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Leny Yoro, from Paris boy to Man Utd: 'He had the same speed as Kylian Mbappe'

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Leny Yoro, from Paris boy to Man Utd: 'He had the same speed as Kylian Mbappe'

There are always Sliding Doors moments in a player’s career; points when a lifetime’s path takes a critical turn, based on what feels like a coin toss.

In Leny Yoro’s case, it happened in the form of a red card.

On October 20, 2021, Baptiste Rolland’s dismissal for Lille Under-19s against their Sevilla counterparts in the UEFA Youth League transformed Yoro’s trajectory. Centre-back Rolland was dismissed in the 79th minute for pulling the shirt of Diego Rodriguez. Yoro, just 15 years old and previously a striker and then midfielder, came on to play in defence for the final few minutes, his first appearance for the French club’s under-19s side. The sending-off and Rolland’s subsequent suspension meant Yoro would start the team’s next Youth League fixture, the return at home against Sevilla.

It was the last time Olivier Szkwarok, who was in charge of Lille Under-16s at the time, would coach him.

“When Leny was an under-16, I said to the under-19 coach that he needs to play in the under-19s, but he didn’t have a place for him,” Szkwarok, now working as a youth coach at Toulouse, another French club, tells The Athletic. “But the first time he (started for the under-19s), he never returned with me. He was the best on the pitch.

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“On that day, Liverpool and Monaco saw a lot of potential in him. After that, he was with the under-23s, and it was easy for him. Lille needed him to sign a professional contract and they invited him into the first team. Jocelyn Gourvennec, the first-team coach, loved his potential and said he could train with professionals full-time.

“I was a little surprised, but not surprised. Leny is a competitor and a hard worker.”

Yoro had joined Lille in 2017 from local side Villeneuve-d’Ascq. He initially grew up in Saint-Maurice, a suburb of Paris, 137 miles (222km) to the south, where he played his football in a playground opposite his home. Then he played for Alfortville, in the south-east of the French capital. His three brothers — Esteban (14), Eden (12) and Romeo (10) — all play football too; his father, Alain Yoro, had been in Lille’s academy himself as a teenager.

When Yoro was young, his parents split up and his mother, Flore Baugnies, moved the family to Bormes-les-Mimosas on France’s south coast for six months, before then going to Lille, in the north of the country near the border with Belgium, to be closer to family. That was when Yoro joined Villeneuve d’Ascq, known locally as VAM.


United’s Yoro battles with Rangers’ John Souttar last week (Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

“The club is located in a working-class neighbourhood,” recalls Aboubacar Sankhare, the former Lens, Toulouse and Dusseldorf defender. “At the time Leny was there, I was the club’s general manager. He stayed at the club with his brothers for two-and-a-half to three years.

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“From a very young age, he had this ability to adapt quickly, and he had this maturity. He understood instructions very quickly. He already had intrinsic qualities of his own. He played with the team of his age and a higher category (age group). He had his siblings, and his mother came to see them every day at the stadium. It was a social club.”

VAM fell into financial difficulties and no longer exist. At the time, though, Sankhare was leading the club’s social and educational projects, in addition to training youth sides with a view to some of those kids reaching the first team. In addition to Yoro and his brothers, Sankhare’s sons, Yssouf and Zakary, also joined professional clubs after playing at VAM.

Yoro stood out. But not in the position you would expect.

“He was a striker with us, and could play in all positions because he could adapt extremely quickly,” recalls Sankhare. “The Lille scouts came several times and reported on him. At the time, there were the biggest clubs in the region — Lens, Lille, Valenciennes, Dunkirk, Boulogne — who came to scout. He became a defender at Lille.”

When he went to Lille for a trial, Yoro impressed immediately. That was when Szkwarok, who coached the under-13s and then the under-16s at the club, first saw him play. “I loved him from the trial,” he recalls. “He was a different player. When he was 12, he was the same as now. For a tall player, he had good technique. But he was missing the speed. He had a good personality. Like today, he was a leader who always encouraged his team-mates.”

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The years Szkwarok worked with Yoro bookmarked a critical period in his development. Yoro initially played in midfield, before switching positions. “He was a defender full-time from under-15,” says Szkwarok. “He had a very good technical level and a very good in-game intelligence. He can see and play quickly, with his left or right foot, and I think, at professional level, he can play in midfield if a coach needed him to. A little bit like John Stones at Manchester City. In my opinion, Leny has a better potential than John Stones.”

