POSTGAME QUOTES
UCLA 28, Michigan State 10
Pasadena, Calif. (Rose Bowl Stadium)
October 24, 2026
UCLA’s Bob Chesney
The Angelo M. Mazzone III UCLA Head Football Coach
opening remarks
"Obviously, anytime you have a win ... they're not easy to come by, so to be able to end up with a win is a big deal. 7-0, obviously, is a big deal. That first half was not our type of football, not really how we want to play the game, with two fumbles, for them to have 100 and some yards of returns on those two. But what a great job by the defense to step up and get a stop on one, and then Donnie [Donavyn Pellot] with the interception and flipped the field right back again. That was a big-time deal. That's 14 points. Let's talk about Ty [Dieffenbach] a little bit in that situation, because he's the one that actually runs down the field and holds the kid up, and then the pursuit of [Brandon] Rowe [Jr.] and Aiden Mizell never, ever quitting, playing to the whistle. That matters more than anything, almost, that we did today. It was sloppy, but in the end we got a win, and I'm proud of our guys.
on Ty Dieffenbach coming back from apparent injury to throw a big pass at the start of the third quarter
"It was just a cleat on a weird spot where it's pretty sensitive and felt nervy to him. But in the end, when he came in and moved it around, he's like 'I'm perfectly fine.' But that ball, I thought was really good to B. Rowe. We needed to take that shot. I think there were two others that he could have taken, maybe a third, and we'll get better."
on Ty Dieffenbach making a stop on a fumble return and what it means to Pellot to get the interception
"It's 14 points that Ty ends up saving there. And Donnie, even if you get a stop, you're on a short field now, or a long field, and Donnie being able to flip the field is a big deal. Not the best coverage on the other side of the field by us, if the quarterback just looks the other way, but luckily for us, we got away with one there and put ourselves in position to then be able to score. I thought Ty's response at that moment of making sure he held that kid up until help showed up, it's everything. It's 14 points, right? It's realistically 14 points, and I thought he did a great job."
on playing a cleaner second half
"Thanks for finding a positive there. Yes, one hundred percent, their response was phenomenal to come out and get the ball first and score immediately, and then three and out, and then it just was on. I thought our guys, again, did a really good job. There were moments there in the fourth, too, and the late third, where that box got pretty loaded, and we should have taken some shots on the outside. But at the same point, you're trying to run this clock out and get out of here with the win, ultimately, and could have taken a little more risk if we wanted to. But I thought we managed it well enough to get a victory here."
on Wayne Knight's status
"He got hit in the side, like his ribs, oblique, whatever you want to call it. Nothing in there that's overly dangerous. He wanted to go back in and probably could have, and we just didn't want to do it. And I thought [Anthony] Woods was rolling today. To be able to see some of the holes that he found and be explosive and physical was really good. But both of those guys put the ball on the ground early. That's not where we were looking for, but I love their response."
on the team's running effort
"I think it's a brotherhood in that room, and it's not the easiest thing to do, but I think when you go through a physical game like we did the last two, and then again today, you find that you really need each other. As much as you might want to be the guy that carries the ball 40 times a game, it's not feasible to exist at this level in this league with that many carries, with that many hits that your body's got to take. So I think they respect each other and are absolutely each other's biggest fans and do such a good job of finding their way into what they do well and, again, just supporting each other. That's a room that is talented, physical, tough and works as hard as any other room out there, and it's cool to see them together working."
on the importance of coming out sharp and productive in the first half
"Yeah, it's really important. Look, it's two fumbles, two drops, two holding penalties, right? That's ultimately what happened out there. Two fumbles, two drops, two holding penalties. You can't do it. Like, you just can't do it if you want to win really close games. And, again, we're taking three, four touchdowns off the board by doing that. So the holds, we'll go back and look and just see. I didn't think one was. I thought that we helped guide the guy upfield. The second one definitely was, or the first one was and the second one I don't think was, and it was a big run by Wayne [Knight] at that point in time. The two drops can't happen, and then ultimately the two fumbles just a shame. Especially for them. Now they're good at this. This is what they do. They punch the ball up, they just haven't recovered it. Now they were not only recovering it, but they were scooping and scoring it for the tune of 120-some yards. That's a problem, and we will get better."
