By Garin Turner
EVANSTON, Ill. — A slow start proved too much for UCLA to overcome as the Bruins fell 17-14 to Northwestern in a Big Ten matchup on Saturday. The loss drops UCLA to 0-4 overall and 0-1 in conference play, while the Wildcats move to 2-2 and 1-1.
How It Happened
Northwestern controlled the first half, putting together scoring drives on each of its first three possessions while piling up 212 yards of total offense. The Bruins struggled to find rhythm, punting twice and failing to convert on downs before finally getting on the board with a late field goal to end the half.
UCLA put together a 12-play, 73-yard march in the third quarter that ended in another field goal, trimming the deficit to 17-6 heading into the fourth. The Bruins’ defense held, and after a missed field goal by Northwestern, the offense capitalized. Freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava found Kwazi Gilmer for a 29-yard touchdown strike. UCLA converted the two-point attempt to pull within three.
Despite the late push, Northwestern’s defense closed the door, handing the Bruins their fourth straight loss.
Team Leaders
• Passing: Nico Iamaleava — 19 of 27, 180 yards, 1 TD
• Rushing: Nico Iamaleava — 14 carries, 65 yards
• Receiving: Kwazi Gilmer — 3 receptions, 51 yards, 1 TD
Defensive Standouts
• JonJon Vaughns: 12 tackles
• Cole Martin: 9 tackles, 0.5 sack
• A.J. Fuimaono, Jalen Wood, Anthony Jones: each added 0.5 sack
What’s Next
UCLA faces its toughest test yet, returning home to host No. 3 Penn State on October 4.
