Aidan Mizell keeps showing up as UCLA’s big-play answer.
Six days after ripping off two 75-yard touchdowns in the fourth quarter against Minnesota, the receiver was back at it Friday night in a rainy Rose Bowl, catching six passes for 176 yards as the Bruins beat Illinois 22-14. More than half of UCLA’s receiving yards came through Mizell, and for stretches of the night he had more receiving yards than the Bruins had passing yards.
He wasted no time making his mark. On UCLA’s opening drive, Mizell slipped behind the defense and turned it into a 54-yard touchdown catch, a jolt for an offense that had spent part of the week talking about Illinois’ ability to take away explosive plays.
Later, in the second quarter, he took a short six-yard out, cut all the way across the field and turned it into a 63-yard gain. Of his 176 yards, 100 came after the catch.
“He’s a great receiver,” UCLA quarterback Ty Dieffenbach said. “You see what he does with the ball after he catches it.”
Mizell’s rise over the last two weeks has given UCLA a new layer in the passing game, especially after a start to the season that barely included him. He played in just one of the Bruins’ first three games, then recorded his first catch of the year in game four - an 83-yard touchdown. That slow build has now turned into a major role.
“We knew who he was, we knew what he’s capable of, and we just needed to get him healthy,” UCLA head coach Bob Chesney said. “And if you remember back, he missed a couple of the first games just because he wasn’t there yet, and now he is. So it’s what we thought.”
The timing has worked out for UCLA and for Dieffenbach, another first-year transfer in Westwood, coming from Cal Poly. Mizell arrived from Florida, and both players began the year as second-string options before being pushed into bigger jobs. The connection has grown steadily, first in January and then through spring ball and fall camp.
“Throwing on the weekends in January and then moving into spring ball, [we were] building that connection,” Dieffenbach said. “In fall camp, we really hit it off. We were both hooping with the twos.”
Mizell’s numbers tell the story of a receiver who can swing a game in a hurry. He has only 15 catches this season, with two games without a reception and three more with just one. But those 15 catches have produced 501 yards, an average of 33.4 yards per catch.
That kind of production has made him a perfect fit for Dieffenbach’s arm strength and a needed deep threat for an offense that often leans on its running backs. With Mikey Matthews missing most of the season and Brian Rowe out Friday because of illness, Mizell has become even more important than UCLA may have expected when the year began. He was targeted nine times on the Bruins’ 27 pass attempts against Illinois.
Last week, he helped Dieffenbach pile up 303 passing yards on just eight completions. Against Illinois, he kept the passing game alive when little else was working.
“Just the way he’s been able to step up - guys are going down right now, and we need other guys to step up,” Dieffenbach said. “The way everyone steps up, Aidan in particular, it’s just awesome.”
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UCLA Stayed Unbeaten But One Offensive Problem Isnt Going Away
UCLA kept its unbeaten season intact in Week 11 with a 22-14 win over Illinois, but the way it got there again pointed to a familiar concern. Jacksons interceptions helped swing the game in the Bruins favor, and Morgans late touchdown reception provided the cushion they needed, yet the offense never really found a rhythm on the ground.
The rushing attack was ineffective, and that remains the part of UCLAs profile that could matter most as the season moves on. The Bruins have survived it so far, but if they want the offense to be more dependable against better competition, the running game is going to have to start carrying more of the load. [Read more 🡒]
UCLAs Unbeaten Start Suddenly Hinges On One Troubling Game Concern
Rainy nights at the Rose Bowl can turn into survival tests, and UCLA got one of those on Saturday. Aidan Mizell helped steady the offense with a huge first half, piling up 157 yards and a touchdown, while the defense kept creating extra chances by forcing multiple turnovers to help the Bruins hold their lead over Illinois.
The bigger concern came when quarterback Ty Dieffenbach went down with a left shoulder injury, briefly putting the offense in a tougher spot. He did return later and found the end zone with a touchdown pass, but the way UCLA managed the game after the injury only underscored how much the unbeaten start now depends on the health of a few key players. [Read more 🡒]
UCLAs Perfect Start Now Hinges On One Scary Ty Dieffenbach Concern
UCLA kept its perfect start intact with a 22-14 win over Illinois, but the bigger storyline out of the game was the health of Ty Dieffenbach. The Bruins quarterback still managed to steer the offense effectively, throwing for 232 yards and two touchdowns while Aidan Mizell turned in a big day with 176 receiving yards and a score.
The defense did its part to protect the lead, forcing a safety and getting two interceptions from Scooter Jackson to help close it out. Even with the win in hand, the concern around Dieffenbach lingers as UCLA moves forward, because the Bruins have shown enough already to know how much their ceiling depends on him staying on the field. [Read more 🡒]