This post was updated Oct. 10 at 11:26 p.m.

Saturday’s equation is simple: much to gain and little to lose.

UCLA football (1-4, 0-3 Big Ten) will take on Minnesota (3-3, 1-2) on Saturday evening at the Rose Bowl – its chance to clinch its first victory since Aug. 31 and its first in its new conference. Riding on a four-game losing streak, the Bruins will face the Gophers with the worst record of the Big Ten.

“It’s been a rough season so far,” said redshirt senior wide receiver Logan Loya. “But we’re looking to flip the switch. We’re looking to get a win and have that be a snowball effect.”

UCLA is 348 days removed from their last win at the Rose Bowl – against Colorado on Oct. 28, 2023 – following a series of losses against both Indiana and Oregon in front of the Bruin faithful this season.

And a loss Saturday could push that number to more than a year, with two away games and a bye week to follow until the Bruins return to Pasadena on Nov. 8.

“It’d (a win would) be huge, especially being at home,” Foster said. “We haven’t exactly won the way we wanted to at home. We’re 0-2 right now, but I want to get our team out there and give our fans something to see.”

UCLA has clinched one victory to Minnesota’s two in the teams’ history, with its lone win taking place at the Rose Bowl.

All three duels between the Bruins and Gophers took place before 1978 – 46 years before the two became conference opponents.

“A very resilient team. They just played hard,” Foster said. “Just the way that they stayed with it, stayed with their game plan, continue to play as another blue collar team.”

Momentum might favor the Gophers come Saturday – the unranked squad is on the heels of an upset victory against then-No.11 USC last Saturday.

The Gophers overcame a 14-point deficit at Huntington Bank Stadium when quarterback Max Brosmer powered into the end zone from the one-yard line with 56 seconds on the clock to claim a last-minute win over the Trojans.

Brosmer went 15-for-19 on 169 passing yards alongside three rushing touchdowns against USC – contributing to his 67.6% completion percentage on the season.

“They (the Gophers) fly around the ball. It’s fun to watch them on film,” Loya said. “We just got to come out there and be physical. We’ve never been known as a soft team.”

While Brosmer spurs on an explosive Gopher offense, the Bruins’ most recent game against the Nittany Lions saw the squad reach just a little more than half the number of average passes as their opponents.

Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Niki Prongos said the key to opening more passing lanes for receivers lies in cohesiveness and practice.

“It comes down to winning our one-on-ones and executing that technique properly and also communicating,” Prongos said. “Because if you don’t know who to go to, then it’s going to get all messed up.”

Despite a 16-point beating at Beaver Stadium, the Bruins appeared spirited through practice sessions ahead of Saturday’s match.

“We’re starting to click more,” Loya said. “We’re starting to work as a unit instead of just individuals or individual groups. We’re starting to look more like this is a full offense. We’re all one unit, gelling together, understanding everything so we can call out what’s coming.”