Aug 30, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) moves the ball against Utah Utes linebacker Lander Barton (8) during the first half at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

From Bye Week Bowling to Bowl Game Dreams: UCLA's Reset

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI | By Connor Moreno | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Despite a catastrophic start to the season, the UCLA Bruins (0-3, 0-0 Big Ten) still have dreams of going bowling this season, and interim head coach Tim Skipper made that dream come true... sort of.

Winless through three games, the Bruins' chance at making a bowl game is becoming increasingly unlikely. After all, making a bowl game was UCLA's baseline goal going into the season, having finished last year with just five wins.

But Skipper, who is stepping in for the recently relieved DeShaun Foster, made an effort to get back to that goal by actually going bowling.

The Bruins had a bye in Week 4, allowing Skipper to take his team back to "training camp," as he quipped. An integral part of every training camp?

"A little team activity, team bonding," Skipper said during Monday's media availability. "We went bowling. To get in a fun atmosphere and still be competing. That was the whole thought behind it. And I also wanted to get out of the building to be honest, even for me and the coach's sake.

"We've been locked in just working and grinding and all that stuff, so we needed to get away and just kind of take a deep breath and compete in a different way. So I enjoyed watching the guys have a little fun, having them try to get the highest score. And then we ate dinner there also. So, it was all good."

Skipper is familiar with bowling. He took Fresno State to two bowl games. First as acting head coach in 2023 and second as interim last season.

But this situation is different. Skipper has been searching for ways to turn the ship around following Foster's firing. So far, the word out of his pseudo-training camp is good, and even players are taking the effort to lift morale.

How Locker Room Music is Keeping UCLA's Morale Up

The Bruins are trying to find ways to reset and keep morale high.

Offensive tackle and team captain Garrett DiGiorgio revealed during last week's media availability that the reintroduction of music in the locker room has gone a long way in keeping spirits up.

"The fact about having fun is that we got to be able to come out here and not treat practice as practice, but more are something that we get to do," DiGiorgio said. "I think it starts with the little things. We're starting to have more fun in the locker room as a team. Like, we're bringing back music down there.

"Trying to just lively everything up from meetings, practice, locker room, all the way up to the top. So, I think that it just really starts from the bottom up and we got to keep building."

This article first appeared on UCLA Bruins on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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