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The Bruins didn’t get off to a great start in Week 2 against San Diego State, at least on the offensive side of the ball.
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Not a Great Start in Week 2
When Bob Chesney gave his statement about how the night unfolded, he was very blunt about his thoughts surrounding the offensive performance:
“That is not the way we want to play football…,” Chesney said. “…Wasn’t pretty, but it was gritty, and you need one of those, and I thought our guys did a good job of finding a way to win the game, and that’s ultimately what mattered.”
It’s obvious that slow starts and explosive finishes are the theme for this UCLA team so far, but the sustainability of that type of team is a bit worrying. Chesney doesn’t seem too worried, as he said it’s similar to the type of team James Madison was last season under him.
“You could go back and look historically over, especially last year at JMU, I think we were pretty dominant in the second half, and I think a lot of that, you know, has to do with just adjustments that we can make, but then also our guys figuring out the speed at which things are happening.”
This Team Will Get Better With Time
Another component that many people, including myself, worried about throughout the offseason was the team’s ability to play together quickly with so many new faces in the building. Chesney acknowledged that it is a struggle and could be one reason the team is more apt to figure things out after halftime.
“I’m not saying this as any excuse because everybody’s playing the same way, but when you have 60-something new guys on the team, that ability to gel together and play together early in the season, it takes a second,” Chesney said.
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“I think that you settle down when you get to halftime. You understand what the test is that’s at hand, and then you really begin to trust one another and play together as a team. I think we got to start much, much faster, but I love the way we came back out in that second half. I love the resolve that we had, and I like the energy that we came back out with in the second half.”
While the second half was certainly encouraging for Bruins fans, if Chesney and the Bruins are able to figure out a way to play like that for 60 minutes, UCLA truly could be a problem in the Big Ten moving forward.
There’s a lot to learn from this win in Week 2, but also many things to love. I have no doubt this team will get better with time, and if they can stay connected (and healthy), the Bruins can start off the new era under Chesney with a bang.
Today’s best reads
- How High UCLA Can Climb After Week 1 Under Chesney
- Nico Iamaleava Speaks Out On Fourth Quarter UCLA Injury
- Where To Watch UCLA vs. Cal: TV, Radio and Announcers
- What We Could See From UCLA’s Iamaleava Against SDSU
- SDSU Coach Sends Strong Pregame Message About UCLA’s Talent
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/ucla as Bob Chesney Sends Clear Message After UCLA’s Slow Start.
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This story was originally published September 13, 2026 at 3:39 AM.