UCLA has spent the last few weeks proving it can win a little differently each time out, and now the No. 9 Bruins get another shot to keep the unbeaten run rolling when Michigan State visits Pasadena on Saturday afternoon.
At 6-0 overall and 4-0 in Big Ten play, UCLA matched its best start since 2022 with last Saturday’s 17-7 win over Wisconsin. When Indiana fell 19-15 to Ohio State, the Bruins ended the week as one of only six undefeated FBS teams.
“It can go one of two ways,” UCLA coach Bob Chesney said of the team's strong start and new top-10 ranking. “One is that, hey, we're trying to prove something, and that's motivation enough.
Or you can look at it and feel like now you've arrived. If our standard is right, this is just more motivation.”
A win would push UCLA closer to its best start since 2005, when the Bruins opened 8-0. Michigan State arrives with the opposite kind of momentum, carrying a five-game skid into the matchup after a 24-21 loss to then-No. 25 Northwestern last Saturday.
The Spartans are 2-5 overall and 0-4 in conference play, and their last two defeats have come by a combined four points. One week earlier, Illinois stopped a potential game-winning two-point conversion in overtime of a 38-37 loss on Oct. 10.
“Right back to work to find a way to squeeze out those last couple plays. That's where we are these last two games,” Spartans coach Pat Fitzgerald said in his Monday press conference.
Michigan State also needs more from its ground game. The Spartans are tied for 118th in the FBS at 119.1 rushing yards per game, and their 89-yard output last week marked the third time this season they have failed to crack 100 on the ground.
UCLA has dealt with rushing issues of its own over the past two games, a stretch that overlaps with the knee injury to dual-threat quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Chesney said Monday that Iamaleava likely will need surgery, which leaves Ty Dieffenbach as the expected quarterback moving forward.
Dieffenbach took over after Iamaleava left UCLA’s 17-15 win Oct. 10 at then-No. 13 Oregon and connected on a second-half touchdown pass to running back Wayne Knight. He only threw six passes in that game, completing three, but handled a much bigger workload against Wisconsin.
Against the Badgers, Dieffenbach finished 22-for-33 for 264 yards as Wisconsin focused on slowing the Bruins’ run game. UCLA ran for 140 yards on 47 carries at Oregon, then followed with 120 yards on 37 attempts against Wisconsin.
Knight was held to 23 yards on 13 carries by Wisconsin, but he still extended his streak of scoring at least one touchdown in every game in 2026. He enters Saturday with 11 touchdowns.
Michigan State has done a decent job against the run overall, allowing just under 4 yards per carry this season, and the Spartans will try to make Knight work for everything he gets. Fitzgerald said UCLA’s back brings more than one problem.
“He's got really good contact strength; he runs through tackles,” Fitzgerald said of Knight. “And then he's got the speed to take it the distance.”
In Other News...
Why UCLA Crowd Numbers Suddenly Feel Different At The Rose Bowl
The numbers at the Rose Bowl have started to tell a different story this fall, and it is changing how UCLA football crowds are being read in real time. What used to be announced as attendance was often based on tickets distributed, which could make the official figure look fuller than the stands actually felt on game day. Now, the school is using tickets scanned at the gate, a shift that brings the public count closer to the actual turnstile traffic.
That helps explain why the eye test and the game-day announcement may not line up exactly, especially with parts of the stadium affected by renovations and tarps covering some seats. The recent Wisconsin game was announced at 36,045, a total that matched the scanned-ticket count, offering a clearer picture of what UCLA is drawing at the Rose Bowl even if the building still looks different from its official capacity. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA Fans Finally Get An Early Look At Cronins New Roster
Mick Cronins next UCLA roster will finally be on display for fans this fall, and the first chance to get a look comes in the preseason at Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins are set to open their 2026-2027 exhibition slate there, with the game available on the Big Ten Networks streaming service and through UCLAs radio network, giving supporters an early read on how the new group is coming together.
For UCLA, the matchup is less about the scoreboard than the sorting process that comes with a fresh team. The exhibition is the first of two before the regular season begins, a useful test for the staff as it evaluates players, builds chemistry and starts to answer the most basic questions about who fits where. Another exhibition is still on the calendar later in the month, leaving a little more time for the rotation picture to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA May Have Found Its Winning Formula Without Nico Iamaleava
UCLAs unbeaten start kept rolling at the Rose Bowl with a 17-7 win over Wisconsin, a result that pushed the Bruins to 6-0 and again put their depth on display. With Nico Iamaleava unavailable, backup quarterback Ty Dieffenbach stepped in and managed the offense well enough to keep UCLA on course, while the defense took care of the rest by smothering Wisconsin for most of the afternoon.
Dieffenbachs first UCLA start gave the Bruins a steadier look than many expected, and his 22 completions helped the offense do just enough to support a unit that has carried plenty of the load early in the season. The bigger question now is how UCLA handles the quarterback situation moving forward after Iamaleava was sidelined by the injury he suffered against Oregon, especially with the Bruins suddenly looking like a team that has found a workable formula either way. [Read more 🡒]