The No. 4 UCLA football squad pushed its record to 10-0 by defeating Illinois 22-14 on Friday night during a Big Ten matchup hosted at Rose Bowl Stadium.
The win over Illinois propelled UCLA to a 10-0 start for the third time in program history, marking the first time since the 1998 season that the Bruins have achieved the feat. The program previously won 10 games in a regular season in 1946 and 1988.
Head coach Bob Chesney became the first UCLA coach to ever start his tenure with a 10-0 record. Chesney has guided his teams to 20 consecutive regular-season wins dating back to the 2025 season at James Madison.
“I think that the way those guys went about this, they just did not waver,” said Bob Chesney, The Angelo M. Mazzone III UCLA Head Football Coach.
“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.”
During the victory, Bruins wide receiver Aidan Mizell registered personal bests of six receptions and 176 receiving yards, a performance featuring a 54-yard touchdown grab. Mizell has totaled eight passes for 326 yards and three scores over the past two games.
Quarterback Ty Dieffenbach completed 13 of 20 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns. UCLA’s defense limited Illinois to 240 yards of total offense.
With 12:37 remaining in the opening quarter, Dieffenbach connected with Mizell on a 54-yard touchdown pass that gave the Bruins a 7-0 advantage. Mateen Bhaghani nailed a 20-yard field goal with 1:28 left in the second quarter, sending UCLA into the locker room ahead 10-0.
Early in the third quarter, defensive lineman Aiden Gobaira sacked Illinois quarterback Katin Houser in the end zone for a safety. The two points pushed UCLA’s advantage to 12-0.
Illinois (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) reduced the deficit to 12-7 late in the third quarter. UCLA answered swiftly with an eight-play, 75-yard drive ending in a 26-yard touchdown pass from Dieffenbach to Semaj Morgan with 11:38 left in regulation.
The Fighting Illini responded with a 12-play, 75-yard drive to score a touchdown with 7:14 remaining, cutting UCLA’s advantage to 19-14. Illinois drove past midfield with under five minutes remaining before UCLA defensive back Scooter Jackson intercepted his second pass of the game and conference-leading fifth of the year.
Bhaghani subsequently drilled a 37-yard field goal to push UCLA’s lead to eight points at 22-14. Jackson finished the night with two of UCLA’s three total interceptions.
UCLA’s 10 wins this season mark the program’s largest year-over-year win improvement, sitting seven victories better than last year’s 3-9 overall record. Next Saturday, Nov. 21, the Bruins will travel to Michigan for their first game in Ann Arbor, Mich., since 1996. Following the contest against the Wolverines, UCLA will close its regular-schedule against USC on Saturday, Nov. 28, at the Rose Bowl.
