LOS ANGELES — UCLA kicker Mateen Bhaghani gets more attention than the average college football specialist. He even has his own nickname – “Money Bhags” – and took hold of the spotlight last Friday night when he drilled a 57-yard field goal against Iowa.
“At first I saw it and was like, ‘Oh, how far was that?’ because obviously we saw it was far,” Bruins receiver Logan Loya said. “They said 57 yards and we were like, ‘Damn.’”
Bhaghani went out for another 57-yard attempt later in the game, with the full confidence of his teammates and coach, but missed. Coach DeShaun Foster said Bhaghani is consistent from 50 yards and beyond and the sophomore says he can make field goals of up to 65 yards in practice.
“I felt pretty good about (the 57-yarder) just because I saw him hit a couple in pregame,” Foster said. “And there wasn’t any elements, no wind or anything, so I was pretty confident that he would make that.”
It was the longest field goal of Bhaghani’s career after hitting a 54-yard field goal earlier in the season against Oregon. It’s the second-longest field goal in school history behind Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 60-yard field goal against Cal in 2015.
The Cal transfer has converted 14 of 17 field-goal attempts this season in addition to 16 PAT attempts. Bhaghani has also garnered attention from other athletes of Pakistani descent and fans have reached out on social media to share their admiration.
“I definitely want to show kids of my skin color and my race that anything’s possible,” Bhaghani said. “I’ve been reached out to by some kids, maybe even sharing my name and sharing my culture, just saying, ‘Good job, it’s nice to see you out there.’”
Bhaghani was dubbed “Money Bhags” by special teams coordinator Kodi Whitfield and the team as a whole has embraced the specialists, even though they are often isolated from the rest of the group during practices.
“There’s been a lot of just skill players, other position players who have really mixed in with the specialists,” Bhaghani said. “It makes us feel more part of the team because I know a lot of places, it’s not like that.”
INJURY UPDATE
Receiver J.Michael Sturdivant and tight end Moliki Matavao were seen practicing during the media viewing period on Tuesday morning after not participating in Friday’s game against Iowa.
Rico Flores Jr., a receiver who has now missed five games with an undisclosed injury, was not seen at practice. Offensive lineman Nicki Prongos, who left the Iowa game early due to injury, was also not seen at practice. Foster said Prongos might be healthy in time for the USC game on Nov. 23.
MORE SCHWESINGER HONORS
Linebacker Carson Schwesinger was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for the first time after grabbing two interceptions against Iowa – another career first for the former walk-on – and recording seven tackles.
UCLA’s defense held the Hawkeyes to 80 rushing yards, which helped Schwesinger earn a 94.3 grade from Pro Football Focus. That was the second-highest grade earned by an FBS defensive player last week.
Schwesinger was also named the Burlsworth Trophy Walk-On of the Week on Tuesday morning. He was also named one of 10 semifinalists for the Burlsworth Trophy, which is awarded to the most outstanding college football player who began his career as a walk-on.
GAME TIME FOR USC ANNOUNCED
Kickoff for the USC vs. UCLA game on Nov. 23 will be at 7:30 p.m. The game, which will be held at the Rose Bowl, will be broadcast on NBC (Ch. 4).