A Complete History Of Utah Football’s Matchups With UCLA
Aug 28, 2025, 4:59 PM
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah football will open its 2025 season against a familiar foe in a familiar venue, former Pac-12 rival UCLA at the Rose Bowl.
The match will be the 22nd meeting between the two schools, and the sixth time they will meet in the storied stadium in Pasadena.
Great look for game one in the Rose Bowl. https://t.co/DqLKsPgqda
— Steve Bartle (@BartleKSLsports) August 27, 2025
The Last Meeting
Just before the Pac-12 imploded and sent its teams to conferences all over the country, Utah and UCLA met in Rice-Eccles on September 23, 2023.
Let’s set the scene. No. 11 Utes and No. 22 Bruins. First conference game of the season. 79th straight sellout at RES.
The game started with a Karene Reid pick-six to make it 7-0, just 12 seconds into the game.
FIRST DOWN OF @pac12 PLAY IS A PICK-SIX!! 🙌
📺https://t.co/ASj5Ph2un1#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/O3NCHMJcnI
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) September 23, 2023
Defense started the game, and defense won the game for Utah. The Bruins were held scoreless through the first three quarters.
A second-quarter connection between Nate Johnson and Landen King had the Utes up 14-0 at the break.
After a scoreless third quarter and 11 minutes of back-and-forth in the fourth, UCLA finally got on the board with about 3:30 left in regulation.
The Bruins got one final drive with a chance to tie. But, UCLA learned why it’s called ‘Sack Lake City’ the hard way. Three sacks in four plays killed the drive and allowed Utah to come out on top, 14-7.
Light The U‼️#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/H5hst9YCve
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) September 23, 2023
Utah Vs. UCLA: Full Timeline Of Matchups
20th Century Struggles
From 1933 to 1974, Utah and UCLA faced off a total of seven times. Four games were played in Los Angeles and three were played in Salt Lake City.
The venue ultimately didn’t matter, though, as the Bruins came out on top in all seven games.
There were some close matchups, like 13-7 in 1956 and 14-11 in 1962. But there were also some smackdowns. In 1973, UCLA stomped the Utes, 66-16.
All in all, the UCLA Bruins started their all-time series against Utah with seven straight wins and an average margin of victory of just over 16 points.
The Pre-Pac-12 2000s
The Utes and Bruins played two more games after the turn of the century, but also before they became conference mates.
In 2006, UCLA extended its all-time record against Utah to 8-0 with a 31-10 win at home.
One year later, the Utes finally bested the Bruins and did so in memorable fashion. They blitzed the No. 11 UCLA Bruins in SLC, winning 44-6. Filling in for Brian Johnson, Tommy Grady threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns in this one.
Conference Rivals
In 2011, Utah joined the Pac-12, which set up yearly matchups against UCLA. From 2011 to 2023, played 12 times. The only year they didn’t face off was in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the first five seasons, the Utes went 2-3. They won their first match as conference foes in 2011, beating UCLA 31-6 in Utah. The Bruins were helpless against Utah’s John White IV, who carried the rock 33 times, but it was his one reception that broke the game open.
“We were right in it at the half and still right there when we had them facing third-and-13. (Sean) Westgate had their running back covered, but the ball was perfect and he made a great catch,” said UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel. White rushed for 167 yards, his game-changing catch was one of his three touchdowns.
Their next win came in 2014 in LA, when the Utes shocked the No. 8 Bruins on their home turf, 30-28. UCLA’s Brett Hundley was sacked 10 times in this game, and also threw a pick-six to Utah’s Tevin Carter. Utah’s Devontae Booker rushed for 167 yards, while Kendal Thompson did enough at quarterback to keep the offense afloat.
From 2016 to 2023, Utah went 6-1 against the Bruins. This includes an impressive five-year stretch where they dropped 40 or more points every year against UCLA, including a 49-3 drubbing in Salt Lake City in 2019.
“We certainly won the rushing battle and controlled both sides of the line of scrimmage,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said after the game.
On offense, the Utes totaled 536 yards and rushed for 201 yards. Led by Tyler Huntley and Zack Moss, the offense accounted for six touchdowns, with most of them coming on explosive plays.
Defensively, the Utes were special. The Bruins finished with 50 rushing yards after losing 81 total yards on sacks and tackles for loss. They were credited with five sacks and five turnovers as well.
All-Time Stats
All in all, Utah holds a 9-12 record against UCLA. However, they are 7-3 in their last 10.
They’ve won six of 11 at home and just three of 10 on the road.
After the Utes came out on top in eight of 12 matchups as conference rivals, Utah and UCLA will face off in non-conference play for the first time in 18 years this Saturday.