on the play of the linebackers
"They do a really good job. They're obviously downhill. They understand the run scheme. They communicate better, and they have to. Someone in that core is wearing the green dot out there, so they have to communicate really well. They do all of the things right. They relate pre-snap. And then they communicate post-snap extremely well. And those are all the things that they have to be able to accomplish. But then they play a very physical brand of football. And when you start to blitz them, they get downhill quick, and they pack a punch when they do. I think, like everybody else, they're going to be pretty mad about the two or three sacks that they missed, especially coming off the edge where they gave up the contain, but it's the nature of the beast. We've got to get better, period."
on what he needs to do to coach better to get the team to the standard that he wants moving forward
"The thing for me is when you see it hit a couple of different people, you think, heck, I could fix this one guy and fix his situation. And then it happens to somebody else. And then you see it almost happening with the ball coming out too. We've been great with it all year, and we work on it, and there's ball security things. There's all the times we go against the defense. We are making sure iron on iron and punching the ball out and doing everything else. You've just got to put a little bit more of an emphasis on it, and I think that you need a game like this once in a while to allow you to say, okay, damn this is week seven; maybe over the past week, I kind of got a little lax on it, never going to let this happen again. That's what you ultimately need."
on if the players' mindset has changed as the wins have piled up
"No, I don't think so. I think they understand they've got to dance with the one that brought them. They understand that. And they do a really good job of handling the week really well. Sunday we'll be in there tomorrow, we'll lift, we'll run, we'll do all the things that we've got to do to get all the stuff out from this game, and we'll put this game to rest. And then we'll get a little bit started into Nevada. And then after that, we move on. Monday, they have a day off, recover, relax, hydrate, do all the things that they got to do to really be ready for that Tuesday morning. And then they rinse and repeat, and at the end of the week, you put all this work into it, Saturday's over, you throw it all away and start over again. And I love their mindset. I love their progression. I love their process. They do a really good job of that, and they don't allow anything to overinflate them or deflate them. They are consistent and steady with their work and the way they handle business, and they're going to need a whole lot more of that for the rest of the season. It's a long season."
on the players buying in
"I think the validation of the earlier games in the season, I think, certainly helps, especially when you play some pretty serious defense and do a really good job. I think you get a little awakening in that Purdue game that makes you lock back in again as far as some of the techniques and the coverages that are concerned with it. And then I think they've just been playing hard, and I think the spotlight shined on them at one moment in time where will they ever stop the pass? This Maryland team never turned the ball over yet this year. And then Oregon, they don't turn the ball over. So it's just one of those things that whatever the challenge is, they step up for it. And I think that early wins, then a little bit of being exposed in some areas, allows them to focus right back in and be able to understand the urgency that goes into it, which is the same thing I would expect to see from the mistakes we made in the first half as we move forward on the offensive side of the ball. So I think, again, we're probably where we should be right now. The defense believes. The offense believes. We've got to continue to elevate this and take it to the next level."
on what he saw from Donavyn Pellot this week at practice
"Steady. Just steady. He's just a steady, steady football player. You see him, his size, his explosiveness, his physicality, his toughness, his intelligence. All those things ring true for him. And then he was a quarterback at one point, so to get that ball in his hands and take off, I thought he did a really good job. Sahir [West] was downfield leading up for him. And he's just a warrior. He's been waiting his time. And when he has his moments, he's making the most out of them, and that's what a lot of guys on this team have had the ability to do up to this point in time."
on the team's makeup regardless of the scenario
"It think it's just the whole setup. They're all in. They feel like they're 100 percent positive they can win every single game when they walk on that field. They walk on, they're confident. They don't overthink about anything and think it's special. They just know it's important. And based on the importance, it's got to come down to the work that you put into it so that when you walk on that field on Saturday, you're confident enough and know that you've done it the right way. And that's how you treat something that's important. Not special, but important. And again, they just overall know that they have standards, and they have to live up to those on a day-to-day basis and hold each other accountable. And I think when you do all those things consistently every single day, on and off the field, I think you have a really good shot of being pretty special. And that's what those guys do. They don't ever waver. They don't ever overthink it. They don't get caught too much up in the emotion. They just find themselves figuring out how do I get to this next play as fast as I can and handle my responsibility? Proud of that."
UCLA running back Anthony Woods
on getting the ball again after fumbling
“I would say you've got to have better ball security hold the ball, high and tight, lock in in traffic. I'll say I have to flush it, you know, and then finish the game, do what I do.”
on bouncing back from his mistakes
“I would say bad things happen sometimes, but you got to push through adversity. I feel like you got to do what you got to do.”
on the running backs picking each other up
“I say we feed off each other's energy. You know, one person go down, you know, I feel like everybody in the group could get the job done. So, you know, us feeding off each other energy and shout out to the o-line and receivers, getting the job done blocking.”
on what the running backs can do all together
“We can do a lot. We can catch out the backfield. Us all together, you know, we feed off each other's energy, you know, we kind of make plays for the team and try to win the game.”
