Northwestern vs. UCLA Week 5 Preview

Coming out of the bye week, Northwestern is back at home against UCLA—a program navigating significant upheaval and off to an even worse start than the Wildcats. USA Today reporter and Bleav in UCLA Football podcast host James H. Williams joins Zach on the show to break down the Bruins, beginning with the recent firing of head coach Deshaun Foster and why the program has struggled to adjust to the start of a new era in the Big Ten (2:35). The two then discuss UCLA’s on-field product in 2025, starting with the underwhelming play of highly touted transfer QB Nico Iamaleava, the lack of support around him and an inconsistent defense (22:54). Zach then helps provide context for Northwestern’s 1–2 start, focusing on the mistake-ridden football of Preston Stone and the lack of early production for a well-regarded defensive line (44:49). Finally, the pair makes their predictions for the final score (1:02:30). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.