PASADENA — Linebacker Kain Medrano and defensive lineman Jay Toia had each slung an arm around defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe. They were supporting him as the trio walked toward the team tunnel similarly to how they might help an injured player off the field.
Malloe’s brown eyes were red-rimmed and unblinking as he was led away from the Rose Bowl field and the 21-17 loss to Minnesota that had just taken place there.
“Coach Malloe gives everything for us so we want to give everything for him,” linebacker Carson Schwesinger said in the postgame press conference.
“Every time we step on the field for our brothers, for our coaches, we want to be able to make plays and get a win. I think losing in that fashion makes it hurt a little bit more, especially when you are that tight-knit of a group.”
The Bruins were closing in on their first Big Ten Conference win on Saturday night, but saw the possibility slip away when the Gophers’ no-huddle offense produced a touchdown with 27 seconds left in the game.
Four straight losses have made the Big Ten unwelcoming for UCLA. It’s testing the bonds of the Bruins defense while revealing its passions.
Minnesota was held to 84 yards of total offense in the first half and 234 yards of offense in the game, which was below their average of 318.9 yards. The Gophers only had 41 rushing yards in the game.
“There were some things they were doing in some odd fronts,” Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck said. “Overloading sides, different blitzes. They pinned back their ears and came after us. UCLA played as good as they played in the first half that I’ve seen on film. That was a complete first half.”
Schwesinger has helped hold the defense together. Saturday’s game was his fourth straight with double-digit tackles and he recorded an additional 4.5 tackles for loss and two of UCLA’s three total sacks in the contest.
“He’s just the type of player that you want on your team,” head coach DeShaun Foster said after the game. “Former walk-on, earned a scholarship and he has not changed his mentality. He just plays like he has something to prove. He practices how he plays in games. That’s why he’s able to be successful.”
Kain Medrano and Ale Kaho round out the linebacking corps and had five and four tackles against Minnesota, respectively. Medrano is second on the team with 33 total tackles and at one point had earned an 88.4 grade from Pro Football Focus after the season-opener at Hawaii.
“The backers today flew around,” Minnesota quarterback Max Brosmer said. “It’s always a fun challenge to play against people that just love playing football and you can tell that they love playing football. They’re gritty, they made a lot of plays that as a quarterback, you’re like, ‘Please don’t make that play.’”
Saturday wasn’t flawless for the UCLA defense, though, and it faced adversity in the final two minutes of the game.
Defensive lineman Siale Taupaki had gotten a tackle for loss and his first career sack, but also caused a delay of game penalty that moved Minnesota 5 yards closer to its game-winning touchdown.
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Oluwafemi Oladejo, who has moved from linebacker to edge rusher, left the game with 42 seconds remaining after logging five tackles and half a tackle for loss up to that point.
Roughly 15,000 Minnesota fans were celebrating the Gophers’ win at the Rose Bowl Stadium, but the three Bruins — Malloe, Medrano and Toia — had sent a message just as strong.
“You can tell that they’re a tight-knit group,” Brosmer said.