UCLA football held off Illinois 22-14 on Friday night at a rain-soaked Rose Bowl, improving to 10-0 for the first time since 1998.
The No. 4 Bruins forced three interceptions and overcame an injury scare to quarterback Ty Dieffenbach, who returned in the second half to help UCLA remain unbeaten.
The victory continued a turnaround under first-year head coach Bob Chesney. UCLA finished 3-9 last season, making the seven-win improvement the largest single-season turnaround in program history.
Dieffenbach left late in the second quarter after landing on his left shoulder while trying to evade pressure. Madden Iamaleava took over at quarterback, but the UCLA offense struggled to find its rhythm with him in the game, and he took a sack.
Dieffenbach returned in the second half and threw a 26-yard touchdown to Semaj Morgan in the fourth quarter. He finished with 232 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
Aidan Mizell Leads UCLA Passing Attack
Aidan Mizell was Dieffenbach’s top target against Illinois, catching six passes for 176 yards and a touchdown.
Mizell gave UCLA an early lead when he got behind the Illinois secondary for a 54-yard touchdown. He later added a 63-yard catch and run, continuing the explosive production he showed against Minnesota, when he scored twice on 75-yard receptions.
UCLA Defense Forces Three Interceptions
The UCLA defense made the lead stand up. Scooter Jackson intercepted Illinois quarterback Katin Houser in the end zone, and the Bruins picked off Houser three times. Aidan Gobaira also sacked him in the end zone for a safety in the third quarter.
Both UCLA cornerbacks played well as the secondary helped limit Illinois through the air. The Bruins entered the game leading the nation with 27 takeaways and 17 interceptions, and they added to those totals against the Fighting Illini.
UCLA had allowed 14.1 points per game entering Friday, and Illinois finished just below that mark while managing 71 rushing yards.
Illinois cut UCLA’s lead to five points in the fourth quarter, but Mateen Bhaghani’s 37-yard field goal extended the advantage to eight. A late interception ended another Illinois opportunity and helped preserve the win.
Wayne Knight had some productive runs but finished with 56 yards on 18 carries as Illinois did a decent job containing a UCLA rushing attack that entered the night averaging 213.2 yards per game.
UCLA travels to Michigan next before returning home to face USC.
Meta description: UCLA football improved to 10-0 with a 22-14 win over Illinois as Aidan Mizell topped 175 receiving yards and the Bruins forced three interceptions.