How UCLA Can Finish 2026 Season With Momentum

The Bruins are already looking way better during this offseason than they did for most of last year under their old head coach and interim coach, which means that they are looking to enter the season with momentum and win some games.

They are looking to dominate in the season opener and keep momentum going into their next couple of games; they hope to find a few wins at the mid-point of the season, just like they did last year, and they desperately want to avoid the plentiful blowouts that reigned last season.

To do so, they will need to improve on last year's performances in every game and in every way, which most certainly extends to the final game of the season and the importance it might bring to the Bruins.

With the improvements already made, the final game of the year could send UCLA to the College Football Playoff, or decidedly keep them out of it, so here is what the Bruins can improve upon in order to end the season well this year.

After Last Year's Season Closer, the Bruins Should Absolutely: Let Nico Iamaleava Do His Thing

• When the year is coming to a close, and your quarterback has nothing to lose, it is time to let him play and leave nothing on the field, which is generally what the Bruins allowed Nico Iamaleava to do against his rival in USC.

• He had 37 total throws, completing 27 for 200 yards and a touchdown, which, on its own, is a pretty good stat line, especially on a struggling team like UCLA was last year.

• But when the passing game was working at its best, the Bruins decided to take away what was working and made Iamaleava run the ball 11 times, which yielded only 15 yards.

• Now it is generally a good idea not to force out throws, as Iamaleava did struggle most of the time when he had over 30 attempts, but when he was playing well, the last thing that should have been done was to stop him from throwing.

After Last Year's Season Closer, the Bruins Should Absolutely: Intercept

• While turnovers were few and far between, the Bruins were able to find two interceptions against a really good passing offense in the Trojans, and it may be simple to say, but UCLA needs to be searching for picks at all times to stay successful.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/ucla as How UCLA Can Finish 2026 Season With Momentum.

Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 5:00 AM.