At the one-third mark of the season, and coming off a difficult defeat at the hands of Utah, UCLA football takes a breather. Here’s what the season has taught us so far.
This could be bad timing for UCLA’s bye week, or it could be perfect timing. Coming off a stifling loss on the road at Utah in the Bruins’ Pac-12 opener, this could be a great chance to regroup, or it could provide far too much downtime to ponder just how crushing that trip to Salt Lake actually was.
It’s the kind of week that reminds you coaching is not just about the X’s and O’s. This is also a game of managing personalities, and for a team that is led by a true freshman quarterback, that makes the bye week approach all the more important.
In the locker room, this is a pivotal week to regroup and move forward for the Bruins. For us, we get a chance to exhale and enjoy one stress-free Saturday. The slate is pretty good this weekend, No. 10 Utah plays No. 19 Oregon State on Friday night, and Saturday features games between No. 11 Notre Dame & No. 17 Duke, No. 8 USC & Colorado, No. 13 LSU & No. 20 Ole Miss, and No. 24 Kansas & No. 3 Texas.
This off-week also gives UCLA a chance to reflect on the first third of the season. Through four games, and a 3-1 start for the Bruins, what have we learned? What have we seen? What are the pros and cons of the 2023 Bruins, at least up to this point?
Let’s dive in.