For the first time since 2005, UCLA is 7-0, and Week 8 gave the Bruins another clear look at which players are driving that climb. The momentum is real, and so is the stock rise for a few names who kept showing up when it mattered.
Anthony Woods shook off an early mistake and turned into the spark UCLA needed in the backfield. In the first quarter against Michigan State, he had the ball stripped, and the Spartans cashed in with a fumble return that set up a score a few plays later and gave them the lead.
After that, though, Woods was excellent. He finished with 14 carries for 112 yards and a touchdown, giving UCLA a strong bounce-back effort out of the backfield.
With Wayne Knight’s status still up in the air for the next matchup against Nevada, Woods could wind up carrying a major load again.
Semaj Morgan also continued to make his case as the Bruins’ go-to receiver. Over the past few weeks, he has clearly separated himself from the rest of the wideout room, and it now looks like he’ll be the top target moving forward.
That mattered even more with Dieffenbach taking over as the starter, and Morgan answered with seven catches on 10 targets for 70 yards against Michigan State. He remains UCLA’s leading receiver this season, though he only has 383 yards total.
No Bruins wideout has gone for 100-plus yards in a game yet, but Morgan looks like the best bet to be the first.
Then there’s Ty Dieffenbach, whose rise has become impossible to ignore. After Nico Iamaleava’s season-ending injury, there was plenty of concern around the program, but Dieffenbach has helped flip that mood completely. With two solid outings and two wins under his belt, he has taken control of the offense and helped push UCLA to No. 7 in the country, which is a spot few would have expected before the season.
There are plenty of players who could be mentioned in a stock report like this, and Bob Chesney deserves credit for how well his team keeps answering the call. Week after week, players lower on the depth chart have stepped up when needed, and that has been a huge part of UCLA’s run.
In Other News...
USC's Lincoln Riley Pressure Just Got Harder To Ignore
USCs latest stumble at Wisconsin has only sharpened the contrast in Los Angeles, where the Trojans are trying to steady themselves in Lincoln Rileys fifth season while UCLA keeps rolling through a spotless start under first-year coach Bob Chesney. For Bruins fans, it is the kind of comparison that matters beyond crosstown bragging rights, because the two programs are headed in opposite directions at a time when both are trying to define who they are this fall.
Rileys comments after the loss did little to quiet the pressure, and the road only gets steeper from here with Ohio State, Indiana and UCLA next on USCs schedule. The Trojans are still in the fight to keep their playoff hopes alive, but every week now feels like another test of whether Riley can pull the season back together before the rivalry game arrives with far more than pride at stake. [Read more 🡒]
UCLAs Undefeated Start Is Highlighting An Unexpected Bruins Strength
UCLAs undefeated start has been built on more than just a hot beginning. Even as injuries have tested the roster, Bob Chesney has kept the Bruins moving by getting meaningful production from players further down the depth chart, and that next-man-up response has become a defining part of the early season. TaShawn James, Semaj Morgan and Ty Dieffenbach have all helped keep the team competitive when the lineup has shifted around them.
For a program trying to protect a perfect record, that kind of readiness matters just as much as star power. The Bruins have already shown they can absorb setbacks without letting the season slip off course, which is exactly the kind of trait that can keep a team alive deep into the fall. The bigger question now is whether that depth can keep holding up as the schedule gets tougher and the injuries keep forcing new players into bigger roles. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA's Undefeated Run Added A Sideline Moment Fans Couldn't Ignore
UCLA kept its undefeated start rolling with a 28-10 win over Michigan State at the Rose Bowl, moving to 7-0 and keeping its College Football Playoff hopes squarely in view. The Bruins did not make it easy on themselves early, but they settled in after halftime and did enough to control the game, a welcome sign for a team trying to protect a special season.
Bob Chesney pointed to the rough opening stretch as the kind of mistake-filled start that can swing a game if it lingers, but UCLA steadied itself and finished stronger than it began. Beyond the box score, the afternoon also drew an unexpected wave of attention on social media, where one sideline moment quickly became part of the broader conversation around the Bruins' latest win. [Read more 🡒]