But not everything was straightforward.

“All of the coaches loved him for his personality but not all of them believed in him,” says Szkwarok. “In the under-14s, it was a little bit complicated. A coach said in a meeting that Leny does not have the potential to play at the highest level. For me, it was a big error to say that about Leny. Because he was a tall player, and we needed to give him a little bit of time to grow up, and after he can show his potential.”

Yoro had a growth spurt before the age of 16. Speaking to French newspaper La Voix du Nord, mum Flore recalled how “he gained 10 centimetres (almost four inches)” during his under-16 year but “all year long, he was injured”. “He injured himself, without taking any hits during matches,” she said. Yoro had to adapt to his changing body and Lille tailored their coaching to deal with his small, repetitive muscular issues.


Yoro going up against Kylian Mbappe in Ligue 1 last year (Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images)

“Leny was always the tallest but he grew and it (led to) small injuries,” says Szkwarok. “He had them often. Two days (out of action), three days, four days. We found a solution and after we changed our method of training with him, he could train all day and played all the games.

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“When he was an under-16, at the beginning of the season, we went to a small tournament. He hadn’t played during the season so in his first game, to protect him, I put Leny in midfield. Against (Belgium’s Club) Bruges and PSV (Eindhoven, from the Netherlands), he played very well. In defence you have to make more runs in behind, longer runs, and in midfield they are shorter.

“In order to adapt to his new body, he worked a lot. That’s why he’s always a good player technically and this part of his character is a very good example for his career in football.”

Yoro became one of the quickest and strongest in the group. But those years without exceptional pace had honed his ability to read the game too. It is a key trait, normally confined to experienced players, and it is something scouts picked up on when assessing him.

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Leny Yoro to Manchester United: The Athletic 500 transfer ratings

“When he played against (France captain and now Real Madrid forward) Kylian Mbappe, he had the same speed as him,” says Szkwarok. “But when he was younger, Leny did not have a lot of speed and he developed the ability to read the game, both defensively and offensively. It is his best quality. A very intelligent player.

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“He had the mentality of a defender. He loved defending, he loved intercepting the ball, winning the ball with his head. It is a little bit rare to have both qualities, to have technique and the mentality of a defender.”

Then came those under-19s matches against Sevilla in late 2021, under coach Stephane Pichot, and Yoro’s progress went up several gears. “It all started from there, because he played two more Youth League matches afterwards,” his mother said. “That’s where his No 15 comes from (which Yoro will now also wear at Manchester United). Because it all started when he was 15 years old.”

In October 2021, Yoro played with Lille Under-19s for the first time. By the following May, then aged 16, he had made his debut for their first team — coming off the bench away at Nice. In the process, he became the club’s youngest player since Joel Henry in 1978, surpassing Eden Hazard. He was invited to stay with the first team under new manager Paulo Fonseca in summer 2022 and, after just two days of pre-season training, the Portuguese coach had made up his mind.


Yoro holding back Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins in the Europa Conference League last season (Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images)

“In all my years as a coach, I’ve never seen such a young player with so much maturity,” Fonseca told The Athletic last year. “He has so much class. So much elegance. He’s a beautiful player.” In the September, he became Lille’s youngest starter since Oumar Dieng in 1989.

“When we started to work with Leny, we saw a lot of potential,” Tiago Leal, Fonseca’s assistant, tells The Athletic. “We didn’t care about his age. We care about his skills. Technically, tactically, mentally, personality, character… he had many things that for his age were not normal.”

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Taking the step into the professional game is never plain sailing, though. His full debut against Toulouse, a 2-1 Lille win, was a case in point. He won four of five aerial duels but also made an error that led to the Toulouse goal — a loose pass. He needed time, and the right environment, to adjust.

Under Fonseca, he would get that. Now in charge at AC Milan, Fonseca is no stranger to bringing through young talent, doing so with Diogo Jota (now of Liverpool and Portugal) at Pacos de Ferreira and then Mykhailo Mudryk (Chelsea and Ukraine) at Shakhtar Donetsk.

“In the first season, he made many mistakes that cost us many games, but for us, it was not a problem at all,” says Leal. “We knew it was part of the process with younger players. He was brave, because he never stopped trying to do what we demanded of him. We made a bet on him and as a team we were ready to pay the costs of this bet.”

