| Year: | 1968 |
| Team: | UCLA Bruins |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Pacific-8 Conference |
| Short Conf: | Pac-8 |
| Record: | 3–7 |
| Conf Record: | 2–4 |
| Head Coach: | Tommy Prothro |
| Hc Year: | 4th |
| Stadium: | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum |
The 1968 UCLA Bruins football team was an American football team that represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 1968 NCAA University Division football season. In their fourth year under head coach Tommy Prothro, the Bruins compiled a 3–7 record (2–4 Pac-8) and finished in a tie for fifth place in the Pacific-8 Conference.[1]
UCLA's offensive leaders in 1968 were quarterback Jim Nader with 1,008 passing yards, running back Greg Jones with 497 rushing yards, and Ron Copeland with 372 receiving yards.[2]
In a rebuilding year, the Bruins opened with two home wins: a 63–7 defeat of Pittsburgh, featuring a school-record 4 TD passes by QB Nader, relieving an injured starter Bill Bolden, and a ten-point win over Washington State.[3] [4] The season ground to a halt at Syracuse,[5] and with QB Bolden in and out of the lineup due to injuries the rest of the season, plus several other starters eventually sidelined as well, UCLA won only once more, over Stanford 20–17.[6]
The Bruins gave #1 USC and Heisman Trophy winner O. J. Simpson a scare in a 28–16 loss; UCLA, a near 2-TD underdog at the fog-shrouded Coliseum, trailed 21–16 deep into the fourth quarter and moved inside of USC's 5-yard line behind QB Nader before being stopped. A subsequent turnover near midfield set up a late Trojan drive for the clinching TD by Simpson with only 25 seconds to play. Though the brave effort vs. the top-ranked Trojans fueled optimism for the subsequent and successful 1969 season.