Similar to his team’s rocky start to the season, UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster faced a challenging beginning to his postgame press conference on Saturday.
“Do I give an opening statement,” Foster asked a media relations staffers, “or they can just start?”
This isn’t the first instance of Foster having an awkward interaction with the media. His opening remarks at the Big Ten Media Day were tough to watch.
The UCLA head coach showed signs of nervousness during the live press conference, and his flustered comments quickly turned into an internet meme.
“How you guys doing? I’m happy to be here,” Foster said. “Glad to be apart of this great conference. Finally putting two great emblems together — UCLA and the Big Ten. We’re a school that’s won 123 championships, so. This fits — us being right in this conference football wise, which is exciting. I’m sure you guys don’t know too much about UCLA, our football program, but we’re in LA. … It’s us and USC. We, … I’m just basically excited, really. That’s it. ”
The silver lining to Foster’s media blunder was that it led some to question the UCLA head coach, so any positive outcomes from that point on were seen as a nice surprise.
Saturday’s 16-13 win over Hawaii was indeed a pleasant surprise, especially considering the previous events.
The first half of UCLA’s season opener was, to be honest, a disaster. Ethan Garbers threw two interceptions, the special teams appeared disorganized, and the UCLA running backs managed only 1.8 yards per carry, which was drastically lower than last year’s average.
However, defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe’s unit performed impressively, with the Bruins recording two interceptions, five sacks, and 11 tackles for loss.
“This is just what we needed as we head into a challenging stretch,” Foster told Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times. “With several road games ahead in tough conditions—hot and uncomfortable—I’m really proud of how these guys fought through and handled the challenges.”
This season, the Bruins will travel more miles than any other Big Ten team. Their schedule is undeniably tough, featuring five ranked opponents in their inaugural season in the Big Ten powerhouse conference.
The new chapter of UCLA football certainly got off to a rough start, but much like Foster’s awkward remarks at Big Ten Media Day, the Bruins’ win against Hawaii was tough to watch yet ultimately effective.
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