Deion Sanders isn’t the only former NFL player whose current college football program is struggling.
Former NFL running back Deshaun Foster, a second-round pick of the Panthers in 2002, serves as the head coach at UCLA. And the Bruins’ 2025 season has already become a disaster.
After an 0-2 start, UCLA welcomed New Mexico to the Rose Bowl. The pre-kickoff attendance was embarrassingly low. And those who showed up surely wished they hadn’t. (The announced attendance was 31,163; apparently, YouTube and Nielsen did the calculation.)
Despite being 15.5-point favorites, the Bruins (who reportedly paid New Mexico $1.2 million) were blown out by the Lobos, 35-10. It was New Mexico’s first-ever win over a Big Ten school.
Friday night’s game was the easiest, by far, on the UCLA schedule. Barring a dramatic turnaround, an 0-12 season could be coming. Especially with, after a weekend off, the conference schedule commences.
The next nine games consist of Northwestern, Penn State, Michigan State, Maryland, Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio State, Washington, and USC.
There’s a chance Foster won’t even be the coach when the Bruins play again in 14 days.
“Yeah, it’s pretty low right now,” Foster said after the game. “I’ve been around this program for a long time, and it’s just unfortunate what’s going on at this moment. Just not executing.”
Foster made headlines before the season began for implementing a media policy so strict that even Bill Belichick would say, “That’s a little harsh.” That won’t help Foster now, as the same reporters into whose eye Foster poked a finger will now be openly calling for his ouster.
