Ten wins arrived for the No. 4 UCLA football team on Friday night as the Bruins secured a 22-14 Big Ten victory over Illinois at Rose Bowl Stadium.
The win propelled UCLA to a 10-0 start for the third time in program history, matching the marks set in 1946 and 1988, according to UCLA Bruins. The program has reached 10 wins for the first time since the 1998 season.
Wide receiver Aidan Mizell set career highs with six receptions and 176 receiving yards, including a 54-year touchdown catch. Quarterback Ty Dieffenbach completed 13 of 20 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns.
“I think that the way those guys went about this, they just did not waver,” Bob Chesney, The Angelo M. Mazzone III UCLA Head Football Coach, told UCLA Bruins.
“It wasn’t pretty. There was a whole drive of mistakes happening out there. Then we got the ball back on offense, and more mistakes happening out there, and they come away with the win. It’s something we’re really proud of, but they just don’t give up. They just don’t. They just believe that they have a shot to win every game and that they’re going to find a way,” Chesney added.
UCLA’s defense limited Illinois to 240 total yards while picking up three interceptions. Scooter Jackson secured two of those interceptions for the Bruins.
Early in the third quarter, defensive lineman Aiden Gobaira sacked Illinois quarterback Katin Houser in the end zone for a safety. That play pushed the UCLA advantage to 12-0.
After Illinois trimmed the lead to 12-7 late in the third quarter, Dieffenbach answered by connecting with Semaj Morgan on a 26-yard touchdown pass. Mateen Bhaghani later added a 37-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to push the lead back to eight points after Illinois pulled within 19-14.
The Bruins face two games remaining on their regular-season schedule. On Saturday, Nov. 21, UCLA will play at Michigan in the program’s first trip to Ann Arbor since the 1996 season.
Following that road contest, UCLA will close its regular-season schedule against USC on Saturday, Nov. 28, at the Rose Bowl.