Saturday, September 27
Evanston, IL
12:30 PM (PT)
UCLA
at
Northwestern
LB Isaiah Chisom
Photo by: Jan Kim Lim
Football Set for Road Contest at Northwestern Saturday
September 23, 2025 | Football
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium (Evanston, Ill.)
Kickoff Time: 12:30 p.m. (PT)
Television: Big Ten Network
TV Talent: Jeff Levering (play-by-play), Jake Butt (analyst), Brooke Fletcher (sideline)
Local Radio (UCLA Bruins Audio Network): AM 790 (LINK)
Local Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Matt Stevens (analyst), Wayne Cook (sideline), Nick Koop (pre/post-game host)
SiriusXM: Ch. 372
Game Notes: PDF
Live Stats: LINK
ย
THE MATCHUP
Fresh off a bye week, the UCLA football team travels to Evanston, Ill. to face Northwestern for its first Big Ten Conference contest of the season on Saturday, Sept. 27. Kickoff between the Bruins (0-3, 0-0 Big Ten) and Wildcats (1-2, 0-1 Big Ten) is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. (PT) at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network. Fans in the greater Los Angeles region can listen live on AM 790, the new home of the UCLA Bruins Audio Network.
ย
COACHING CHANGE
Tim Skipper will serve as UCLA's interim head coach for the remainder of the 2025 season after DeShaun Foster was relieved of his head coaching duties on Sept. 14, 2025. Skipper previously served as the special assistant to the head coach under Foster earlier this season.
ย
Last season, Skipper became Fresno State's interim head coach in July of 2024 and guided the Bulldogs to a 6-7 record and a bowl appearance. Skipper was also the acting head coach for Fresno State at the 2023 New Mexico Bowl, which the Bulldogs won over New Mexico State, 37-10. His career head coaching record is 7-7. Skipper's previous coaching experience includes stints as defensive coordinator, most recently at UNLV from 2018-19, and assistant head coach responsibilities at Colorado State, Central Michigan and Fresno State. He also coached running backs at Florida from 2015-16 and linebackers from 2017-18.
ย
LAST TIME OUT
UCLA fell to New Mexico, 35-10, in its final non-conference game of the regular season at the Rose Bowl on Friday, Sept. 12. Bruins' quarterback Nico Iamaleava completed 22-of-34 passes for 217 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Redshirt junior running back Anthony Woods finished as UCLA's leading rusher for the first time this season, totaling 64 yards on 10 carries (6.4 yards per carry).
ย
KEY NOTES ON UCLA
โข Quarterback Nico Iamaleava has averaged 202.7 passing yards per game on 62-of-97 passing (63.9%), including three touchdowns, over the first three starts of his UCLA career. He has led the Bruins in rushing yards in two of its first three contests of the season (139 total rushing yards).
โข Linebackers Isaiah Chisom (12.3) and JonJon Vaughns (11.7) rank first and fourth in the FBS in total tackles per game, respectively. The pair also ranks 1-2 in the Big Ten in total tackles per game. Vaughns has opened his final campaign in Westwood with the first three double-digit tackle performances of his career.
โข Wide receiver Titus Mokiao-Atimalala is the most recent Bruin to find the endzone, connecting with N. Iamaleava on a 12-yard pass in the second quarter versus New Mexico (Sept. 12). The touchdown marked the fourth in his five-year career and his first since Week 9 of the 2024 season versus Iowa on Nov. 8.
โข True freshman Noah Fox-Flores recorded the first catch and touchdown of his career on a four-yard pass from Nico Iamaleava at the 7:48 mark in the third quarter at UNLV (Sept. 6). Fox-Flores is the first UCLA true freshman tight end to record a touchdown since Thomas Duarte in 2013.
โข Chisom's 17 tackles in his UCLA debut versus Utah (Aug. 30) are tied with Carson Schwesinger (at Washington, 2024) and Jayon Brown (vs. Colorado, 2016) for the most by a Bruin over the last 10 seasons. Vaughns' 15-tackle performance against the Utes more than doubled his previous career high of seven set against Colorado in 2022.