UCLA linebacker Jalen Woods
on persevering through a challenging first half
“Yeah, it’s just getting back to the fundamentals that we are going in on, and making sure that we just get a fast start. We want to make sure we start fast, and not letting up. It goes back to how we are practicing and how we train to be able to finish with the game looks hard.”
on being able to play this fast with so many newcomers on the defensive side
“It’s just, everybody who we brought in, it’s all about winning. We do what ever it takes to win, anyone who touches in between the white lines, any of those 11 people, anybody can help us to win whether if you are the first string or if you’re a freshman or a third string, if you could help us to be successful on the field, you will be out there. Having everybody with one goal, and we know what we are trying to reach – becoming the best defense in the country – that is what we strive for.”
on what’s contributed to UCLA’s strong defense this season
“As we see, we love to be aggressive on third down. We like to mix it up on people. We want to execute the moves that we are making in practice, and that goes back to the fundamentals – being able to pass rush and what it takes to pass rush. Having that aggressive mindset can help us to take it far and getting all of the sacks and stuff.”
on the team’s chemistry across offensive and defensive players
“Yeah, I was going with Ty to bowling, and it’s just that we all want to be competitive in everything. Doesn’t matter if we are hanging out and playing basic games like a tick-tack-toe, we just want to win. I feel like that carries onto the field and we are not going to let ourselves lose a game.”
on having so many players who can make game-changing plays
“They’ve been putting in the work just as much as everyboy else. It’s about capitalizing on your opportunity. You never know when it is going to come. And Coach Chez says that you never know when or who the spotlight will be on today. So it’s about playing with a winning mentality, and it produces everyone to be able to make plays.”
UCLA quarterback Ty Dieffenbach
on the Bruins’ defense against Michigan State
“I mean, our defense is so good. Just feeding off that energy, and especially at halftime, in our locker room I was a little banged up. Just like, a bunch of guys were coming over and sying like, ‘Let’s go man, we’ve got you.’ Just feeding off the energy and going out there, got a good play call, got a post against quarters, the safety came down, and just launched it. It was a great catch by [Brian Rowe Jr.] – just a great catching run on the finish, got the touchdown.”
on what it means to have his team’s defense continue to step up
“I think it just sent a message that, ‘We’ve got you all.’ If we go three and out, they’re going to get a tsop every time. It just gives us confidence. We’ve got to capitalize on turnovers. I think we did a good job with that tonight. But the biggest thing is, like I said, when we get the ball back, just score.”
on trying to keep teams honest between a rushing attack and throwing the football
“Yeah, I think that I missed a lot of throws today. We had a couple incompletions that we’d want back. But I think once you put it all together with the passing and run game, I think it’s going to be really scary. But we are going to take it day by day, put in the reps at practice, and getting it all together.”
on a play where he threw an interception and then tried to make a play on defense
“Yeah, I mean, just get in front of them. Hopefully you can delay them for someone to come and hit them. But at the quarterback position, people don’t really want to see the quarterback do that. For me, I will do whatever for this team. I’ll get in front of them, I’ll hit them if I have to. I tried to hit him, but it’s been a while since I’ve made a tackle, but yeah, I’ll do whatever for the team.”
on performing well and not getting caught up in the emotions of the game
“Each play averages six seconds, so we just take it one play at a time – six seconds at a time. It’s the next-play mentality. Good play or bad play, it’s the next-play mentality.”
on the Bruins’ 7-0 start and what has gone into that success
“Yeah, I’ve been on teams where you don’t hang out with guys on defense. But with this team, in the offseason, I was going with the linebackers or defensive linemen, and we were always together. I think that is one of the biggest differences on this team, and why we’re so close with each other. We aren’t just isolated within position groups, whether on the offensive or defensive side of the ball.
on celebrating on the field postgame with UCLA fans and being able to play in front of his father
“It means the world to me. Over these last couple of weeks, it has been a crazy last couple weeks for this program with our starting quarterback going down and all that. But I just think that it’s the way everyone has been kind of taking me in, just being there for me. And with my dad, that’s my guy. Since day one. I remember when I first started playing quarterback during Covid, in high school, we were out in the morning just throwing the ball around he was out there in his gardening gloves catching the ball for me. So just for him, I can’t imagine how this feels for him. He’s put in so much time, money, effort for me and my family. It’s just been awesome for my family.”
