UCLA’s 5-0 start under Bob Chesney has the Bruins looking like a team that can force its way into the College Football Playoff conversation, and the latest win only cranked up the noise.
That wasn’t a soft opening, either. UCLA went to Oregon as a double-digit underdog and walked out with a 17-15 win over the No.
13 Ducks. After a 3-9 season last year, the Bruins are suddenly ranked No. 12 nationally and, at least for now, look capable of hanging around with teams like Indiana and Ohio State near the top of the Big Ten.
What’s changed so fast? According to anonymous college football insiders who spoke to Antonio Morales of The Athletic, the answer starts with Chesney and the way his staff carry themselves.
One college football general manager drew the comparison to Curt Cignetti’s arrival at Indiana, saying, “You can see by looking over at their sidelines they expect to win, the same way Cignetti did when he took over Indiana.”
That confidence has shown up in the results, and it has also shown up in the way UCLA has built this start. The Bruins have a chance to keep the momentum rolling all the way through the fall, and looking at what’s left, an undefeated season is very much on the table.
Wisconsin, which is 4-1 but has already been beaten soundly by Notre Dame, 41-13, looks manageable in Pasadena. After that, UCLA gets Michigan State, Nevada, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan and No. 19 USC - a stretch that, on paper, gives the Bruins a real shot to keep stacking wins if they keep playing at their current level.
The wrinkle is quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who is likely to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. That matters, because while UCLA’s offense is built around the run game, Iamaleava has been a part of what makes it work.
Still, the Bruins have answers. Wayne Knight has been the featured runner, piling up 548 yards and 11 total touchdowns, and UCLA can also turn to Anthony Woods and Jaivian Thomas behind him. Up front, the line has been boosted by two James Madison transfers who came over with Chesney: center Riley Robell and guard Carter Sweazie.
That interior has helped power the ground game, and one assistant general manager said UCLA has been better there than expected.
“They did a really good job with making sure they were in a good spot there, a lot better than I thought it’d be,” the assistant general manager said. “And it’s what’s popping their run game.”
In Other News...
UCLA's Unbeaten Start Suddenly Faces Its Biggest Stress Test
UCLAs 5-0 start has given the program real momentum, but the unbeaten run now comes with a jolt nobody wanted. With Nico Iamaleava sidelined by a season-ending knee injury, the Bruins have to pivot to Ty Dieffenbach at quarterback and lean even harder on the parts of the roster that have carried them through the first month-plus of the season.
The timing makes the next step especially tricky, because Wisconsin arrives with a winning record and a defense that should force UCLA to prove its start was built on more than early confidence. If the Bruins are going to keep the streak alive, it figures to come down to how well they protect the football, stay physical on the ground and let their own defense keep the game manageable while a new quarterback settles in. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA's Defense Is Forcing A Big Ten Debate Fans Can't Ignore
UCLAs latest win offered another reminder of why its defense has become the teams defining trait early in the season. By forcing seven turnovers, the Bruins kept their record spotless and pushed themselves into the AP top 15, a surge that has turned a once-local strength into a conference-wide talking point. The front seven has done a strong job against the run, and the overall takeaway production has given UCLA an edge few teams can match.
Still, the Big Tens best-defense debate is not a simple one, even with the Bruins drawing so much attention. There are enough holes in the profile to keep the conversation open, especially when opponents can test them through the air, and past results have made it harder to declare the question settled. For now, UCLA has done the most important thing a defense can do: force everyone else to keep asking how high its ceiling might be. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Catches Oregon At A Very Unsettled Time
Nebraska is getting Oregon at a particularly messy moment, with the Ducks trying to sort through their quarterback situation before Saturday. Dante Moore is listed as out on the injury report, and head coach Dan Lanning said the position is still under evaluation after a stretch of poor offensive showings, leaving Dylan Raiola and Brock Thomas to compete for the job in Moores absence.
Lanning also left open the possibility of changes in how Oregon attacks Nebraska, including who handles the play-calling, though he stopped well short of spelling out any specifics. For a team that entered the season with high expectations, the timing is awkward, and it gives Nebraska a chance to catch a conference rival still searching for answers at the most important spot on the field. [Read more 🡒]