Yoro’s first season of senior football was a learning curve. He made eight league starts and 15 appearances for Lille’s first team. How he responded to those inevitable rookie errors set him apart. “He’s really mature, his composure is not normal at his age,” says Leal. “That’s what impressed us. It wasn’t just because of his physical or technical qualities. It was the package. He was different from most of the others at his age.

“When he made mistakes, what I felt is that he was always stable, and that says a lot about his personality. He was always focused on his work, always trying to improve every day, not dependent on winning, losing, making a goal or not. He was always stable. That’s why he has this level of attention with Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, clubs like that spotting him. Because it is special at his age.”

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Under Fonseca, Lille played an expansive brand of football, the coach demanding that his team press high up the field, take risks in possession and sometimes leave their defenders exposed with half a pitch of space in-behind. “Leny showed from the very beginning that he wanted to learn, to improve, and this is an important aspect of his character,” says Leal. “He is humble. When you have the skills technically, and when you are physically blessed — he’s really tall, fast, explosive — you need the desire to be better and courage to play the game we demand. He showed that from the beginning.”

His second season, 2023-24, bore fruit. Yoro started 30 league matches and featured in 44 games in all competitions. He succeeded the experienced Jose Fonte in Lille’s starting lineup, who had been a “role model” for him within the group according to Leal, along with the new captain Benjamin Andre. “He needed the mix of many things to help the flower grow,” says Leal. “We didn’t create the flower, we just gave it water, nutrients — the others and us are the gardeners.

“In the second season, he became the player we expected. He became more confident in himself, started to build this ego that you need, because he was ready to take his place in the team. He became almost complete. And we are speaking about a kid. I don’t have any doubts, about Leny. He’s getting what he deserves.”

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His form earned him a place in the Ligue 1 team of the season, and elevated his status to one of the most exciting centre-backs in Europe. It was enough to persuade Manchester United to spend £52million ($65m; €62m), potentially rising to £59m, and fight off serious competition, making Yoro the most expensive player ever aged 18 or younger. (Mbappe was signed initially on a season’s loan by PSG before his €180m transfer from Monaco at age 19.)

Throughout his career, Yoro has quickly adapted to every challenge. United, English football and the Premier League will be a different order of magnitude but Leal feels he can thrive again.

“We cannot forget he is a young kid,” he says. “He is not going to solve every problem at Manchester United. Not alone. But if he gets a proper environment around him and the space and confidence to participate, I’m pretty sure he is going to be a main player for them.”

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How Manchester United beat Real Madrid to the signing of Leny Yoro

(Top photos: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)

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Get ready for more Prime Time. The attention is warranted for Colorado’s star coach

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November 24, 2024

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Get ready for more Prime Time. The attention is warranted for Colorado’s star coach

If you’re suffering from Deion Sanders fatigue, worn down by the Colorado football coach’s repeated presence on sports feeds and debate shows, you’re in for a rough couple of months.

By landing a commitment from star recruit Julian Lewis on Thursday, Sanders secured more than a top quarterback prospect. He also came away with increased options for his future, a reality that figures to keep him prominently positioned in upcoming news cycles.

Whatever develops, the attention is warranted based on the impressive job he has done the last five seasons, leading Jackson State to a 27-6 record before guiding Colorado to a share of the Big 12 lead entering Saturday’s game against Kansas.

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Before this week, I would have given competitive odds that Sanders would leave Colorado after this season. Two of his friends told me a handful of years ago his primary reason for accepting the Jackson State job — his first as a college coach — was to ensure Shedeur Sanders, his youngest son, would have every opportunity to develop into a top quarterback and a highly drafted NFL player.

Over four seasons, including the last two with Colorado, Shedeur, 22, has completed 70 percent of his passes for 13,415 yards and 124 touchdowns with just 24 interceptions. He also has rushed for 17 scores, though he is not considered a dual-threat in the classic sense. He is a pocket passer with the mobility to create space and make off-platform throws with accuracy and velocity.

Where that lands him in the draft is unknown, but credible draft analysts have him and Miami’s Cam Ward as the top quarterback prospects. And since teams place a premium on the position — 17 signal callers have been selected No. 1 since 2000 — the likelihood appears strong that he will be drafted near the top of the first round, if not first overall.

