LOS ANGELES (AP) — For the second straight season, Tim Skipper finds himself leading a Bowl Subdivision team on an interim basis.

This time around, Skipper is in charge of winless UCLA, relying on what he learned at Fresno State in 2024 in hopes of helping improve one of the two winless power conference teams.

“The main thing that helps me is, like, I already have practice plans and formulas and things we need to do day to day,” Skipper said Wednesday. “I don’t have to think that on the go like I did last year, so that’ll set me in a much better place, and I already feel like I’m ahead of where I was last time.”

Skipper took over the Bulldogs in July 2024 after Jeff Tedford stepped down because of health concerns. That gave Skipper, a four-year starting linebacker at Fresno State and assistant coach at his alma mater, time to figure out how to put his imprint on the program ahead of what would become a 6-7 season that ended with a double overtime loss in the Idaho Potato Bowl.

Now, the 47-year-old has an open week before the Bruins (0-3) start Big Ten Conference play at Northwestern on Sept. 27, kicking off a grueling conference schedule that includes No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Penn State, No. 19 Indiana and No. 25 Southern California. He formally took over on Sunday following the firing of head coach DeShaun Foster.

“We’re gonna reset,” said Skipper, who had been a special assistant to Foster since the summer. “We are completely reset. We are in training camp right now. We’re not going to dwell on the past, we’re not gonna dream about the future. We’re gonna worry about right now, so we’re in training camp right now. … We’ve got to move on from all the sadness and things that are going on. We’ve got to get ready to play a game.”

There already has been one major change with the departure of defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe. It is the lone personnel change that Skipper announced, and the plan to replace Malloe as defensive play-caller is still being determined.

There could be more turnover to come, as players are now free to enter the transfer portal and some could decide to take a redshirt season since the Bruins have not played four games.

However, Skipper doesn’t believe motivation will be a problem through the rest of the season.

“Everybody knows, once you’re a football player, from when you’re a little kid, you’re building your resume off of what you do,” Skipper said. “People judge you off of what you do out there on that field. So we’re just going to out there, play fast and hard, and let the chips fall where as they may.”

Whether Skipper can help address the issues that have bedeviled UCLA through its poor start, including consecutive losses to Mountain West opposition, is still to be determined. The Bruins haven’t scored in the first quarter this season, and the offense has struggled to develop consistency despite the high-profile addition of former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

The defense has been third-worst in major college football in stopping the run, giving up 244 yards per game, and was pummeled for 298 yards in a 35-10 loss to New Mexico. The team ranks last nationally in penalties per game (10) and 134th out of 136 teams in penalty yardage (91.7).

To fix those myriad struggles, Skipper hopes to create an environment where UCLA can play hard, fast and physical. If the team embraces those traits, Skipper believes the Bruins can still find success in difficult circumstances.

“To me, if your style of play is right, the scoreboard takes care of itself,” Skipper said.

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