of the season (204 total rushing yards).
โข UCLA has allowed just 267 passing yards combined over its last two games (152 vs. New Mexico, 117 at Northwestern). It's the second-fewest passing yards allowed by the Bruins over a two-game stretch since 2018; UCLA allowed just 259 passing yards combined against N.C. Central (142) and Utah (117) during the 2023 campaign.
โข Linebackers Isaiah Chisom (11.8) and JonJon Vaughns (10.5) rank third and seventh in the FBS in total tackles per game, respectively. The pair also ranks 1-2 in the Big Ten in total tackles per game. Vaughns has recorded the first four double-digit tackle performances of his career to begin his final campaign in Westwood.
โข Wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer hauled in his first touchdown of the season on a 29-yard strike from N. Iamaleava in the fourth quarter of UCLA's 17-14 loss at Northwestern (Sept. 27). Gilmer has now recorded a catch in 13 straight games.
โข Junior kicker Mateen Bhaghani is 7-for-7 on his field goal attempts this season and is 2-for-2 from 40-plus yard out. Bhaghani has made 11 attempts in a row; his last miss came in the fourth quarter of Game 10 at Washington last season.
โข True freshman Noah Fox-Flores recorded the first catch and touchdown of his career on a four-yard pass from Nico Iamaleava at the 7:48 mark in the third quarter at UNLV (Sept. 6). Fox-Flores is the first UCLA true freshman tight end to record a touchdown since Thomas Duarte in 2013.
โข Running back Anthony Woods scored UCLA's first touchdown of the season on a 19-yard reception versus Utah in the second quarter during his Bruins debut. The score marked the second receiving touchdown of Woods' career and first since 2023 as a sophomore at Idaho. Woods finished the game with a team-high and career-high 48 receiving yards.
โข UCLA's 2025 roster lists 59 new names (37 transfers, 22 true freshmen) for its most since at least the 2012 season. Of the Bruins' 22 starters on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball against Utah, nine of them were incoming transfers.
โข The Bruins' offseason was highlighted by the transfer portal addition of redshirt sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who spent the previous two seasons at Tennessee. The Long Beach, Calif. native returns home after leading the Volunteers to an 11-3 record as the starting quarterback and a College Football Playoff (CFP) appearance in 2024. Iamaleava finished last season completing 213-of-334 passes (63.8%) for 2,616 yards (201.2 yards per game) and 19 touchdowns with five interceptions. Iamaleava ranked second in the Southeastern Conference with six 50-plus-yard completions last season.
โข N. Iamaleava was tabbed to five preseason watch lists in anticipation of his first game as a Bruin: Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year, Davey O'Brien Quarterback of the Year, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and Polynesian Player of the Year.
TICKETS TO UCLA HOME GAMES AT THE ROSE BOWL
Various ticket packages, including season, mini-plan and single-game tickets, for the Bruins' inaugural Big Ten season are now available. Fans can clickย HEREย or contact UCLA Athletics Sales and Service at (310) 206-5991 or via emailย at tickets@athletics.ucla.edu for more information on personalized ticket options.
Sign up for UCLA Athletics emailsย HEREย to stay up-to-date on inside information, ticket deals and more.
ย
Players Mentioned
K
/ Football
LB
/ Football
TE
/ Football
WR
/ Football
QB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
RB
/ FootballUCLA Football Media Availability - Coach Skipper (Sept. 29, 2025)
Monday, September 29
UCLA Football Postgame - Players, at Northwestern (Sept. 27, 2025)
Saturday, September 27
UCLA Football Postgame - Coach Skipper, at Northwestern (Sept. 27, 2025)
Saturday, September 27
Bruin Insider Show - Tim Skipper (Sept. 25, 2025)
Thursday, September 25