Which brings me back to his father’s future and potential options. Deion Sanders could easily consider it mission accomplished and hang up his whistle at the end of the season, particularly with cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter, a front-runner to win this season’s Heisman Trophy, already declaring that he, too, is off to the NFL after the season. Losing his top two players represents a significant drain of talent that will be hard for Sanders to replace in the short term, potentially resulting in fewer victories.

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Colorado 2-way star Travis Hunter plans to enter next year’s NFL Draft

Sanders was a Hall of Fame cornerback and a standout baseball player. You don’t play both sports at the highest level … in the same season … without having a competitive drive that matches your physical ability. Which is why I could not see him staying at Colorado with an inferior roster.

Having Lewis in the fold, however, gives him a bell-cow performer he can not only build around but also use as a magnet to attract more playmakers. Lewis had previously committed to USC but changed his mind in part because of Sanders and the success of Shedeur. It suggests that recruits are seeing past the glitz and glam and recognizing the skill development taking place.

“It’s a huge opportunity!” Lewis said in a statement to On3. “What Coach Prime has been able to build in two seasons can’t be denied. I’ve had a chance to get to know him and believe that he can further develop me into the player and person that I want to be. Coach (Pat) Shurmur has been an NFL offensive coordinator and head coach, so he understands exactly what’s needed at the next level. Coach Prime is going to play the best player, whether it’s a freshman or a walk-on.”

But back to the discussion about the future and potential options. There has been speculation NFL teams could have interest in Sanders, who has had only one losing season in four years and has the 8-2 Buffaloes in contention for a College Football Playoff berth two years after finishing 1-11 the season before Sanders arrived. He has not publicly expressed interest in making the jump and in 2023 told Sports Illustrated: “I don’t have any desire or ambition to coach in the NFL. I have a problem with men getting their checks and not doing their jobs. I have a problem with that. I would be too tough as a coach in the NFL because I still have those old-school attributes.”

And yet …

Michael Irvin, a close friend and former Dallas Cowboys teammate, believes Sanders would not hesitate to accept the Cowboys job if it were offered and Shedeur was drafted by Dallas.

“I believe (it) 100 percent,” he said on Fox Sports’ “The Herd with Colin Cowherd.” “And I can tell you, good sources have told me that. Great sources have told me that. That’s all I can say like that without violating anything else.”

These types of comments tend to fuel the rumor mill because as much of a long shot as it may be, you cannot completely dismiss the idea until Cowboys owner Jerry Jones categorically says it’s not happening, which he has not done.

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Sanders’ name also could surface for other college jobs, particularly if the Buffaloes reach the Playoff and make a run. He was an unproven commodity in 2021 after he took the Jackson State job. Major colleges were unwilling to take a chance on him because he had no track record. Some wondered if he was more style than substance.

Florida State, his alma mater, is regularly mentioned as a possibility, but that seems unlikely because of what it would cost to move on from coach Mike Norvell and because the sides are not on the greatest of terms after FSU didn’t make much of an effort to bring in Sanders a handful of years ago when he first talked about coaching on the collegiate level.

It would be irresponsible to throw out the names of other schools before an opening exists, but college football has become as cutthroat as the NFL, and landing Sanders could be viewed as a boon not only on the field but off it, as evidenced by the increase in attendance, viewership and alumni contributions. Never forget that major-college football is as much a business as a game, which is why Sanders is in a great position.

He has proved himself on both fronts. He has exceeded expectations at every turn, taking a group that was rated the second-worst staff in the Big 12 coming into the season and advancing to the cusp of a Big 12 championship. The Lewis commitment was yet another victory in a season of victories, but it’s significant because it gives him the ability to make decisions about his future based on whether something aligns with his purpose and vision. If the NFL calls, great. If another college program calls, cool. For Sanders, there is no downside. He has positioned himself to have positive options regardless of the situation, which means we are sure to continue seeing him on news feeds and debate shows.

(Photo of Deion Sanders speaking with Fox Sports reporter Jenny Taft after a win against Utah: Dustin Bradford / Getty Images)

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Max Verstappen wins 4th straight F1 world championship as George Russell wins Las Vegas Grand Prix

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November 24, 2024

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Max Verstappen wins 4th straight F1 world championship as George Russell wins Las Vegas Grand Prix

LAS VEGAS – Saturday night was all right for Max Verstappen.

The Red Bull racer finished in fifth place at the Las Vegas Grand Prix and it was enough to capture his fourth consecutive Formula 1 World Championship. 

