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- UCLA coach Bob Chesney extended his electric start, leading the Bruins to a quality win at Minnesota and improving to 9-0 during his first season in Westwood.
- Ty Dieffenbach connected with Aidan Mizell for back-to-back 75-yard touchdown passes to help put the game away.
- UCLA’s defense forced one turnover and kept the Minnesota offense in check.
MINNEAPOLIS — Facing a top-22 Minnesota Gophers defense and sub-50-degree temperatures, UCLA passed its toughest road test yet on Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium, keeping its undefeated season alive.
Tied in the fourth quarter, quarterback Ty Dieffenbach connected with receiver Aidan Mizell for back-to-back 75-yard touchdown passes, pushing the No. 8 Bruins to a 34-20 victory over Minnesota.
“He’s a burner, man. … He’s fast. Like, he’s really fast,” Dieffenbach said of Mizell. “He always tells me, ‘You can’t overthrow me, man. Just put it out there.’”
With the win, UCLA improved to 9-0 on the season — becoming just the fourth team in program history to reach that mark and the first in nearly three decades (1998).
The victory also extends Bob Chesney’s historic run, securing the best start by a first-year coach and tying the program’s largest single-season turnaround with a six-win improvement. It puts the Bruins closer to clinching a spot in the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis and moves them one step closer to a historic College Football Playoff berth.
But the Bruins said none of that matters inside the UCLA locker room.
“We’ll worry about the history once the season’s over. We’re not worried about any of that,” Mizell said. “[We take it] game by game, that’s our approach. That’s how we’re gonna do it every time.”
Long before fourth-quarter celebrations, UCLA established control early. Facing a Gophers defense that entered the matchup allowing just 305 yards per game, the Bruins racked up 129 yards in the first quarter alone (466 total). A 49-yard pass from Dieffenbach set up a 37-yard field-goal by Mateen Bhaghani to open the scoring.
One possession later, UCLA running back Wayne Knight went untouched for his 13th rushing touchdown of the season. Knight has scored in every game this season and leads the conference in total touchdowns (15), rushing touchdowns (13) and points (90).
Minnesota rallied after trailing 10-0 early in the second quarter. A three-yard touchdown run from Darius Taylor, and a late-quarter field goal by Minnesota’s Luke Drzewiecki — following Dieffenbach’s first of two turnovers — leveled the game at 10-10 entering halftime.
UCLA is 9-0 after an impressive win over the Minnesota, and the Bruins deserve to be the No. 1 team in the College Football Playoff rankings.
“Obviously that can’t happen down in the red zone,” Dieffenbach said of his offensive mistakes, later adding that one of the teams’ mantras is a “next-one mentality.
“Six seconds, every play. And then we move on, good or bad.”
Dieffenbach finished with 303 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and 27 rushing yards, helping offset his interception and fumble.
Facing a fourth and four from the UCLA 38-yard line, Gophers coach PJ Fleck sent Drzewiecki to attempt a 56-yard field goal in the third, but the ball sailed just right of the post. Not even the recovery of a Dieffenbach fumble could spark the Gophers’ offense, as UCLA held Minnesota scoreless through the quarter.
“I wouldn’t really call it magic,” Dieffenbach said. “I’ll call it hard work, starting in January. We own the second half. We own the fourth quarter. We really take pride in that as a team.”
After Minnesota tied it 17-17 on a four-yard touchdown pass, Mizell’s two 75-yard touchdowns put UCLA back in control. The Bruins’ defense forced a late punt with 3:18 remaining — drawing boos from the home crowd after Fleck opted against going for it on the fourth down. Bhaghani then tacked on a 36-yard field goal to put the game out of reach.
“They know what the third, fourth quarter means and then what the fourth quarter in November means,” Chesney said. “More than any other fourth quarter that’s out there up to this point in time.”
UCLA returns home to host Illinois on Nov. 13 at 6 p.m., followed by matchups at Michigan and at home against rival USC.