โข Running back Anthony Woods scored UCLA's first touchdown of the season on a 19-yard reception versus Utah in the second quarter during his Bruins debut. The score marked the second receiving touchdown of Woods' career and first since 2023 as a sophomore at Idaho. Woods finished the game with a team-high and career-high 48 receiving yards.
โข Twenty-eight players have made their UCLA debuts this season, including 25 during the Bruins' season opener versus Utah in Week 1.ย
โข UCLA's 2025 roster lists 59 new names (37 transfers, 22 true freshmen) for its most since at least the 2012 season. Of the Bruins' 22 starters on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball against Utah, nine of them were incoming transfers.
โข The Bruins' offseason was highlighted by the transfer portal addition of redshirt sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava who spent the previous two seasons at Tennessee. The Long Beach, Calif. native returns home after leading the Volunteers to an 11-3 record as the starting quarterback and a College Football Playoff (CFP) appearance in 2024. Iamaleava finished last season completing 213-of-334 passes (63.8%) for 2,616 yards (201.2 yards per game) and 19 touchdowns with five interceptions. Iamaleava ranked second in the Southeastern Conference with six 50-plus-yard completions last season.
โข UCLA returns four players on offense and two players on defense who started a minimum of seven games last year: OL Garrett DiGiorgio (11 starts), OL Sam Yoon (8), WR Kwazi Gilmer (7), WR Titus Mokiao-Atimalala (7), DL Devin Aupiu (8) and DL Siale Taupaki (7).
TICKETS TO UCLA HOME GAMES AT THE ROSE BOWL
Various ticket packages, including season, mini-plan and single-game tickets, for the Bruins' inaugural Big Ten season are now available. Fans can clickย HEREย or contact UCLA Athletics Sales and Service at (310) 206-5991 or via emailย at tickets@athletics.ucla.edu for more information on personalized ticket options.
Sign up for UCLA Athletics emailsย HEREย to stay up-to-date on inside information, ticket deals and more.
ย
Venue: Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium (Evanston, Ill.)
Kickoff Time: 12:30 p.m. (PT)
Television: Big Ten Network
TV Talent: Jeff Levering (play-by-play), Jake Butt (analyst), Brooke Fletcher (sideline)
Local Radio (UCLA Bruins Audio Network): AM 790 (LINK)
Local Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Matt Stevens (analyst), Wayne Cook (sideline), Nick Koop (pre/post-game host)
SiriusXM: Ch. 372
Game Notes: PDF
Live Stats: LINK
ย
THE MATCHUP
Fresh off a bye week, the UCLA football team travels to Evanston, Ill. to face Northwestern for its first Big Ten Conference contest of the season on Saturday, Sept. 27. Kickoff between the Bruins (0-3, 0-0 Big Ten) and Wildcats (1-2, 0-1 Big Ten) is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. (PT) at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network. Fans in the greater Los Angeles region can listen live on AM 790, the new home of the UCLA Bruins Audio Network.
ย
COACHING CHANGE
Tim Skipper will serve as UCLA's interim head coach for the remainder of the 2025 season after DeShaun Foster was relieved of his head coaching duties on Sept. 14, 2025. Skipper previously served as the special assistant to the head coach under Foster earlier this season.
ย
Last season, Skipper became Fresno State's interim head coach in July of 2024 and guided the Bulldogs to a 6-7 record and a bowl appearance. Skipper was also the acting head coach for Fresno State at the 2023 New Mexico Bowl, which the Bulldogs won over New Mexico State, 37-10. His career head coaching record is 7-7. Skipper's previous coaching experience includes stints as defensive coordinator, most recently at UNLV from 2018-19, and assistant head coach responsibilities at Colorado State, Central Michigan and Fresno State. He also coached running backs at Florida from 2015-16 and linebackers from 2017-18.
ย
LAST TIME OUT
UCLA fell to New Mexico, 35-10, in its final non-conference game of the regular season at the Rose Bowl on Friday, Sept. 12. Bruins' quarterback Nico Iamaleava completed 22-of-34 passes for 217 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Redshirt junior running back Anthony Woods finished as UCLA's leading rusher for the first time this season, totaling 64 yards on 10 carries (6.4 yards per carry).
