UCLA quarterback Ty Dieffenbach left Friday night’s game against Illinois late in the first half after landing hard on his left shoulder, but he returned in the third quarter and led the fourth-ranked Bruins to a 22-14 victory at the Rose Bowl, keeping their record perfect at 10-0.
Dieffenbach had to be helped off the field just before halftime after clutching his shoulder. Backup Madden Iamaleava stepped in and completed 3 of 7 passes for 21 yards before Dieffenbach jogged back onto the field late in the third quarter to a roaring Rose Bowl crowd.
Once back in the game, Dieffenbach completed all five of his passes on his first drive back, including a touchdown throw. He finished the night 13 of 20 for 232 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. His scores came on a 54-yard pass to Aidan Mizell on UCLA’s opening drive and a 26-yard strike to Semaj Morgan that put the Bruins ahead 19-7 early in the fourth quarter.
Illinois cut the deficit to 19-14 when quarterback Katin Houser connected with Collin Dixon for a 7-yard touchdown on fourth down with 7:14 remaining. But UCLA’s defense came up with the plays needed to close it out.
Safety Scooter Jackson intercepted his second pass of the game with 2 minutes 42 seconds left, returning it 41 yards to the Illinois 19-yard line. That set up a short Mateen Bhaghani field goal that made it 22-14. Illinois’ final possession ended with an incomplete pass over the middle with 43 seconds left.
UCLA’s defense intercepted three passes overall, added a sack and six tackles for loss, holding Illinois (6-4, 4-3) to 240 yards of total offense.
The win moved UCLA to 10-0 for the first time since 1998, the last year the program won a conference championship. The Bruins are also 7-0 in Big Ten play and need just one more win in their final two regular-season games, against Michigan and USC, to clinch a spot in the conference title game.
The crowd at the Rose Bowl appeared to be the largest of the season. One of the stadium’s 12 end zone tarps was removed before the game and two others were shortened to accommodate additional fans.
Off the field, UCLA is reportedly closing in on a contract extension for head coach Bob Chesney, who has become one of the most sought-after names in college coaching. Chesney’s current deal is a five-year, $33.75 million contract signed previously; a new agreement with more money and years attached could be announced within the next week.
With the win over Illinois, UCLA keeps alive the possibility of its first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff.
