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Historians looking back at UCLA’s 2025 football season will peg the Penn State game as the Bruins’ first victory.

In ways both large and small, they will be wrong.

When Tim Skipper first took over the team a month ago, he placed a new opponent on the schedule: the locker room. The interim coach showed players pictures of how it should look, including the lockers and the surrounding floor.

They scrubbed the place and it’s been spotless ever since. Sort of like the Bruins’ play starting with that Penn State game.

“I think a clean locker room makes you a lot happier,” Skipper explained this week. “It shows team discipline and it shows you can win off the field, so now you can go ahead and get on the field.”

Skipper’s other primary motivational device — besides his highly transmissible energy — has been slogans. He started by telling his players to strain, to give everything they had in the pursuit of winning. After the Bruins beat Penn State, he asked players whether they were one-hit wonders. Now, his players having established they know what it takes to win following a smackdown of Michigan State, he’s asking them to maintain their approach.

At their Sunday meeting, the Bruins saw their new mantra — the standard is the standard — on a big screen.

“We have identified a style of play that we want to be, and it’s our job now to keep the standard the standard, you know, play with that fanatical effort, play with fundamentals, being smart, you know, all those things we just have to continue to do,” Skipper said. “But it’s not like something that’s just going to show up on Saturday. You have to practice about it. You have to work on it and not just talk about it.”

Can the Bruins keep it up after two consecutive victories? Here are five things to watch Saturday afternoon at the Rose Bowl when UCLA (2-4 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) faces Maryland (4-2, 1-2):

Allan: I am once again proved wrong. Asking why Ryan Christie is playing, then he puts in a man of the match performance. Scotland battled hard and deserved a point after a shaky start where they continually failed to keep the ball. Eventually, Scotland grew into the game and could have sneaked it. The last 15 minutes it was all hands to the pump in defence and holding out for the point.

G A Simpson: Same old conservative approach from Clarke. Dykes and Adams up front might seem adventurous, but there is no pace there. Dykes and Doak would have exposed the Danes to more risk and may have created more clear cut chances, given the fact that they seemed jittery at the back. Nevertheless a good defensive performance. A decent point taken.

Keith: Good point to start us off. Yes we didn’t play exciting attacking football but we played to our strengths against a top ranked team. Big difference with Hickey and Dykes in the team. Everyone played their part, just need three points against Belarus to make it an acceptable double header.

Martin: Seems to be with some folks that Clarke can’t do right, I for one was expecting a thrashing tonight but proved wrong, decent performance, good result.

Stuart: Same old stagnant line-up with a plethora of exciting and in form players on the bench that did not get a sniff, personally I am left frustrated with a point because I think with a fresh perspective we could have won that tonight. Although, credit is due to the back line tonight, they were solid.

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar consolidated his lead at the Criterium du Dauphine with a second consecutive stage victory in France.

The reigning Tour de France and road world champion went clear 12 kilometres from the finish on the final ascent of Saturday’s 132km ‘Queen Stage’ from Grand-Aigueblanche to Valmeinier.

Slovenia’s Pogacar eventually finished 14 seconds ahead of his closest rival, Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard.

The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider had taken the yellow jersey with a dominant victory in Friday’s stage six and the 26-year-old now holds a lead of one minute and one second over the Visma-Lease a Bike man going into Sunday’s final stage.

“I launched it and maintained a good pace to the top,” said Pogacar after securing his 98th career stage win, moving ahead of French sprinter Arnaud Demare for the most by an active rider.

“Today Jonas was really strong. I did not want to go too deep myself. It was a super hot and long climb. Luckily, I had enough time to ease up in the last kilometres and recovered.”

“Happy I could defend the jersey like this.”

Germany’s Florian Lipowitz was third in the stage but is two minutes and 21 seconds behind Pogacar while Remco Evenepoel lost more time and is now fourth overall, a further one minute and 50 seconds back.

The race, a traditional warm-up for the Tour de France, which begins on Saturday, 5 July, concludes with another mountainous stage covering 133.3km from Val-d’Arc to the Plateau du Mont-Cenis.

Prime minister of Yemen’s internationally recognised government has resigned amid political turmoil.

