LOS ANGELES — Nevada comes into Pasadena looking to derail UCLA’s undefeated start on Saturday.
Every detail in practice has to be mastered for coach Bob Chesney and the precedent he is setting, from stretches to snap counts.
Chesney felt that wasn’t met during Tuesday’s practice as his Bruins stand at 7-0 for the first time since 2005. Offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy harped on how the players broke the team huddle, with junior quarterback Madden Iamaleava taking live offensive reps.
“I don’t think there was a big problem in there,” Chesney said. “We just have a standard we are trying to achieve every single day with the way we break the huddle, and I think that’s what you saw today.”
When UCLA emerges from the huddle in Saturday’s nonconference game, what’s lurking within the Wolfpack defense is edge rusher Dylan LaBarbera.
The 6-foot-1, 248-pound senior was named to the 2025 All-Mountain West team with 87 tackles, including 17 for loss and 6.5 sacks. And he’s been raising commotion again as an undersized defensive end from Palo Cedro in Shasta County.
LaBarbera has collected 55 tackles, including four sacks, while being named to the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list along with UCLA senior Sammy Omosigho.
Chesney has watched the film on Nevada and knows his team has a challenge on its hands at the line of scrimmage.
“I’m going to say what everyone else said about him: His motor is phenomenal,” Chesney said of LaBarbera. “There’s no quit in him at all. He’s physical, he’s fast enough in the passing game. His ability to pursue the play. You can tell his heart by the way he plays the game. He’s on go all the time and never slows down. Never takes a rep off, never takes a half off, and this kid just goes. On top of being a hard worker, on top of being a great football player, he’s relentless.”
Chesney kicks it with Gerrand
In Saturday’s victory over Michigan State, Curtis Gerrand pinned two of his four punts inside the 20-yard line, including a 49-yard, high-arching spiral that bounced and was stopped by Newbury Park native Shane Rosenthal at the Spartans’ 2-yard line with 1:09 left in the third quarter.
Chesney was seen punting with the Melbourne native two hours before game time at the Rose Bowl. Gerrand won four grand finals for club teams in Australian Rules Football before arriving stateside, as a freshman at Sam Houston State in 2025 before transferring to Westwood.
“Curtis is understanding the game within the game as understanding where these balls need to be,” Chesney said. “Punt rush team continues to put on pressure, and we have a couple of returns I thought we did a good job of. We have made game-changing plays, we have won field position battles, and that’s what led to a lot of our success.”