Mateen Bhaghani made a 24-yard field goal in the final seconds to give UCLA a 20-17 victory over Maryland during Homecoming at the Rose Bowl. The win marks UCLA’s third straight, bringing their record to 3-4 overall and 3-1 in Big Ten play.
UCLA began its last drive with 40 seconds left on its own 27-yard line. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava completed two passes to Titus Mokiao-Atimalala for a total of 33 yards. Anthony Frias II then ran for 35 yards, putting the Bruins at Maryland’s five-yard line and setting up Bhaghani’s decisive kick.
“In tough games, you are going to need everybody,” said interim head coach Tim Skipper. “We preach all the time, you never know when your moment is going to happen. You just keep working hard, you keep executing, keep sawing wood, and when your opportunity comes, you take full opportunity of that. It was a whole team effort, and you can name a lot of people that contributed to this thing.”
This was Bhaghani’s second game-winning field goal as a Bruin; his first came against Hawai’i in Week 1 of the 2024 season.
Iamaleava finished with 211 passing yards on 21 completions from 35 attempts and threw one touchdown. Frias II led UCLA in rushing with 97 yards and one touchdown on four carries. Jalen Berger added another 65 rushing yards over 19 touches.
For Maryland, quarterback Malik Washington threw for 210 yards (23 completions out of 48 attempts), scoring one touchdown and throwing one interception. He also led his team in rushing with six carries for 67 yards.
Mokiao-Atimalala was UCLA’s top receiver with six catches totaling 102 yards. Kwazi Gilmer contributed four receptions for 56 yards.
UCLA started strong defensively by pinning Maryland inside their own ten-yard line twice early in the game through punter Will Karoll’s efforts. Maryland opened scoring with a Sean O’Haire field goal after an extended drive but were soon overtaken when Frias II broke free for a season-long Bruin run of 55 yards resulting in a touchdown—his first since joining UCLA.
The Bruins’ defense forced a fumble recovered by JonJon Vaughns but could not capitalize as Iamaleava’s pass was intercepted near Maryland’s end zone before halftime; UCLA still led at the break, seven to three.
After halftime both teams exchanged punts before Maryland reached UCLA’s two-yard line but failed to score due to Andre Jordan Jr.’s defensive play on fourth down. On UCLA’s next possession Iamaleava threw an interception returned by Jamare Glasker for a Maryland touchdown.
Iamaleava later led an eight-play drive capped by a touchdown pass to Mikey Matthews that put UCLA back ahead late in the fourth quarter. Shortly after Scooter Jackson intercepted Washington deep in Maryland territory leading to another Bhaghani field goal.
Maryland tied the game at seventeen with under a minute remaining before UCLA’s final winning drive.
UCLA will next face No. 3 Indiana away on October 25 and returns home against Nebraska on November 8.