Israel has intercepted a missile fired from Yemen, the third such attack by Houthi forces in a 24-hour span, as the United States continues daily attacks on the country.

The Israeli army confirmed on Saturday it had activated air raid sirens across parts of the country following the missile launch.

No injuries or major damage were reported. Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the attack, calling it a response to Israeli operations in Gaza.

The Houthis have increasingly targeted Israel and shipping routes in the Red Sea, stating that their actions are acts of solidarity with Palestinians as Israel continues its assault on Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

The Houthis did not carry out attacks during the Gaza ceasefire earlier this year until Israel blocked all aid into the besieged enclave in early March and followed that with a full resumption of the war.

In the meantime, Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV reported on Saturday that the US launched two air raids on Yemen’s Kamaran Island and as-Salif district in the port city of Hodeidah.

The new attacks come a day after the same news outlet reported seven US attacks on the Ras Isa oil port in as-Salif district in Hodeidah. Last month, a US strike on the same port killed at least 80 people and wounded 150 in one of the deadliest attacks on the country by US forces.

The US has also ramped up its air campaign in Yemen, launching its most extensive military operations in the Middle East since President Donald Trump assumed office in January.

US forces claim to have struck Houthi positions, however, there have been numerous civilian casualties.

The high civilian toll from US strikes is drawing increasing alarm. The UK-based monitor Airwars reported that between 27 and 55 civilians were killed in March alone. April’s deaths are expected to be higher.

Houthi sources say at least 68 African migrants died in a single overnight strike on Monday, with additional casualties reported around the capital.

Yemen’s prime minister resigns

As the conflict intensifies, political instability is growing within Yemen.

Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, the prime minister of the internationally recognised government, announced his resignation on Saturday, citing persistent challenges, including his inability to reshuffle the cabinet.

Government insiders said a power struggle with Presidential Council leader Rashad al-Alimi triggered Mubarak’s departure.

Within hours of the announcement, the presidential council named Finance Minister Salem Saleh bin Braik as prime minister, according to the state-run SABA news agency. The council also named bin Mubarak as an adviser to the ruling body, without addressing his claims.

Mubarak’s political career has been closely linked to the long-running war in Yemen. He rose to prominence after being abducted by Houthi fighters in 2015 while serving as chief of staff to then-president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

Much of the international community does not recognise the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah (supporters of God), even though the armed Iran-aligned group controls most parts of Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa, and some of the western and northern areas close to Saudi Arabia.

London Pulse maintained their unbeaten start to the Netball Super League season on Sunday with a 67-52 win over Cardiff Dragons.

It was a seventh victory out of seven for Pulse but they were made work hard by the winless Dragons in the opening half and only led 32-25 at the break before pulling away after the interval.

Liv Tchine once again led the Pulse scoring with 25 goals but there was a strong display by Sophie Kelly who finished with eight goals and her all-round efforts earned her the player of the match award.

Georgia Rowe scored 33 goals for the Dragons.

Elsewhere this round, Loughborough Lightning secured a tense victory over Birmingham Panthers to move up to second in the table.

One point separated the two at half-time, but Lightning edged a four-goal lead in the third quarter and held on for a 72-68 success.

Fresh from their first win of the season last week, Panthers were brimming with confidence at Sir David Wallace Arena and made it difficult for the hosts.

But the defending champions kept their composure as experienced Lightning shooter Samantha Wallace-Joseph scored 34 goals, while England goal attack Berri Neil added 16.

But Panthers had their opportunities and will consider themselves unlucky not to come away with more than the one point they will receive for keeping the deficit to less than five goals.

Shooter Sigi Burger was clinical under the post, scoring 37 goals, while Betsy Creak added 10 and the defence worked tirelessly to gain possession of the ball 16 times to 10 from their opponents.

Lightning have stuttered at times this season but will be relieved to get over the line before facing a crucial match against fellow top-four contenders Manchester Thunder next week.

Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest secured a third win of the season with a 76-60 win over Leeds Rhinos.

The two sides were level on points with two wins and four losses so far in this campaign but, after a close first half, Forest dominated the second and pulled away for a comfortable win.

Manchester Thunder host London Mavericks on Monday in the final game of the round which you can watch live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.