Three games into the Bob Chesney era, UCLA has already matched last season’s win total, and the reason is impossible to miss: this team keeps answering the bell.
That was on display again Saturday night in a 52-38 win over Purdue, when the Bruins were staring at a 28-24 deficit in the third quarter and still found a way to pull away. It’s become a pattern through the first three games. UCLA has run into trouble each week, and each time it has fought back and finished the job.
That’s a different look in Westwood.
The clearest example came from Nico Iamaleava, who turned in his best outing of the season while battling through two separate injuries that forced him out of the game at different points. He still completed 19-of-31 passes for 276 yards and three touchdowns with no turnovers, including a 6-yard touchdown throw to Landon Ellis in the fourth quarter that pushed UCLA to 52 points and effectively sealed it.
"What a warrior," Chesney said of his quarterback. "He was pretty nicked up out there in moments, and he just wouldn't come out of that game. He just wanted to keep fighting and keep playing, and I'm sure he's going to feel it a little bit tomorrow morning."
After a frustrating performance against San Diego State last week, Iamaleava bounced back in a big way. Chesney had said after that game that the quarterback would respond, and the staff spent the week working toward that outcome. Iamaleava still had to deliver on Saturday, and he did exactly that, putting together one of the strongest games of his college career.
"Last week, I told you it wasn't his greatest game," Chesney said. "And we talked about that because of that, something good will happen. You watch him go out there today, and I think he was near perfect for a stretch at the beginning of that game finding all kinds of different receivers and being able to carry the ball himself a little bit."
There are still issues to clean up. UCLA’s pass defense had a rough night, giving up 378 yards and three passing touchdowns.
And there will be more challenges ahead. But through three games, Chesney has already established something real in this program: the Bruins believe they can survive the messy stretches and still come out on top.
That matters in a rebuild. UCLA is at least giving itself a chance.
In Other News...
UCLA Fans Have Plenty To Debate After Another High-Scoring Win
UCLA kept the early-season momentum rolling with a 52-38 win over Purdue, and once again the Bruins had enough firepower to make the day feel more like a showcase than a survival test. Morgan found the end zone twice, Nico Iamaleava delivered 276 passing yards and three touchdowns, and the offense piled up enough points to keep pressure on a Purdue team that had its own moments through Ryan Browne and Xavier Townsend.
The part that will linger for Bruins fans, though, is how much there was to sort through even after a win. Sammy Omosigho made his presence felt with multiple defensive plays, including forced fumbles, while Iamaleava worked through an injury scare and still finished the job. For a 3-0 team, that kind of performance brings confidence, but it also leaves plenty to debate about what this group really is when the schedule gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA's First Big Ten Win Felt Like A Real Offensive Arrival
For a program still settling into its Big Ten identity, Saturdays 52-38 win over Purdue looked like more than just a needed breakthrough. UCLA piled up Big Ten-era highs with 52 points and 645 yards of offense, and the production came from all over the field. Wayne Knight powered the ground game with 177 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Nico Iamaleava added 276 passing yards and three scores as the Bruins finally looked like a team that could stress a defense in multiple ways.
The bigger takeaway for UCLA may be that the offensive explosion was matched by timely disruption on the other side. Sammy Omosigho forced two fumbles, giving him a forced takeaway in three straight games and helping keep Purdue from turning the afternoon into a track meet the Bruins could not control. For a team trying to find its footing in a new league, this felt like a performance with some staying power, even if the next test will say more about how real the arrival actually is. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA Finally Showed Its Ceiling And One Lingering Problem
UCLA finally gave a glimpse of the kind of ceiling it has been chasing, and it came in a win that looked explosive from the start. Against Purdue, the Bruins piled up points early with 21 in the first quarter and kept leaning on an offense that found answers on the ground and through the air, with Semaj Morgan and Nico Iamaleava both helping drive the scoring surge. The running game was especially effective, producing 369 rushing yards and multiple touchdowns as UCLA controlled the rhythm of the game.
Still, the result also left the familiar question hanging over a team that can score in bunches. Purdue moved the ball for 488 yards and needed only one snap to strike for a 75-yard touchdown, a reminder that the Bruins were far less tidy on the other side of the ball than the final score suggested. UCLA has shown it can overwhelm an opponent when everything clicks, but the defense remains the part of the profile that keeps the conversation from ending with just one impressive win. [Read more 🡒]