Tonight, UCLA will visit the UC Berkeley Golden Bears. It’s the first visit to Berkeley by the Bruins since 2022. There is plenty to be excited about when it comes to UCLA football. After decades of mediocrity, the Bruins may finally be on the right track when it comes to football.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock since last December, you know that’s because UCLA hired former James Madison head coach Bob Chesney to be the Bruins’ head coach. Chesney fits the mold that this Bruin fan has desired for years. His head coaching experience has led him on a journey which has taken him from Division III to Division II to the FCS to the FBS, and now, to the Power Four. Talk about paying your dues! Chesney certainly has. In fact, his first job as an assistant coach paid him a measley $5,000 a year. He proved himself at every level he’s coached, and he has won at every level. Now, he is tasked with doing the same thing in Westwood.
It might not happen overnight. Bruin fans may need some patience. While the team has more new guys between transfers and incoming freshmen than returning players, expectations for this season should be modest. What does success look like for Year 1 of the Chesney era? My expectations are simple: Bowl eligibility.
That’s right. A 6-6 record this year is progress. After all, UCLA has been to a bowl game just three times in the past decade. After finishing 3-9 last year for the second time since Chip Kelly took over in 2018, bowl eligibility is not asking too much.
Might these Bruins finish even better than 6-6? Sure, but if we do, it’s gravy. Coach Chesney’s record of turning programs around speaks for itself. We may need to have some patience this year. As good of a coach as he has been, we shouldn’t expect him to lead the Bruins to the CFP this year. If he does, it will be amazing, but we shouldn’t expect to get there quite yet.
All of that said, tonight’s game is one of the games these Bruins can—and should—win. What can they do to put themselves in a place to win? Let’s look at the Keys to the Game.
Keys to the Game
1. Run the Ball Well
UCLA struggled to run the ball well last year. When your quarterback is the team’s leading rusher, you know the team had a hard time running the ball. Chesney brought former JMU running back Wayne Knight to Westwood with him. He ran for 211 yards in the SBC title game last year. Comparatively, UCLA’s best running back last year netted 364 for the entire season. Running the ball well will lay the groundwork (pun intended) for a win tonight and for a successful season.
2. Control the Line of Scrimmage
This goes for both sides of the ball.
The Bruins averaged just 18.17 points per game last year. If they can control the line of scrimmage when on offense, they should score more than 20 points tonight and they will need to do that in order to win this game.
Controlling the line of scrimmage on defense will force more three-and-outs and keep the Golden Bears out of the end zone.
3. Use Special Teams as a Game Changer
When Chip Kelly was head coach, he refused to hire a dedicated special teams coordinator. Chip rather famously said, “They’d have to take a vacation, get a lawn chair out there for them, have them sit down and not do anything.”
By contrast, Chesney as a former special teams coach has emphasized special teams throughout practice, not just a short special teams period. Unsurprisingly, he has a special teams coordinator in Drew Canan.
Watch for the Bruins to do something on special teams that could change the outcome of tonight’s game.
Watch and Listen to the Game With TMB!
Tonight’s game is on ESPN and will stream on WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app with Tom Hart, Roddy Jones, and Quint Kessenich calling the game. If you would rather listen Josh Lewin, Matt Stevens and Wayne Cook call today’s game, you can listen to the game online while chatting in the TMB game thread. Just right click on either of those links and open them in another tab so you can have it playing while you chat in the comments below.
This is your UCLA Bruins at UC Berkeley Golden Bears game thread. Join your fellow Bruins discussing tonight’s game in the comments section below, but before you get there, here’s how to watch tonight’s game:
UCLA Football (0-0)
Opponent: UC Berkeley Golden Bears (0-0)
Series Record: UCLA leads, 58-35-1
When: 7:30 pm PT, Saturday, September 5, 2026
Where: California Memorial Coliseum, Berkeley, CA
Live TV: ESPN with Tom Hart, Roddy Jones, and Quint Kessenich
Live Stream: WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app
Radio/Audio:
KABC-AM 790 in Los Angeles with Josh Lewin, Matt Stevens and Wayne Cook
Satellite Radio: Sirius Ch. 108 & XM Ch. 232 (UCLA Call)Online: UCLABruins.com
Live Stats: UCLA StatBroadcast
Game Notes:
UCLA
UC BerkeleyRebroadcast (All times PT):
Monday, 9/7 at 12:00 am on ESPNU
Monday, 9/7 at 1:00 am on ESPN
Wednesday, 9/9 at 5:00 am on ACC
Thursday, 9/10 at 10:00 am on ACC
Friday, 9/11 at 8:00 am on ACC
Go Bruins!!! Beat Berkeley!!!
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Defense has definitely settled down. Berkeley has an advantage on the outside but UCLA has an actual pass rush that is negating that.
Vibes are immaculate.