Jalen Woods celebrates his first career interception against San Diego StateJalen Woods celebrates his first career interception against San Diego State

Jalen Woods celebrates his first career interception (photo: Isabella Serafini)

Postgame Notes - UCLA vs. San Diego State

Football

Wayne Knight has recorded back-to-back Hat Trick touchdown performances to begin his Bruin career.

POSTGAME NOTES
UCLA 28, San Diego State 10
Pasadena, Calif. (Rose Bowl Stadium)
September 12, 2026

Records: UCLA (2-0, 0-0 Big Ten), SDSU (1-1, 0-0 Pac-12)
Up Next: UCLA vs. Purdue - Rose Bowl Stadium (Pasadena, Calif.) - Sept. 19, 2026

TEAM NOTES
• UCLA improved to 23-1-1 all-time against San Diego State.
• The Bruins are off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2023.
• UCLA recorded four rushing touchdowns on Saturday, giving the Bruins a total of rushing TDs so far this season. It marks the first time UCLA has had 10 rushing scores over two games since Oct. 29, 2022 vs. Stanford (5 TDs) and Nov. 5, 2022 at Arizona State (5 TDs). Over the last 20 years, UCLA had maxed out at eight rushing touchdowns over its first two games of the season. 
• UCLA allowed just 10 points, its fewest since a 42-7 win over Stanford on Oct. 21, 2023. 
• The Bruins allowed just 45 passing yards, the first time holding an opponent under 100 yards through the air since limiting Kansas State to 79 passing yards on Dec. 26, 2017.
• UCLA has outscored its opponents 42-10 in fourth quarter through the first two games of the season.
• UCLA gave up just 189 yards of total offense, the fewest since Bowling Green (162) on Sept. 3, 2022.
• Coach Chesney has now won 12 consecutive regular season games dating back to 2025. 
• UCLA finished with over 200 rushing yards, giving the squad back-to-back 200+ yard rushing performances to start the year. UCLA had over 200 yards rushing in consecutive games just once in 2025.
• The Bruins allowed just two third-down conversions (on 12 attempts). 
• UCLA now has 10 rushing touchdowns through the first two games of the 2026 season. UCLA had eight rushing touchdowns in all of 2025.

PLAYER NOTES
• RB Wayne Knight totaled three rushing touchdowns for the second straight week, giving him a three-TD day in each of his first two outings as a Bruin. He’s the first Bruin with back-to-back games with three rushing touchdowns since Zach Charbonnet did so against Stanford and Arizona late in the 2022 season. 
• Knight eclipsed 2,000 career rushing yards over his five-year college career with his 36-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. He compiled 1,837 rushing yards while at James Madison from 2022-25 and has 168 rushing yard through two games at UCLA this year.
• Knight is the first Bruin ever to begin their UCLA career with six touchdowns in his first two games.
• Knight is the eighth UCLA player since 1970 with six touchdowns over a two-game span (includes rushing and receiving touchdowns). There have been 10 total such occurences.
• Knight is the 13th UCLA player since 1970 with 3+ touchdowns in multiple games in a season (includes rushing and receiving touchdowns).
• DB Malik Hartford paced the Bruins with 10 tackles, doubling his previous single-game career high.
• Fresh off a career-best 11-tackle performance at California last weekend, LB Jalen Woods added nine tackles and his first-career interception vs. the Aztecs. 
• LB Sammy Omosigho matched a career high with 2.0 tackles for loss, the second consecutive week he’s recorded multiple TFLs. He also forced a fumble for a second consecutive week. 
• WRs Aidan Mizell and Leland Smith both made their UCLA debuts on Saturday.
• WR Semaj Morgan finished as the Bruins’ top receiver with six catches for 73 yards against the Aztecs. Both of those totals were career highs for the Michigan transfer. 
• WR Brian Rowe Jr. also notched career-best totals in catches (5) and receiving yards (63). He nearly matched his previous single-game career high for receiving yards (5) on one play alone, running for a game-long 45-yard gain in the first half. 
• WR Jalen Saint Paul recorded the first two receptions of his college career. 
• QB Nico Iamaleava netted 57 rushing yards on 13 attempts. It marked his sixth-career game with at least 50 yards rushing.