He needed to finish ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris to pick up the title win and did just that. Norris was in sixth place.

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, of the Netherlands, drives the course during qualifying for the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas.  (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

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It was far from the easiest weekend for Verstappen. Red Bull made a mistake adjusting his rear wing and data showed his vehicle was running slower than Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton on the straightaways. While Russell captured the pole, Verstappen was able to get enough out of the car to start in fifth. He only needed to score three more points than Norris to clinch the world championship. Norris qualified sixth.

Mercedes was clearly quicker. Russell won the race. It was his second win of the season. Hamilton finished right behind him while Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz picked up a podium spot in third place.

George Russell wins in Vegas

Mercedes driver George Russell, of Britain, celebrates are winning the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix auto race, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Las Vegas.  (AP Photo/Matt York)

Verstappen tied Sebastian Vettel, Juan Manuel Fangio and Hamilton with four consecutive titles. Michael Schumacher won five straight from 2000 to 2004.

Schumacher and Hamilton each have the most world titles with seven in total. Fangio has five and Verstappen is tied with Vettel and Alain Prost with four.

Max Verstappen talks to reporters

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, of the Netherlands, prepares to race before the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix auto race, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Las Vegas.  (AP Photo/John Locher)

F1 LEGEND MARIO ANDRETTI TALKS AMERICAN DRIVERS, CONSTRUCTORS GETTING BACK ONTO GRID AHEAD OF LAS VEGAS GP

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Las Vegas Grand Prix racers had to battle a weekend of cold weather and the wind. Drivers were slipping and sliding all over the place through the first three practices. But picked up the pace in qualifying with the only mistake coming from Franco Colapinto, who suffered a crash in Q2. 

Aside from Pierre Gasly’s disappointing night on Saturday, the race was run clean.

The F1 schedule still has two races on its docket, the Qatar Grand Prix and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with the constructors’ championship up for grabs.

Ferrari drivers Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished third and fourth, with McLaren’s Norris and Oscar Piastri finishing sixth and seventh.

Max Verstappen in Sphere

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, of the Netherlands, drives the course during qualifying for the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas.  (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

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McLaren entered the weekend 36 points ahead of Ferrari in the constructors’ standings. After the Las Vegas result, McLaren will be up 24 points going into Qatar (608 points to Ferrari’s 584).

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

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UCLA vs. USC takeaways: Bruins aim for resilience after fumbling away a signature win

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November 24, 2024

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UCLA vs. USC takeaways: Bruins aim for resilience after fumbling away a signature win

A heavy mist hung over the Rose Bowl late Saturday night, adding to the yuck factor of what just transpired for the home team.

A shanked punt at the worst possible time. A sturdy defense fooled by a trick play. An offense that couldn’t gain one yard given a chance to win the game.

It added up to the most crushing loss of the season.

“Sucks,” UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers said after the Bruins’ 19-13 setback against USC in his final cross-town rivalry game. “Really sucks.”

Garbers was involved in two critical sequences that ensured UCLA (4-7 overall, 3-6 Big Ten) will finish the season with a losing record.

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The first came on a failed fourth-down sneak. The second came when he suddenly couldn’t find a rhythm after completing every previous pass in the second half.

It left Bruins fans with a similarly sickening feeling from previous close losses to Minnesota and Washington.

Here are five takeaways from a defeat that will heavily frame UCLA coach DeShaun Foster’s first season:

Bad ending

USC defensive end Sam Greene hits UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers as he delivers an incomplete pass on Bruins’ last offensive play during a loss to Trojans Saturday at the Rose Bowl.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

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It was the sort of moment that can forge a legacy.

With a chance to go 2-0 as a starter in the rivalry game while keeping the Victory Bell painted blue, Garbers stepped to the line of scrimmage at his own 25-yard line with 2:09 left and his team needing a touchdown to win.

He had already thrown for 156 yards and a touchdown in the second half while completing all 11 of his passes.

The next four plays: incompletion, incompletion, incompletion, incompletion. A few of the throws weren’t even close to connecting with their targets.

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“Just hard to find a rhythm,” Garbers said of his struggles on the final drive.

UCLA’s offense gained 376 yards but couldn’t make plays in crucial moments. The Bruins converted only three of 11 third downs and went 0 for 3 on fourth downs.

