UCLA Bruins at #1 Ohio State Buckeyes Game Thread

Redshirt sophomore Luke Duncan will start tonight's game in place of Nico Iamaleava.

Nov 15, 2025

Redshirt sophomore Luke Duncan will get his first career start tonight against Ohio State. (Photo Credit: Nate Donlevy/uclabruins.com)

As first reported by On3’s Brett McMurphy, Nico Iamaleava will not play tonight due to a concussion suffered during last week’s game against Nebraska. Without him, look for backup Luke Duncan to start tonight against Ohio State. While the Bruins’ chances weren’t good with Nico, they are now much worse without him.

How much worse? Well, some might say they went from slim to none. The flipside to that argument is that if Nico has been in concussion protocol all week, then Duncan has likely taken the bulk of the snaps with the first team all week in practice.

To be sure, the fact that Duncan is seen as a pocket passer rather than a dual threat probably changes the Bruin passing game since they probably will not be able to rely on Duncan taking off with the ball if his receivers are covered. In turn, that increases the necessity that the ground game needs to perform well in order for UCLA’s offense to move the ball well.

Let’s look at the keys to tonight’s game.

Keys to the Game

1. Run the Ball Effectively

Once again, this is the #1 key for this game for a reason, though it’s for a different reason that last week. To be sure, Ohio State has one of the best pass defenses in the country and the Bruins were already going to need to run the ball well tonight to even have a chance, but the absence of Iamalaeava’s ability to take off and run the ball means that UCLA will need the running backs to step up.

2. Stop Jeremiah Smith

It’s not often that a team has two possible Heisman Trophy candidates, but Ohio State does. Of course, Julian Sayin is in the conversation because of the season he’s having, but his top receiver Jeremiah Smith is also a contender for college football’s top honor. If the Bruins want any shot at winning tonight, the UCLA defense needs to find a way to stop Smith.

3. Put Pressure on Julian Sayin

Like Luke Duncan, Julian Sayin is a pocket passer rather than a dual threat quarterback. So, if the Bruins can put pressure on Sayin, it could force mistakes or result in sacks. While that’s easier said than done, it doesn’t change the fact that getting pressure on Sayin could go a long way towards stopping the Buckeye offense.

Listen to the Game With TMB!

Today’s game is on NBC with Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge and Kathryn Tappen calling the game. If you would rather listen Josh Lewin and Matt Stevens call today’s game, you can listen to the game online while chatting in the TMB game thread. Just right click on the link and open it in another tab so you can have it playing while you chat in the comments below. That way, you can listen to Josh Lewin, Matt Stevens and Wayne Cook call today’s game.

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 (3-6, 3-3)

Opponent: #1 Ohio State Buckeyes (9-0, 6-0)
Series Record: Tied, 4-4-1
When: 4:30 pm PT, Saturday, November 15, 2025
Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH
Live TV: NBC with Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge, and Kathryn Tappen
Live Stream: NBC.com and the Peacock app
Radio/Audio:
KABC-AM 790 in Los Angeles with Josh Lewin, Matt Stevens and Wayne Cook
Satellite Radio: Sirius Ch. 85 & XM Ch. 372 (UCLA Call)
Online: UCLABruins.com
Live Stats: UCLA StatBroadcast
Game Notes:
UCLA
Ohio State
Rebroadcast (All times PT):
Sunday, 11/16 at 9:00 am on BTN (B1G Football in 60)
Monday, 11/17 at 6:00 am on BTN (B1G Football in 60)
Tuesday, 11/18 at 1:00 am on BTN (B1G Football in 60)
Thursday, 11/20 at 10:30 am on BTN (B1G Football in 60)

Go Bruins!!!

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