LOS ANGELES -- For the first time since 1949, UCLA has started a season 4-0 under a newly hired head coach, dating back to the days of Henry "Red" Sanders.
To say UCLA would start 4-0 when the Bruins first hired Bob Chesney would have been an understatement. There was plenty of excitement surrounding the new coaching hire, and rightfully so. Chesney brought a new culture to the program, retained key players, and helped bring life back to a program that had endured several troubling years.
But in 2026, things look much different.
Following UCLA’s 54-3 win over Maryland on Saturday, the Bruins are ranked for the first time since 2023, coming in at No. 23 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
That is a tremendous mark for a Bruins team that went 3-9 after a disastrous 2025 season, which ultimately led to the departure of former head coach DeShaun Foster.
But beyond the ranking, UCLA remains in the hunt. The Bruins have yet to lose a game, and their four victories have come against four Power 5 programs: Cal, San Diego State, which recently moved to the Pac-12, Purdue, and Maryland.
Chesney’s journey to coaching in the Big Ten has been a long one. Following the Maryland game, he reflected on the path that took him from the lower levels of college football to UCLA.
“Well, I think that it's a journey that you're on, obviously, and for me, I never really had major goals or aspirations of anything other than growing where I was planted and being the best I could be, wherever that might be.”
Chesney added that he was proud of continuing to fight through his coaching career, from Division III to Division II and eventually to the Big Ten.
Compared to many schools, UCLA had a pretty decent schedule to open the season. Nothing necessarily pointed to an easy path to 4-0, but the Bruins now have an opportunity to see where they truly stand.
UCLA will travel to Autzen Stadium on Oct. 10 to face Oregon. It will be the Bruins’ first real test against a very tough opponent, and with a bye week ahead, the matchup will provide UCLA with an extended opportunity to prepare.
If UCLA can carry anything over from its dominant win against Maryland, it should make for an interesting showing.
What stood out most for the Bruins, and perhaps their biggest strength going forward, was the defense.
Yes, Wayne Knight has carried the offense in the run game, and that could put even more pressure on Nico Iamaleava to perform at a higher level offensively, especially against a talented Oregon squad.
But the defense truly took a step forward against Maryland.
The Bruins forced five turnovers, including four interceptions, scored two defensive touchdowns and held the Terrapins to just three points while limiting them to 1-of-15 on third-down conversions.
A defensive performance like that has been a long time coming for UCLA.
Before the Maryland game, the Bruins’ defense had looked fairly mediocre. UCLA was allowing 24.0 points per game, ranking 81st in the FBS and third-highest in the Big Ten at the time.
The Bruins were also allowing 253.7 passing yards per game, ranking 122nd in the FBS. The secondary had been exposed through the air in consecutive weeks against Cal and Purdue.
The rushing defense had been a strong point, allowing 108.7 yards per game and ranking 46th in the FBS. UCLA was allowing 362.3 total yards per game, ranking 91st nationally, while opponents were converting 38.1 percent of their third downs, which ranked 74th in the FBS.
All of this is to say that if the Bruins can continue to play defense the way they did against Maryland, the matchup with Oregon could become a fascinating test.
UCLA has already started to turn heads. But Oct. 10 will provide a much clearer picture of where this team actually stands.
As Chesney said, the journey is not about putting limitations on himself or allowing others to put limitations on him. For UCLA, the same could be said about this season. The Bruins have already exceeded many expectations through the first four games. Now, they have an opportunity to show just how far this team can go.