Wisconsin comes out of its bye week and heads to the Rose Bowl for a matchup with No. 12 UCLA, a team that has gone from surprise story to legitimate problem in a hurry.
The Bruins are 5-0 after beating Oregon, and Bruin247 reporter Connor Morrissette says the run has been about more than just results. It’s been about the way Coach Chesney has reshaped the program.
“The season has been much better than expected so far, and it's been because of the culture Chesney has established and his ability to squeeze as much as he possibly can out of his roster,” Morrissette said. “Chesney and the UCLA coaches give the Bruins a chance in every game they play.
The team trusts the staff, and they can win in different ways as evidenced by scoring 52 points in a win over Purdue but needing only 17 to beat Oregon. The team is fundamentally sound and completely bought in.”
That buy-in has shown up in the portal, too. Morrissette pointed to the staff’s transfer evaluations and the way they carried over James Madison’s running game to UCLA as key reasons the Bruins are sitting in the top 15.
The biggest immediate change for UCLA is under center. Nico Iamaleava tore his ACL against Oregon and Ty Dieffenbach is now the starter moving forward.
Morrissette described him as a 6-foot-6 quarterback with a live arm and enough mobility to keep the offense moving. He also brings game experience, having started at Cal Poly last season.
UCLA’s offense is built around the ground game, and that starts with Wayne Knight, Anthony Woods and Jaivian Thomas. The three backs have formed a dangerous trio behind an offensive line that has been better than expected. Dean Kennedy’s system has leaned heavily on line pulls, fakes and quarterback read options, all designed to stress defenses snap after snap.
The Bruins don’t have one receiver who jumps off the page, but they do have plenty of usable pieces. Semaj Morgan, Brian Rowe, Landon Ellis, Leland Smith and Aidan Mizell have all contributed in different spots, and Wisconsin will need to account for all of them.
UCLA has been just as impressive on defense. Edge rusher Sahir West and linebacker Sammy Omosigho headline a group that has real talent across the board.
Omosigho, in particular, has stood out. Linebacker Jalen Woods has also been excellent, and Morrissette said the new staff has completely unlocked the fifth year senior after some uneven seasons.
The secondary has held up, too. Derrick Barksdale has been steady at nickel, while starting cornerback Rodrick Pleasant is expected to miss the game.
That leaves Scooter Jackson, Dante Lovett and Osiris Gilbert at corner. At safety, Tao Johnson, Malik Hartford and Ta'Shawn James have combined for five interceptions and have been one of the better groups on the team.
For Wisconsin, the path to production on offense may be less straightforward than usual. Morrissette said it is “strength on strength,” with the Badgers wanting to run the ball against a UCLA defense that has been strong against the run all season. Still, he noted that the Bruins have not faced a true running quarterback yet, which could give Wisconsin a way to test them.
He also pointed out that UCLA’s defense under Colin Hitschler can shift gears depending on the matchup. Hitschler is aggressive, but he can dial things back if he wants his defense to force the quarterback into processing rather than attacking. That approach worked against Dylan Raiola and Oregon last week, and Morrissette said Wisconsin will need to have answers ready if the Bruins bring pressure.
As for how it all plays out, Morrissette expects a tight one with both teams leaning on the run and both defenses holding up. He sees UCLA wearing down Wisconsin late and coming out with a low-scoring win in the fourth quarter, around 21-17.
“Even with a backup quarterback, I can't pick against the Bruins right now after their defensive performance against Oregon,” Morrissette said. “It was a masterclass.”
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UCLA Puts Its Perfect Start To The Test Against Wisconsin
UCLA arrives at the Rose Bowl carrying real momentum, with a 5-0 start and a No. 12 national ranking after knocking off Oregon. For Wisconsin, this is the kind of early-season measuring-stick game that can say plenty about where the Badgers stand, even after opening 4-1 and putting themselves in position for a meaningful October road test.
The matchup also puts a spotlight on how Wisconsin handles a Bruin offense that has leaned on Wayne Knight and a running game that has been hard to slow. The betting market appears to favor UCLA to keep rolling, but the Badgers have enough on the board already to make this a useful indicator of whether they can hang with a team that has looked the part of a top-15 contender so far. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsins Fast Start Has Fans Debating Whos Delivering And Who Isnt
Wisconsins 4-1 start and 2-0 mark in conference play have done more than boost the mood around Camp Randall. They have also sharpened the conversation about which players have helped drive the early success and which ones still have room to come around as the season settles in. Through five games, the Badgers have seen some clearly positive surprises emerge from roles that were not always expected to produce this much so soon.
Jacob Harris, Gavin Lahm and Sebastian Cheeks have stood out as players outperforming expectations, while PJ Wilkins, Justus Boone and Abu Sama III have not quite matched the level Wisconsin has needed from them yet. Those kinds of early-season judgments are never final, especially this early in the year, but they do matter for a team trying to keep building on a strong start and sort out where the biggest gains still have to come from. [Read more 🡒]
Colton Joseph Has Extra Motivation For Wisconsins Biggest Road Test
Colton Joseph has a built-in storyline for Wisconsins trip to UCLA, and it starts with the setting as much as the opponent. The quarterback said he is excited to play in his home state and experience the Rose Bowl for the first time, a neat twist for a Badgers team heading into one of its biggest road tests of the season. Coming out of the bye week, Joseph also pointed to the work the offense put in during the break, with the offensive line spending time preparing for the challenge ahead.
Wisconsin has a little extra edge after being left out of the AP Top 25, and Joseph said the group understands the importance of responding on the road. UCLAs defense will demand clean football, and ball security came up as a major point of emphasis in his media availability. With family support in the stands and a familiar backdrop for him personally, Joseph enters the game with more than just a conference matchup on his mind. [Read more 🡒]