The game film should be cataloged in the horror section for anyone associated with UCLA.

The longest yard

Having long expressed his belief in his team’s ability to get a yard, Foster went for it on fourth and one at the UCLA 34-yard line with five minutes left and the Bruins trailing by three points.

It wasn’t the most imaginative play call, Foster saying it was his decision — and not offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s — to run a quarterback sneak.

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“I thought it was a good call and every call that’s made in certain situations — I am making those,” Foster said.

Garbers was stopped for no gain, but both Foster and his quarterback said the play was blown dead prematurely.

Said Foster: “That was the first time I’ve seen a quarterback sneak get called dead, you know? They usually let that play roll; they stopped it, they blew the whistle, so who knows where we would have ended up.”

Said Garbers: “I was looking at the marker and I thought I was past it. But I guess they blow the forward progress dead early. So, can’t control that.”

Here’s something indisputable: UCLA will need to fortify its offensive line through the transfer portal to ensure it can pick up one yard in similar situations next season.

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Same old story

UCLA coach DeShaun Foster argues with a referee during his team's loss USC at the Rose Bowl Saturday.

UCLA coach DeShaun Foster argues with a referee during his team’s loss USC at the Rose Bowl Saturday.

(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)

Nearly every week, Foster has said he’s going to fix his team’s discipline issues.

Then the next game comes and it’s more of the same slop on the field.

The low point Saturday came going into halftime, when UCLA wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer, safety Bryan Addison and an unspecified assistant coach were called for unsportsmanlike conduct penalties as both teams made their way toward the locker room while jawing at one another.

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Foster said he was told the brouhaha was precipitated by a USC player punching Gilmer, leading him to retaliate. As a result of the penalties, UCLA was forced to kick off from its own five-yard line to start the third quarter.

The Bruins also compounded giving up a 41-yard kickoff return with a late hit by Evan Thomas. It was just one of the eight penalties they committed for 70 yards.

“That’s why that’s my first pillar; I didn’t pull it out of nowhere, it was my first pillar for a reason,” Foster said of discipline. “I felt that that was something that we were lacking and missing and we’re still missing it, so we’re going to just continue to strive in the direction of discipline and eventually it’s going to get fixed.”

Lost opportunity

UCLA receiver J.Michael Sturdivant catches a long pass between USC cornerback Jaylin Smith and safety Bryson Shaw

UCLA receiver J.Michael Sturdivant catches a long pass between USC cornerback Jaylin Smith (2) and safety Bryson Shaw (27) during the second half at the Rose Bowl Saturday.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

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With a win over the Trojans, Foster wouldn’t have had to do any convincing when it comes to the narrative of his first season.

He would have beaten USC counterpart Lincoln Riley, who has taken multiple teams to the College Football Playoff and makes more than three times his salary.

He would have significantly enhanced his team’s name, image and likeness fundraising efforts that will be critical to upgrading the talent on his roster.

He would have given the hundreds of high school recruits at the game another reason to give a commitment. (Kenneth Moore III, a wide receiver from St. Mary’s High in Stockton, actually did commit to the Bruins before the game.)

Now there’s going to be more spin needed to sell recruits. One possible pitch: Come help us finish these games.

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“All of these losses have come to pretty much us letting it slip through our hands,” Foster said. “You know, we gotta find a way to finish games and, you know, just keep coming after half and play better, finish the games. Just really put our stamp on the end of it.”

What now?

UCLA tight end Moliki Matavao beats USC safety Bryson Shaw to reach the end zone in the third quarter at the Rose Bowl

UCLA tight end Moliki Matavao beats USC safety Bryson Shaw to reach the end zone in the third quarter at the Rose Bowl Saturday.

(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)

Given what happened Saturday, there won’t be much at stake in UCLA’s final game of the season against Fresno State next weekend at the Rose Bowl.

The Bruins will try to send their seniors out as winners while continuing to show resolve. A win over the Bulldogs (6-5) would help UCLA finish the season with four victories in its final six games.

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“They kept rebounding this whole season,” Foster said of his players, “so they’re gonna continue to be resilient and continue to be the type of football players that I know that they are.”

A warning for the Bruins: The Bulldogs have won the last four games in the series.

A warning for Foster: Fresno State has been especially hard on new UCLA coaches, beating Chip Kelly, Rick Neuheisel and Karl Dorrell in each of their first years on the job in Westwood.

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