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Bruins Bounce Back: How UCLA Overcame Early Season Struggles
5 Oct
Summary
- UCLA fired head coach and coordinators after 0-4 start
- Interim coach promoted Jerry Neuheisel to offensive coordinator
- Neuheisel's offense scored 27 points in first half against Penn State
As of October 5th, 2025, the UCLA Bruins have experienced a dramatic turnaround on offense under the leadership of new offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel. The Bruins had a tough start to the season, dropping their first four games and getting outscored 125-57. Following their third loss, UCLA made sweeping changes, firing head coach DeShaun Foster and both the offensive and defensive coordinators.
Interim head coach Tim Skipper promoted Neuheisel, a former Bruins quarterback, to offensive coordinator and gave him play-calling duties. Neuheisel, who spent most of his playing career on the scout team, has quickly made an impact. In Week 6 against Penn State, the UCLA offense came alive, storming into halftime with a 27-7 lead after scoring on all four of their first-half possessions. This was a stark contrast to their previous average of just 14.3 points per game, one of the lowest marks in the FBS.
Neuheisel's experience as a player and coach has clearly paid dividends for the Bruins. After graduating, he transitioned into coaching, working as an offensive quality control coach at Texas A&M and then returning to UCLA as a graduate assistant. He was promoted to wide receivers coach in 2021 and shifted to tight ends coach in 2024, also taking on the title of assistant head coach. Now, in his new role as offensive coordinator, Neuheisel has provided a much-needed spark for the UCLA offense.