ย
KEY NOTES ON UCLA
โข Quarterback Nico Iamaleava has averaged 202.7 passing yards per game on 62-of-97 passing (63.9%), including three touchdowns, over the first three starts of his UCLA career. He has led the Bruins in rushing yards in two of its first three contests of the season (139 total rushing yards).
โข Linebackers Isaiah Chisom (12.3) and JonJon Vaughns (11.7) rank first and fourth in the FBS in total tackles per game, respectively. The pair also ranks 1-2 in the Big Ten in total tackles per game. Vaughns has opened his final campaign in Westwood with the first three double-digit tackle performances of his career.
โข Wide receiver Titus Mokiao-Atimalala is the most recent Bruin to find the endzone, connecting with N. Iamaleava on a 12-yard pass in the second quarter versus New Mexico (Sept. 12). The touchdown marked the fourth in his five-year career and his first since Week 9 of the 2024 season versus Iowa on Nov. 8.
โข True freshman Noah Fox-Flores recorded the first catch and touchdown of his career on a four-yard pass from Nico Iamaleava at the 7:48 mark in the third quarter at UNLV (Sept. 6). Fox-Flores is the first UCLA true freshman tight end to record a touchdown since Thomas Duarte in 2013.
โข Chisom's 17 tackles in his UCLA debut versus Utah (Aug. 30) are tied with Carson Schwesinger (at Washington, 2024) and Jayon Brown (vs. Colorado, 2016) for the most by a Bruin over the last 10 seasons. Vaughns' 15-tackle performance against the Utes more than doubled his previous career high of seven set against Colorado in 2022.
โข Running back Anthony Woods scored UCLA's first touchdown of the season on a 19-yard reception versus Utah in the second quarter during his Bruins debut. The score marked the second receiving touchdown of Woods' career and first since 2023 as a sophomore at Idaho. Woods finished the game with a team-high and career-high 48 receiving yards.
โข Twenty-eight players have made their UCLA debuts this season, including 25 during the Bruins' season opener versus Utah in Week 1.ย
โข UCLA's 2025 roster lists 59 new names (37 transfers, 22 true freshmen) for its most since at least the 2012 season. Of the Bruins' 22 starters on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball against Utah, nine of them were incoming transfers.
โข The Bruins' offseason was highlighted by the transfer portal addition of redshirt sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava who spent the previous two seasons at Tennessee. The Long Beach, Calif. native returns home after leading the Volunteers to an 11-3 record as the starting quarterback and a College Football Playoff (CFP) appearance in 2024. Iamaleava finished last season completing 213-of-334 passes (63.8%) for 2,616 yards (201.2 yards per game) and 19 touchdowns with five interceptions. Iamaleava ranked second in the Southeastern Conference with six 50-plus-yard completions last season.
โข UCLA returns four players on offense and two players on defense who started a minimum of seven games last year: OL Garrett DiGiorgio (11 starts), OL Sam Yoon (8), WR Kwazi Gilmer (7), WR Titus Mokiao-Atimalala (7), DL Devin Aupiu (8) and DL Siale Taupaki (7).
TICKETS TO UCLA HOME GAMES AT THE ROSE BOWL
Various ticket packages, including season, mini-plan and single-game tickets, for the Bruins' inaugural Big Ten season are now available. Fans can clickย HEREย or contact UCLA Athletics Sales and Service at (310) 206-5991 or via emailย at tickets@athletics.ucla.edu for more information on personalized ticket options.
Sign up for UCLA Athletics emailsย HEREย to stay up-to-date on inside information, ticket deals and more.
ย
Players Mentioned
DL
/ Football
LB
/ Football
OL
/ Football
TE
/ Football
WR
/ Football
QB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
LB
/ Football
DL
/ Football
LB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
Bruin Insider Show - Tim Skipper (Sept. 25, 2025)
Thursday, September 25
UCLA Football Media Availability - Nico Iamaleava (Sept. 24, 2025)
Wednesday, September 24
UCLA Football Media Availability - Coach Skipper (Sept. 24, 2025)
Wednesday, September 24
UCLA Football Media Availability - Players (Sept. 23, 2025)
Tuesday, September 23