UCLA’s 28-10 win over Michigan State in Week 8 kept the Bruins rolling, and it also gave fans plenty to talk about as the unbeaten start kept the playoff conversation alive. At 7-0, UCLA looks like it belongs in the College Football Playoffs picture, and Bob Chesney’s team kept building that case with a strong second-half push.
The defensive front and linebacking group drew plenty of praise after the home win, especially after the Bruins shook off a slow offensive start. Donavyn Pellot helped swing momentum with a key second-quarter interception, a play that set up a Wayne Knight touchdown and gave UCLA’s sideline a lift.
Woods is incredible at reading, identifying, and hitting those gaps
Calling it now Sammy Omosigho follows in the footsteps of Carson Schwesinger before him, dude is ridiculously good
Sammy Omosigho turned in another huge night as well, finishing with a fumble recovery, 6 total tackles, 2 sacks, and 2 tackles for loss. Fans have been talking up his season for a while now, and this outing only added to that buzz.
Sammy Omosigho tonight:5 solo tackles1 Assisted Tackle2 SacksBest LB in the country pic.twitter.com/ISEBz0VhVJ
Jalen Woods was right there with him. He led the team with 9 total tackles, along with 1 sack and 1 tackle for loss, continuing a season that has made the linebacking duo one of the biggest bright spots on the roster.
On the ground, UCLA showed off the “three-headed monster” in full force. Jet Thomas, Wayne Knight and Anthony Woods all scored touchdowns, and the Bruins piled up 245 rushing yards against Michigan State. Anthony Woods led that trio with 112 yards on 14 carries, while Troy Leigber chipped in late with 21 yards on 2 carries.
JET THOMAS HAS A TOUCHDOWN.WAYNE KNIGHT HAS A TOUCHDOWN.ANTHONY WOODS HAS A TOUCHDOWN.THIS THREE HEADED MONSTER AT RB IS KILLERRRRRR.
The run game was not perfect, though, with fumbles by Anthony Woods and Jaivian Thomas standing out as the main blemishes. Even so, UCLA still controlled the line of scrimmage and produced enough balance to keep the Spartans at arm’s length.
Dieffenbach has also become a major talking point among Bruins fans, with many saying he has changed the feel of the offense. Against Michigan State, he completed 18 of 31 passes for 198 yards and a touchdown, another solid outing in a season where supporters believe he has cleaned things up under center.
Ty Dieffenbach is an upgrade from Nico Iamaleava pic.twitter.com/TDp6gVW22H
I believe Ty Dieffenbach has actually played better this year at UCLA than Nico Iamaleava has in his chunk of games. A lot of these throws, Nico just wasn’t making.
Not everyone is sold on UCLA as a true playoff threat, even with the top-10 AP ranking and a schedule that appears manageable the rest of the way. Some fans remain skeptical and have gone as far as calling the Bruins fraudulent, even comparing them to the 2024 Indiana team that reached the playoff and lost in the first round.
UCLA is about to be a bigger fraud playoff team than Indiana in 2024
In Other News...
UCLAs 7-0 Start Now Hinges On One Emerging Question
UCLA kept its perfect start intact with a 28-10 home win over Michigan State, but the Bruins did not exactly cruise through it. Ty Dieffenbach helped drive the offense with a 63-yard touchdown pass, Anthony Woods bounced back from an early fumble to run for 112 yards and a score, and the defense delivered a timely swing play when Donovyn Pellot picked off a Michigan State drive deep in UCLA territory.
The bigger concern, though, is what happens next if Dieffenbach is less than fully settled. He was able to come back after briefly going down in pain late in the first half, and UCLA certainly benefited from having him available again after the break. With the Bruins sitting at 7-0, the question now is how much that scare lingers for a team that has looked increasingly dependent on its quarterback staying upright and steady. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley Just Raised The Stakes For UCLA Fans
Lincoln Rileys fifth season at USC has already felt like a test of patience, with the highs and lows arriving in equal measure. The Trojans have shown what they can be when things click, most notably the 11-1 run in 2022, but last seasons 6-6 finish and the lingering defensive issues have kept the temperature around the program from ever really cooling off.
Still, the recent stretch has given USC a little more momentum heading into a tougher run of games against ranked opponents, which matters plenty on the Westside as well. For UCLA fans, the larger point is simple: if Rileys team is starting to steady itself now, the rivalry stakes only get heavier from here, and the next few weeks could tell a lot about whether this season becomes a reset or another round of familiar questions. [Read more 🡒]
UCLAs Playoff Push Now Rests On Three Bruins Against Michigan State
UCLA heads into its matchup with Michigan State trying to keep its playoff momentum rolling, and a lot of the focus is on how the offense continues to settle around new starting quarterback Ty Dieffenbach. The Bruins have had enough early success to make this feel like more than just another home game, especially with Michigan State coming in as a struggling opponent that offers UCLA a chance to stay on track in front of its own crowd.
A big part of that next step will come from the supporting cast around Dieffenbach, especially Jalen Saint Paul and Wayne Knight. Saint Paul gave the quarterback a dependable outlet in the last game, while Knight is looking to put a rough outing behind him and remind UCLA what he can add to the attack. With the Bruins trying to keep their College Football Playoff push alive, this feels like one of those games where the offense has to show it can keep building instead of just surviving. [Read more 🡒]