UCLA’s perfect start has put the Bruins in the national spotlight, but Bob Chesney isn’t interested in letting that shine distract his team.
The No. 8 Bruins, 8-0 overall and 5-0 in Big Ten play, head to Minneapolis on Saturday afternoon for a road game against Minnesota, and Chesney’s message has been simple: keep the focus where it belongs. He pointed to what he called the two most meaningless numbers in college sports - the halftime score and a team’s record entering November - and made it clear that the only month that matters is the one ahead.
“I told them the two most meaningless statistics in all of college sports is the score at halftime -- that’s ‘1A’ -- and ‘1B’ is your record going into November,” Chesney said. “November obviously is what matters.”
So far, UCLA has given him plenty to like. The Bruins have won seven of eight games by double digits, and last week they handled Nevada 27-0.
Their only close call came in a 17-15 win over then-No. 13 Oregon on Oct. 10, a game that carried a major cost when quarterback Nico Iamaleava tore his ACL and was lost for the season.
Since then, Ty Dieffenbach has stepped in and settled the position. He’ll make his fourth start against the Golden Gophers after throwing for 683 yards with three touchdowns and one interception, while also adding a rushing score.
UCLA’s ground game has been just as dangerous, with Wayne Knight powering the attack. The Bruins running back has racked up 680 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 6.2 yards per carry.
Minnesota, meanwhile, gets another shot at a top-tier opponent after a brutal finish last week. The Golden Gophers fell 23-16 in overtime to then-No.
4 Indiana, a game that featured 60-yard field goals from both teams in the final 19 seconds of regulation. Now at 5-3 overall and 3-2 in conference play, Minnesota is trying to move one step closer to bowl eligibility.
Drake Lindsey has been the centerpiece of the offense, throwing for 1,592 yards and 10 touchdowns with six interceptions. TJ Thomas has added 379 rushing yards and one score, Darius Taylor has 217 rushing yards and five touchdowns, and Javon Tracy leads the team with 46 catches for 460 yards and a touchdown.
Lindsey said the Gophers have already shown they can respond after a setback, pointing to their 13-10 win over then-No. 15 Iowa on Oct. 24.
“The ups and downs have not affected this team, which is awesome,” Lindsey said. “That definitely can creep into locker rooms, and it hasn’t at all in this locker room. That’s a testament to coach (PJ) Fleck, our coaches and then all the players.”
Chesney, for his part, sees the challenge in plain terms. He called for his team to bring the kind of edge that survives a noon kickoff on the road and whatever swings the game throws at them.
“Toughness,” Chesney said. “Toughness.
This is as tough a team as we’ve faced and probably will face. Playing at their place, early start (noon), all the things that come with it, there are going to be uncomfortable moments that are going to occur throughout the course of this game, and we’ve got to make sure that we understand that practicing that mental toughness, practicing that physical toughness, practicing that emotional toughness are all things that have got to be worked on now (in practice).
“We’ve done a great job of it all year. But again, it’s November. Things are heightened just a little bit more.”
In Other News...
Gophers Face One Brutal Test If They Want To Shock UCLA
Minnesota gets back to Huntington Bank Stadium on Saturday morning with a chance to reset after a tough overtime loss to Indiana, but the assignment could hardly be more demanding. The Gophers are 5-3 and now draw an unbeaten UCLA team that has turned defense into its calling card, with FOX carrying the 11 a.m. kickoff and KFXN-100.3 FM on the radio side.
For Minnesota, the challenge goes beyond simply slowing down the Bruins. The Gophers have had trouble finding consistency on offense, and now they have to navigate that against one of the nations most disruptive defenses while dealing with a banged-up skill group. Tight ends Pierce Walsh and Julian Johnson are doubtful, leaving Minnesota with even less margin for error in a game that already looks like a brutal test. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Are Quietly Building A Regional Pipeline Fans Will Love
The Red River Valley has become a familiar stop on Minnesotas football map, and this season three players from the area are already contributing for the Gophers in Riley Sunram, Karter Menz and Mason Carrier. For P.J. Fleck, that kind of local presence fits the way he has long talked about recruiting, with the Dakotas and Minnesota treated as in-state territory in the programs eyes.
What makes the trend notable is that it does not appear to be a one-off class or a lucky stretch of geography. Minnesota is already seeing more traction in that region, and the next wave could deepen the connection even further as the Gophers continue to build relationships there. If that momentum holds, the program may be turning a nearby pipeline into a lasting part of its roster construction. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Just Took Another Hit In The Cade Tyson Saga
Cade Tysons path back onto a college court took another turn this week, and it is not the one Minnesota wanted to hear. A federal appeals court ruled Tyson remains ineligible to play this season, leaving the Gophers without the scorer who led them a year ago and extending the uncertainty around one of the more unusual eligibility cases in the sport.
Tyson is still exploring other legal options, with an eye on getting back on the floor for the 2026-27 season. For Minnesota, the immediate issue is simple enough: a roster already trying to move forward now has to do it without knowing whether one of its most productive recent players will eventually have another shot, and the latest ruling only deepens the wait. [Read more 🡒]