UCLA Football: DeShaun Foster Explains Strange Platoon During Season Opener Was Planned

Valentina Martinez | Sep 6, 2024

Aug 31, 2024; Honolulu, Hawaii, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster is seen before the start of an NCAA college football game against Hawaii at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. Mandatory Credit: Marco Garcia-Imagn Images / Marco Garcia-Imagn Images

A new era of UCLA football commenced on Aug. 31 and DeShaun Foster made some interesting decisions in his first game as the Bruins head coach.

Foster said the use of multiple punters and kickers was part of his game plan for the season opener. Mateen Bhaghani made all three of his field-goal attempts. The highlight of his performance was a 32-yard game-winning field goal with under a minute left in the game. Bhaghani replaced kicker Blake Glessner who had missed a field goal in the second quarter.

Chase Berry averaged 39.5 yards on two punts and Brody Richter averaged 22.5 yards on another two.

The substitution was part of a planned platoon that Foster orchestrated.

In his first game as UCLA's head coach, Foster has already made a few unique decisions to commence his tenure.

Along with the strange platoon, Foster was the one who made the decision whether to go for it on fourth down instead of Eric Bieniemy.

Bieniemy certainly has the resume to make those types of calls, given he is a two-time Super Bowl champion offensive coordinator.

Foster's fourth-down decisions included a drive in the second quarter where UCLA was fourth and four at Hawaii's 34-yard line. Although players were lining up as if the Blue and Gold were going to go for it, a timeout was called and Foster chose to kick a field goal. The box score stated that UCLA called the timeout, but Foster told the media in his postgame press conference that he chose to kick a field goal after the Rainbow Warriors called a timeout.

“With the momentum going, I probably was gonna go for it,” Foster toldBen Bolch of The Los Angeles Times. “Then, they end up calling a timeout so we kicked the field goal.”

As a result, Gessner missed a 52-yard field goal and Hawaii held on to their 7-0 lead.

“Every decision that we did was me,” Foster said. " … I’m telling everybody what to do. There’s no decisions being made by any other coaches, so anything that’s happening is coming directly from me.”

UCLA will use the bye week to get things in order ahead of their game against Indiana on Sept. 14.

“I want the whole team to get better, so it’s not a one-sided thing like one side of the ball needs to get better and the other side can stay where they’re at; everybody needs to improve," Foster said.

More UCLA: DeShaun Foster May Have Hinted At How He Will Make Crucial Calls Throughout Season