No. 9 UCLA is the last undefeated team in the Big Ten and SEC, rolling at a stunning 6-0, 4-0 in conference play. But listen up, because their starting quarterback, Nico Iamaleava, just went down with a season-ending knee injury in their Week 6 win against Oregon. Talk about a gut punch right when things are cooking!
Coach Chesney’s Wild Ride and Dieffenbach’s Shot
This UCLA team has been one of college football’s biggest surprises, right? They’re hosting Michigan State this Saturday, a team going in the total opposite direction. First-year coach Bob Chesney has pulled off a stunning success story, leading the Bruins to that 6-0 start after they had a nine-loss season last year. That’s absolutely wild, making him only the second FBS head coach ever to start 6-0 for a team coming off that many losses. The other guy was Curt Cignetti with Indiana in 2024, and both coaches came from James Madison. They just ignite struggling Big Ten teams, apparently.
Meanwhile, Pat Fitzgerald’s Michigan State is 2-5 overall and winless in the Big Ten at 0-4. They’re trying to avoid starting 0-5 in Big Ten play in back-to-back seasons for the first time ever, which is a tough look.
Now, with Iamaleava sidelined, the Bruins are in the hands of Cal Poly transfer Ty Dieffenbach. He actually held his own in their 17-7 win over Wisconsin last week, throwing for 264 yards, which was a season-high for UCLA’s passing game. Dude’s 6-foot-6, can see over the defense, and takes long strides as a runner, so he’s got a similar vibe to Iamaleava.
Where’d the Run Game Go? Plus, Playoff Math Gets Real
So, while the passing game just had a season-high, the run game has been… less than stellar lately. UCLA was rushing for over 200 yards in each of their first four games. That’s dominance! But then they got slowed down big time, with only 140 yards on the ground against Oregon and a season-low 120 against Wisconsin. Ouch. Their star player, Wayne Knight, got absolutely bottled up by Wisconsin, managed just 23 yards on 13 carries. If this team wants to hit its full potential, especially with Dieffenbach under center, they gotta get Knight going again. It’s pivotal.
And talk about high stakes: the CBS Sports CFP Forecaster says UCLA has a 28.4% chance of making the College Football Playoff heading into this game. You win, that jumps to 35.2%. You lose? It plummets to 11.4%. That’s a brutal swing for one game! Plus, with their schedule strength being a little light, they’d be in grave danger of missing the playoff entirely even if they only finished 10-2. Every single game is massive now.
This Saturday, the No. 9 Bruins kick off against Michigan State at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS. With an undefeated season on the line and their playoff dreams hanging by a thread, it’s gonna be a must-watch. Can Dieffenbach keep the magic alive and can Knight break loose? We’re about to find out!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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