Bruins Coach Ecstatic Following Bruins Upset Victory on Homecoming

The UCLA Bruins battle back to upset the Iowa Hawkeyes on Homecoming night, their first win at home this season. With the game ball in hand, first-year Bruins coach DeShaun Foster spoke after the game regarding his team's resilient performance.

Nov 8, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster on the sidelines during the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins (4-5) are now on a three-game win streak and just two victories away from being bowl-eligible after their 20-17 comeback upset over the Iowa Hawkeyes (6-4). First-year head coach DeShaun has turned this program around midseason.

After falling down 10-0 to start the ballgame, the Bruins ripped off 17 unanswered points and in a tie game late, kicked the go-ahead field goal with just under five minutes left in the game. They would hang on for the three-point victory on Homecoming night.

The Bruins' No. 1 priority to beat the Hawkeyes was limiting junior running back Kaleb Johnson, the best rusher in the conference and second in the entire nation in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. The defense held Johnson to a mere 49 yards on 18 carries.

"[We] played a good game, came out, executed, wanted to really stop the run, and we did that," Foster said after the game. "Offensively, we were able to run the ball, had a few turnovers, but we can work on those. But it was a really good team that we were playing against, so it was just good that we were able to protect our home field and get a victory. I just like how resilient my guys are. We always show how resilient we are each week. You see the way they come out, they practice really hard, and we just came out and truly executed the way that we wanted to."

Before Friday night, the Bruins were 0-4 at home this season. They changed that with their biggest win of the season in front of their home crowd at the Rose Bowl. Foster came into his postgame presser with the game ball tucked under his arm. This game meant a lot to him as a former player.

"I didn't want to make too big of a deal about us being back home, but we kind of treated this game like a road game," Foster said. "I just think my guys, they came out and they earned the right to win. Just in how they practiced this week and I think as long as we continue to do that, this team can really just take off."

There is something to be said about how Foster has been able to turn this team around halfway through the season. After a 1-5 start, competing against four nationally ranked teams, the adversity that they faced in the early going is what led them to be so successful against another good team.

Foster mentioned the turning point in the season and how this team has continued to stay the course and compete on a daily basis to reach its ultimate goal -- winning.

"It's a few things, just the way that they practice, Sundays and Mondays -- after those losses, it was tough," Foster said. "I really think our season turned around after Minnesota. That was just the type of loss that, the players, that bothered them. They were able to channel it in the right way and really come out and start really paying attention to detail and sacrificing just a little bit more. I always knew that we had the talent, and it was baby steps, and this is just where we're at now."

Foster has started his coaching tenure as a Bruin with a 1-0 record in Homecoming games, earning his first win at his old stomping grounds. This team is getting even more dangerous as the season progresses and could be in for some extra football during the holidays if it wins two more.

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