UCLA gets its Big Ten opener at the Rose Bowl on Saturday night, and the Bruins will try to stretch their winning streak to three when Purdue comes to Pasadena, Calif., for an 8 p.m. kickoff on Sept. 19. The game will air on Big Ten Network.
It’s a familiar matchup in one sense and a long-absent one in another. UCLA and Purdue have met five times before, with the Bruins holding a 3-0-2 edge, but this will be their first meeting since 1980 and their first as Big Ten members.
The Bruins are coming off a 28-10 win over San Diego State last Saturday in Bob Chesney’s first game at the Rose Bowl as head coach. UCLA was locked in a scoreless first half before breaking loose for 21 points in the fourth quarter for the second straight week. The defense kept the Aztecs to 45 passing yards, the fewest UCLA has allowed since 2009, when Oregon was held to 42.
Wayne Knight kept rolling with three more rushing touchdowns, and his 36-yard score pushed him past 2,000 rushing yards for his five-year career. Jaivian Thomas added UCLA’s other rushing touchdown, his second in a Bruin uniform. Semaj Morgan turned in career-best numbers with six catches for 73 yards, while linebacker Jalen Woods picked off his first career interception in the fourth quarter and helped set up a Bruins touchdown.
Knight’s start has been historic. He became the first Bruin in program history to open his career with six total touchdowns, not counting passing scores.
He’s also the eighth UCLA player since 1970 - and the first since Zach Charbonnet in 2022 - to score six touchdowns over a two-game span. Entering Week 3, Knight is tied for the national lead in rushing touchdowns, total touchdowns and points scored, and he also sits ninth in yards per carry at 8.0.
UCLA’s new look has been a major part of the early-season story. The Bruins brought in a Big Ten-high 46 transfer student-athletes and 17 true freshmen this offseason, and 41 players have already made their Bruin debuts through two games. All 12 transfers with James Madison ties have seen the field.
That group includes Knight and junior defensive lineman Sahir West. Knight was a 2025 Paul Hornung Award finalist and Associated Press second-team All-American after setting a school record with 2,039 all-purpose yards, including 1,373 rushing, 397 receiving, 180 on punt returns and 89 on kickoff returns.
He enters Saturday with 1,908 career rushing yards, just 92 shy of 2,000. West, meanwhile, arrives after being named the 2025 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year.
He posted 45 tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks and one forced fumble last season, and he set a Sun Belt Championship game record with 5.5 tackles for loss while adding 3.0 sacks against Troy on Dec. 5, 2025.
Defensively, senior linebacker Sammy Omosigho has been everywhere in his first two games as a Bruin. He forced a fumble and led UCLA in tackles for loss in both outings, and against San Diego State he finished with seven tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss.
In Week 1 at California, Omosigho earned Chuck Bednarik Award Player of the Week honors after piling up 14 tackles, including seven solo stops, plus 2.0 tackles for loss and a strip-sack. Before UCLA, he spent 2023-25 at Oklahoma, where he totaled 96 tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and one forced fumble in 37 games.
At quarterback, Nico Iamaleava is back for year two at UCLA in 2026. Last season, he completed 208 of 323 passes for 1,928 yards with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while averaging 175.3 passing yards over 11 games.
He also led the Bruins in rushing with 505 yards on 112 carries and four touchdowns. That rushing total ranked third among Big Ten quarterbacks, and he was one of only two in the league to post positive rushing yardage in every game he played.
Iamaleava was named to the Maxwell Award preseason watch list on Aug. 3 and later landed on the 2026 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year watch list on Aug. 20.
Saturday’s game will be carried by Jason Horowitz, Brock Vereen and Kelsie Kasper on Big Ten Network. On the UCLA Audio Network, Josh Lewin, Matt Stevens and Wayne Cook will have the call on KABC-AM 790. SiriusXM will carry the game on radio channels 177 and 231, and on the app at 955.
In Other News...
UCLA Just Made A Big Student Section Push At The Perfect Time
UCLA Athletics is making a major student-section play at a time when the Bruins could use every bit of energy they can get. Starting Saturday, admission to all regular-season home football, mens basketball and womens basketball games will be free for UCLA students, a move that should make it easier to pack the seats and give the program a more consistent home-edge feel across its biggest sports.
Students will be able to claim complimentary tickets through their student ticket accounts, and those who already bought 2026-27 Den Passes are set to receive refunds. The school also outlined details on guest tickets and transportation options, a sign UCLA is not just opening the door wider but trying to make the whole game-day experience simpler for students to show up and stay involved. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA Defense Is Showing Real Promise Despite One Lingering Concern
UCLAs Week Two win over San Diego State offered another encouraging sign that the defense is starting to take shape, even if there is still one area worth watching. The interior defensive line held up well enough overall, and the edge rush helped squeeze the Aztecs passing game into just 45 yards while the secondary erased much of what was available downfield.
Jalen Woods and Sammy Omosigho were especially noticeable in the middle, with Woods coming away with an interception and both linebackers helping create tackles for loss. The front seven and the defensive backfield both flashed in ways the Bruins can build on, but the run defense gave up 144 rushing yards, leaving one lingering concern for a unit that otherwise looked increasingly reliable. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA Is Spotlighting One Of Woodens Most Decorated Bruins Ever
John Wicks remains one of the defining names from UCLAs golden run under John Wooden, and the school is putting fresh attention on a career that still stands out in the programs long history. In three seasons in Westwood, he helped deliver a National Championship each year while stacking up major individual honors, including National Player of the Year and Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.
His resume did not stop at college. Wicks was a two-time consensus All-American before UCLA retired his No. 35 jersey, and he went on to become the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA draft, where he won Rookie of the Year and later made four All-Star teams. The latest spotlight on him is another reminder of how central he was to the Bruins identity, both in the Wooden era and beyond. [Read more 🡒]