UCLA coach DeShaun Foster says performance coach apologized to team after penalty

After further review, DeShaun Foster has reversed his stance on one central figure in the halftime brouhaha during the crosstown rivalry game.

The UCLA coach acknowledged Wednesday that head performance coach Corey Miller — whom Foster had initially labeled a peacemaker — escalated tensions between the teams last weekend after video surfaced showing Miller making a mock crying gesture and giving USC players the middle finger.

Miller expressed regret for his actions, Foster said, and would face unspecified discipline.

“We talked about it, sat down and was able to figure that out internally and he felt pretty bad about that,” Foster said, “so he expressed his sentiments to the team, to the coaches and everybody and you’ve got to lead by example out here. You can’t be completely — you just can’t be out of control in any situation, especially when you’re in a [position] of power, so it was an unfortunate situation and he feels awful about what happened and getting a penalty and he made sure he made it right with the team.”

Read more: DeShaun Foster says UCLA was unfairly penalized vs. USC after halftime altercation

Miller received one of three unsportsmanlike conduct penalties that went against UCLA, joining wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer and safety Bryan Addison. Foster said after the game that he was told the fracas started when a USC player punched Gilmer.

UCLA was forced to kick off from its own five-yard line to start the third quarter as a result of the penalties, but the Trojans could not gain a first down and gave the ball back to the Bruins following a turnover on downs.

Foster brought Miller back to UCLA to be part of his new staff before the season after Miller had spent the 2022 season as the Bruins’ director of speed and movement. Miller was the assistant director of strength and conditioning for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers during the 2023 season.

“With his added NFL experience,” Foster said at the time of Miller’s hiring, “I feel there is no one better to uphold our pillars while preparing the Bruins for Big Ten Conference play and beyond.”

Mo’ Money?

Foster said he nominated defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe for the Broyles Award that goes to the top assistant coach in college football.

Might Foster also need to give Malloe a raise given that UCLA lost its last defensive coordinator when D’Anton Lynn doubled his salary by moving across town to USC?

“This is a real family over here, so I think that he’s pretty comfortable,” Foster said, “but we still want to make sure that we honor him and let him know that we do value you and you’re a great coach for us.”

Malloe’s two-year contract that expires after the 2025 season pays him $1 million annually — the same rate that Lynn made before his departure. Despite massive personnel losses in the offseason, Malloe has presided over a defense that ranks No. 7 in the country against the run by allowing just 99.3 rushing yards per game.

UCLA ranks No. 46 nationally in total defense, giving up 346.3 yards per game.

Decisions, decisions

UCLA’s defense could get a major boost next season if Carson Schwesinger stays put.

The linebacker who has gone from a walk-on to a finalist for the Butkus Award has another season of eligibility remaining, should he choose to use it.

“He’s let me know early like, coach, we’re just going to finish the season and then assess everything after the season,” Foster said of Schwesinger’s message regarding his future. “He’s truly locked in on finishing this year the right way and I can respect that from a guy like that. I didn’t want to even want to put anything in his ear because whatever decisions he makes, I’m going to respect that because Carson’s that type of kid. He’s really going to do whatever’s best for him in that situation, especially if he gets the Butkus Award and the way that he came on and performed this season, you do deserve to get a shot and go to the NFL.”

With the transfer portal set to open Dec. 9, Foster said, with a chuckle, that he wanted to know his players’ intentions about their futures by Dec. 5.

“There’s a hard turnaround,” Foster said, “so we just want to make sure that we know exactly what’s going on with our team and how guys are feeling, so we know what we need to fill and what we need to do.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.