The 1953 UCLA Bruins football team represented the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the 1953 college football season. They played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and were coached by Red Sanders. It was Sanders' fifth season as the UCLA head coach. The team completed the season with an 8–2 record and was the Pacific Coast Conference champion. They played in the 1954 Rose Bowl and were defeated by eighth-ranked Michigan State, 28–20. The Bruins finished ranked fourth in the Coaches Poll and fifth in the AP Poll.