Key Catalyst Behind UCLA’s Defense Against Northwestern

Does Porter's injury make a difference, though?

"No," Bruins interim head coach Tim Skipper said Wednesday. "They're still doing the same stuff. They have a stable of backs. I mean, you wouldn't know unless you read up that the starter got hurt. I mean, other guys are stepping in, and they're very good players. We're gonna have to tackle them. We're gonna have our hands full, and we're gonna have to fly around and get 11 hats to the party."

UCLA has had one of the worst defenses in all of college football. Just a few days after DeShaun Foster was fired, defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe and the program mutually agreed to part ways. Skipper, in an effort to shore up a shoddy defense, made a crucial addition to the staff.

UCLA Defense Gets Boost From Kevin Coyle Addition

Of all the tribulations the UCLA Bruins (0-3, 0-0 Big Ten) have endured just four weeks into the 2025 season, their defense has by far been the weakest link.

It's not for a lack of talent, either. Bruins defenders have simply been undisciplined and not technical when it comes to things as simple as tackling or pursuit angles. Averaging 36.0 opponent points per game, a change was necessary.

Foster's special assistant and former Fresno State interim head coach, Tim Skipper, was handed the reins and he is now adding Kevin Coyle to his defensive staff.

Coyle served on Skipper's staff last season in Fresno State and will aid the UCLA interim in trying to turn around what is started to look like a lost season in Westwood. Coyle is currently serving as Syracuse's senior defensive analyst, where he was previously a defensive coordinator in the late 1990s.