No. 9 UCLA’s fast start has been built on a lot more than one big strength. The Bruins are 6-0, and while the rushing attack and defense have drawn plenty of attention, the passing game has kept showing off a different kind of edge: depth, trust and a willingness to let whoever is open become the answer.
That’s been the story of UCLA’s receiving room, where one week after another, a different player seems ready to grab the spotlight. Senior Semaj Morgan leads the Bruins with 313 yards, but Brian Rowe Jr., Landon Ellis and Aidan Mizel have all delivered their own standout moments. The result is an offense that never looks locked into just one option.
Head coach Bob Chesney said the Bruins have leaned into that flexibility all season.
"You just never know what matchup is going to favor us or where they intend to roll their coverages or how they do different things that they might be doing defensively," Chesney said. "We've got to take what they're giving us and I thought we have enough weapons that we can do that."
That showed up clearly in UCLA’s win over Wisconsin at the Rose Bowl. With senior quarterback Ty Dieffenbach making his first FBS start, the Bruins needed targets who could win their battles and finish the job. Ellis did exactly that, hauling in two huge catches that went for 57 yards.
Morgan was part of that effort too, and Chesney pointed to the kind of plays that can swing a game.
"Teams are going to try to take something away, so other people have to be able to step up and make plays," Chesney said. " And there's no doubt that I think all of them -There were some heroic catches out there.
Braden's catch on that third down was as big a part of this game as any. Landon's on the sideline over back in the end zone back in the end zone...
Semaj is the one that gets targeted over the middle of the field. What a warrior... to be able to take that hit, hold onto the football, bounce right back up."
For a receiving group that wasn’t supposed to carry this much of the load, the early blow of senior wide receiver Mikey Mathews going down in the second game could have thrown everything off. Instead, the room tightened up and moved forward together, turning an early setback into another reason to stay locked in.
Morgan said that kind of shared responsibility is new to him in the best way.
"It feels great, because my past few years I haven't really been in a receiver core that any given day anybody can go up," Morgan said. "So it just feels good. Coach Lock [Collin Locket] talks about it all the time - We've all got to be ready no matter what."
That has become the identity of the unit. UCLA’s receivers are not trying to replace one another.
They’re built to keep answering in whichever form the game demands. And Morgan said the group’s preparation leaves no room for anything else.
"Just being able to see guys in our room being at practice one day, then the next day they're out for the season, I feel like that just all pushes us [to be] drivers," Morgan said. "Any one of us can be up at any time, so we all gotta be ready That's just a credit to the way we prepare.
Everything is meticulous. Everything down to every single small detail."
In Other News...
UCLA Gets An Early Chance To Prove Its Big Ten Status
UCLA enters the season with some immediate credibility, landing at No. 22 in the preseason AP poll after a roster reset that still feels familiar in key places. Trent Perry, Eric Dailey and Xavier Booker are back, giving the Bruins a returning core, while the addition of transfers Jaylen Petty, Filip Jovic and Sergej Macura adds needed depth as they settle into their first year in the Big Ten spotlight.
The first real test arrives quickly, with No. 5 Arizona waiting on Nov. 2 in the regular-season opener. UCLA has already had a secret scrimmage, and Petty and Jovic reportedly made a strong impression in that setting, which only adds to the intrigue around how ready this group might be when the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA's 6-0 Start Has Three Bruins Changing The Season Outlook
UCLAs unbeaten start got another boost at home against Wisconsin, and the Bruins are beginning to look less like a pleasant surprise and more like a team with real staying power. The win pushed them to 6-0, with Ty Dieffenbach giving the offense a steadier shape and Semaj Morgan continuing to emerge as a dependable target in the passing game.
Defensively, Jalen Woods was right in the middle of it, helping set the tone for a unit that kept Wisconsin from settling in. The combination of a more settled passing attack, a trustworthy receiving option and Woods presence on defense is changing how this team is being viewed, and UCLA now has the kind of balance that can carry a season much further than early optimism usually does. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA Stayed Perfect But One Concern Just Got Harder To Ignore
UCLA kept its perfect run intact in Week 7 with a home win over Wisconsin, but the kind of issues that can linger into bigger games were hard to miss. The Bruins had to deal with a quarterback who created trouble as a runner, and that sort of dual-threat pressure is the type of wrinkle that can test a defense even when the result still goes in the win column.
The discipline piece was just as notable. UCLA was flagged eight times for 78 yards, the kind of self-inflicted damage that can quietly chip away at momentum as the schedule tightens. With Jayden Maiava waiting on the remaining slate and offering a similar rushing challenge, the Bruins may need a cleaner answer soon if they want to keep the same margin for error. [Read more 🡒]