PASADENA, Calif. – UCLA wide receiver Kenneth Moore III was wide open as he awaited a perfect throw from Team Blue quarterback Madden Iamaleava in the third quarter of the Bruins’ Spring Game at the Rose Bowl on Saturday; not a Team White defender in sight.
As Moore extended his arms to catch the ball and create the first signature moment of his collegiate career – a deep touchdown catch in the Rose Bowl – the freshman collided with a referee. Moore’s moment would have to wait.
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“That was great defense, that’s all I’ll say,” Moore said of the referee postgame. “I didn’t even see him. He was so stealthy.”
Moore didn’t have to wait too long to be vindicated. During the penultimate drive of Saturday’s scrimmage, Iamaleava found Moore wide open yet again, this time without a zebra in sight, to put Team Blue ahead 24-17 in what became the game-winning touchdown.
Kenneth Moore III #81 catches a pass during the UCLA Football Spring Showcase at Rose Bowl Stadium on May 2, 2026 in Pasadena, California.
Darwin Walker – The Sporting Tribune
Kenneth Moore III #81 catches a pass during the UCLA Football Spring Showcase at Rose Bowl Stadium on May 2, 2026 in Pasadena, California.
“I was a little shook up from [the collision],” Moore said. “God allowed me to go out there and get another opportunity, and I just got the ball and scored. It felt amazing, though.”
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UCLA head coach Bob Chesney sought out to rehearse a home game as best he could. Aside from playing in Pasadena in front of fans for the first time, the first-year coach had his team stay in a hotel nearby, held team meetings and did a couple of walkthroughs, including one the night before where the lights at the stadium captured the essence of the Rose Bowl.
“I hadn’t seen [the Rose Bowl] ever at night,” Chesney said. “So, you get a chance to walk in here and just feel this and see all of these surroundings and, you know, the things that took place in this venue is pretty special.”
Rather than just hosting a modified practice at the stadium, which is what fans were accustomed to in years prior, Chesney felt it important not only to give a brand new team (56 newcomers) live reps and an outlet to compete in an atmosphere that a practice couldn’t replicate, but to also engrain fans into this new era of UCLA football.
Chesney added, “That’s ultimately what else we wanted to do is just try to let it be a little bit entertaining and let the crowd know that we want them to be involved and entertained through a day like today.”
Team Blue celebrates a win at the UCLA Football Spring Showcase at Rose Bowl Stadium on May 2, 2026 in Pasadena, California.
Darwin Walker – The Sporting Tribune
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Team Blue celebrates a win at the UCLA Football Spring Showcase at Rose Bowl Stadium on May 2, 2026 in Pasadena, California.
Mastering the fine details of any situation is why many feel Chesney is the right person to turn UCLA football into the program it’s supposed to be. Without Saturday, fans would be going into September’s season opener unaware of what to expect from a program which has been in limbo for the better part of the last decade.
Without Saturday, Chesney wouldn’t be able to reaffirm the decision he made to take over a program in desperate need of change. Without Saturday, players like Moore wouldn’t be able to experience what it’s like catching a touchdown in the Rose Bowl. Chesney wants his Bruins to be ready for everything.
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“It’s important,” he said. “I think the communication we’re gonna have, ‘How is that going to work on gameday? What’s it like to walk through that tunnel? What do we do when we stay in a hotel? What time do we have to get up? What’s the traffic like?’
“All those things are things I want to feel before we ever get a chance to come and play over here.”
