LOS ANGELES – The UCLA football team looks for its first 4-0 start since 2022 when it faces Maryland at SECU Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 26. Kickoff is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. PT on Big Ten Network. The Bruins (3-0) and Terrapins (2-1) will meet for the fourth time in series history and for a second consecutive season.
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: SECU Stadium (College Park, Md.)
Kickoff Time: 10:30 a.m. PT
Television: Big Ten Network
TV Talent: Mark Followill (play-by-play), Rhett Lewis (analyst), Caroline Hendershot (sideline)
Local Radio (UCLA Audio Network): KABC-AM 790
Local Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Matt Stevens (analyst), Wayne Cook (sideline)
SiriusXM: Radio (267), App (977)
LAST TIME OUT
UCLA defeated Purdue, 52-38, at Rose Bowl Stadium last Saturday in its Big Ten opener to improve to 3-0. The Bruins recorded 645 yards of total offense, the seventh-highest total in program history for a conference game and their most during the Big Ten era. Running back Wayne Knight totaled a career-high 252 all-purpose yards and rushed for two touchdowns.
Quarterback Nico Iamaleava threw for a UCLA career-high 276 passing yards and three touchdowns in the victory. Two of those scoring passes were to wide receiver Semaj Morgan in the first quarter. Defensively, Sammy Omosigho totaled a career-high 11 solo tackles, two forced fumbles and 2.0 sacks. He is believed to be the first Bruin to record a forced fumble in three straight games and leads the country with four total on the season. His performance earned him Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors.
KNIGHT’S HISTORIC START
Fifth-year running back Wayne Knight has set a UCLA record with eight rushing touchdowns through the first three games of the season, passing the mark of seven previously held by Skip Hicks in 1997. His eight total touchdowns lead the nation. Knight is the seventh Big Ten player since 2000 with eight or more rushing touchdowns through his team’s first three games.
With 345 yards on 39 carries, Knight leads the country with 8.85 yards per carry. He also is the national leader in total points scored (48) and total touchdowns (8).
CHESNEY ERA
Bob Chesney looks to become the first UCLA head coach since Red Sanders to start his tenure in Westwood with a 4-0 mark. Chesney was hired as the 20th head coach in UCLA football history on Dec. 6, 2025. He arrived in Westwood after two successful seasons at James Madison from 2024-25, guiding the Dukes to a 21-6 record and numerous historic firsts. His 2025 team recorded just the 10th unbeaten conference record in Sun Belt history, going 8-0, and captured the program’s first Sun Belt Conference championship and College Football Playoff berth.
Chesney owns a career record of 135-52 (.722) in his 17th season as a head coach. The Kulpmont, Pa., native has directed five programs across four levels of college football: Division III, Division II, FCS and FBS. Twenty-six staff members (seven coaches and 19 support staff members) and 10 student-athletes followed Chesney from Harrisonburg, Va., to Westwood.
SAMMY-O
In addition to leading the FBS with four forced fumbles, senior linebacker Sammy Omosigho is the Big Ten leader in total tackles (33), solo tackles (21), tackles for loss (6.5) and sacks (3.0).
Omosigho was named the Chuck Bednarik Award Player of the Week following his Week 1 performance at California on Sept. 5. The Crandall, Texas, native nearly doubled his previous career high with 14 tackles, including seven solo stops, in UCLA’s 45-24 win at California in Week 1. Omosigho also tallied 2.0 tackles for loss, including a strip-sack.
From 2023-25, Omosigho played at the University of Oklahoma, where he totaled 96 tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and one forced fumble over 37 games. He ranked in the top five in tackling among all Sooners in both 2024 and 2025 as a reserve.
NEW-LOOK BRUINS
UCLA added a Big Ten-leading 46 transfer student-athletes and 17 true freshmen this offseason. Forty-three players have made their Bruin debuts through the first three weeks of the season. All 12 transfers with James Madison ties have seen game action.
Among them is running back Wayne Knight, who was named a 2025 Paul Hornung Award finalist and Associated Press second-team All-American after setting a school record with 2,039 all-purpose yards (1,373 rushing, 397 receiving, 180 on punt returns and 89 on kickoff returns). Knight enters Saturday’s matchup with 1,908 career rushing yards, 92 shy of 2,000.
UCLA also added junior defensive lineman Sahir West, who was named the 2025 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year. West posted 45 tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks and one forced fumble last season. He set a Sun Belt Championship game record with 5.5 tackles for loss and added 3.0 sacks against Troy on Dec. 5, 2025.
SERIES HISTORY
This Saturday's contest will mark the fourth all-time meeting between UCLA and Maryland. The Bruins lead the all-time series with the Terrapins, 2-1, dating back to 1954.
UCLA defeated Maryland, 20-17, in last year's meeting at the Rose Bowl on Oct. 18, 2025. Then-redshirt junior quarterback Nico Iamaleava engineered two scoring drives in the fourth quarter to help set up kicker Mateen Bhaghani's game-winning 23-yard field goal with two seconds remaining. Running back Anthony Frias II rushed for a career-high 97 yards on four carries. Frias scored his first career touchdown on a 55-yard dash.
UCLA is playing its first contest at Maryland since Sept. 24, 1955, when the No. 1-ranked Bruins fell to the No. 5-ranked Terrapins 7-0. The deciding play in that contest was a 17-yard pitchout run by Maryland halfback Ed Vereb on the Terrapins' first drive of the second half. The game was played on muddy turf on a hot, humid day in College Park.
UCLA TICKET INFORMATION
Season ticket packages and single-game tickets for UCLA's upcoming football season are available. Fans can call (310) 206-5991 or email tickets@athletics.ucla.edu for more information.