abcnews
With starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava sidelined by a leg injury suffered the previous week at Oregon, UCLA turned to backup Ty Dieffenbach, who responded with a poised performance in his first start as a Bruin. Dieffenbach completed 22 of 33 passes for 264 yards, helping No. 12 UCLA improve to 6-0 with a 17-7 victory over Wisconsin at the Rose Bowl on Saturday night.
The Bruins (4-0 Big Ten) are off to their best start since 2022, and head coach Bob Chesney has become the first UCLA coach to win his first six games. Wisconsin (4-2, 2-1) had been held scoreless in the first half but clawed back in the third quarter when quarterback Colton Joseph scored on a 3-yard run to cut the deficit to 10-7.
Joseph finished 6 of 16 for 66 yards through the air and led the Badgers on the ground with 18 carries for 71 yards. Wisconsin hurt itself with 10 penalties for 102 yards, including four on its second drive of the game. The Badgers also suffered two critical setbacks in the fourth quarter.
Safety Matt Jung was ejected for targeting on the drive that ended with Anthony Woods' 3-yard touchdown run, which survived a review after he appeared to bobble the ball, extending UCLA's lead to 17-7. On Wisconsin's ensuing possession, Darrion Dupree's 2-yard run to the UCLA 46 was initially ruled a first down, but the call was overturned after Sammy Omosigho's stop, giving the Bruins the ball with 8:43 remaining.
Both teams were coming off bye weeks and met for the first time since UCLA joined the Big Ten before the 2024 season. Dieffenbach started strong, completing 6 of 8 passes to five different receivers on the opening drive. The Bruins' 16-play, 8:42 possession was a season high and culminated in Mateen Bhaghani's 24-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.
UCLA extended the advantage to 10-0 in the second quarter on Wayne Knight's 1-yard touchdown run, giving him rushing scores in all six games this season. Wisconsin's Gavin Lahm missed his first field goal of the season, a 46-yarder that went wide right, leaving the Badgers trailing 10-0 at halftime. Wisconsin's offense struggled in the first half, converting just 1 of 6 third downs and holding the ball for only about 11 1/2 minutes compared to UCLA's 18 1/2.
Key Analysis
Wisconsin had won three of its previous five games against ranked opponents and entered the matchup with momentum from a road win over then-No. 13 Penn State. The Badgers had also won three straight against UCLA, including Rose Bowl victories to cap the 1993 and 1998 seasons. However, the Bruins' defense and Dieffenbach's efficient passing proved too much.
UCLA is now the only undefeated team remaining in the Big Ten and SEC, and the Bruins are poised to climb into the top 10 after four teams ranked that high lost on Saturday. The turnaround is remarkable for a program that won just three games last season. UCLA's schedule remains favorable, with upcoming games against Michigan State, Nevada, Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan before a season-ending clash with crosstown rival USC.
Wisconsin will host No. 19 USC next Saturday, while UCLA will continue a three-game homestand by hosting Michigan State.
Originally reported by abcnews.