Michigan State Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald
opening remarks
“Disappointing outcome. I thought at times today there were some really good things. Come on the road, battle number nine [team] in the country, felt pretty good about how we started. I thought the plan was being operated and executed pretty well. As the game went along, we just gave up too many big plays, turned the ball over at an opportune time, and then, you know, gave up the big explosive touchdown to start the second half. Really disappointed in the outcome. It hought we had a good plan coming in, and just didn't coach the guys well enough to execute it for four quarters. So congratulations UCLA. They got a darn good football team and, we'll get back safe and sound. We need the bye week. We've got to get some guys back, hopefully, and some guys stepped up again today.”
on starting a third-string quarterback at UCLA
“Yeah, I think he just was really poised. I thought he started the game really well. I didn't sense that it was too big of a moment for him leading into it. I'm sure there are a couple of plays he'd like back, but I'm proud of both him and Leo, especially Leo coming home here to Southern California. To get an opportunity to get into a game. Both guys got reps, you know, ones and twos reps this week. We had confidence in both guys, and we just felt like, as we were kind of sputtering a little bit, to go to Leo there. I'm just gonna give Leo a chance, and there was some good things that Leo did moving the ball.”
on what he thought of Kayd Koffman’s play
“So all the quarterbacks kind of started with Nick’s offense, kind of at a level playing field, if that makes sense, where it would have been a lot harder for him if he came in in the summer. So for him to be with us the whole time, we had great confidence in him. And, you know, there's ebb and flow, each practice of each day, but he really works his tail off. He is one of the first guys in the building, one of the last guys to leave, even though he's not necessarily the starter going in to the season, and to see him really commit to being the best teammate he can be. I mean, you guys don't get a chance to watch practice, but a lot of times he's running the opponent's offense too. So you get Leo when we get those reps, and both those guys have been doing a really good job. And so I'm proud of him. I mean, listen, it's not easy to get your first start against the No. 9 team in the country, and we're just really proud of him, and he's going to learn and grow from every rep that he takes.”
on the teams’ takeaways on defense
“Yeah, I mean, it gave us a chance to win a game. You know, we unfortunately turned the ball right back over when we got the concept called from the boundary. We got a huge one to lead to the first score, and then the second one, we got a chance to go in and get a lead going into the half. We turned the ball right back over. You could say 10 to 14-point swing.”
Michigan State offensive linemen Trent Fraley
on responsibility to keep the quarterbacks mentally sharp
“Honestly it’s just the same thing. We want to keep the pocket as clean as possible to make it easy on him to just do his reads and throw them all to open receivers. That's something we need to get on today as an offensive line. We just need to make it cleaner for it him.”
on quarterback leadership
“Honestly, they did a great job, you know, coming into the game. I don't think there were any miscommunications. Obviously, we'll go back, watch the film and what not, but they did a great job stepping in and really doing their part for this team.”
on working with Kenneth Williams
“I mean, it was great. It doesn't change much. Obviously, it was explosive today, he got out there, and he's a great running back. I mean, like I said before, our running backs are super deep, so I trust anybody that's going to go back in.”
Michigan State edge defender Kenny Soares Jr.
on seeing on-field injuries and keeping the fight
“You just got to know the difference between being reactive and having a reaction. Just gotta’ be able to keep your emotions and stay straight. That's it. I mean, it's a type of game where obviously we've seen a lot of guys go down at any given moment. That's the reality, and it sucks, but that's the reality. Martin being back on the sideline with us when he went down and then came back, and the first thing he said, was, he didn't have his head down. He just told us, keep going, fight for him. And that's what we did.”
on going against UCLA’s rushing attacks
“Great running backs. I've known Wayne for a while now, from back to high school. He has always been a great back and forth, and I’ve always been keeping up with his journey as well. They have a great spot, and obviously, they're ranked top 10 in the country. We just got to be able to, you know, continue to worry about us and, you know, just a hard process and be able to go back to the drawing board and just prepare ourselves.”
on how to improve
“I believe that our team can beat any team in the country. When we play our best game of football, I believe that we have the players to be able to do whatever we want to do, because we need to be able to put it together through 60 minutes of football.”
on perspectives on turnovers
“We gotta’ continue to hone in on the details, something that we've been able to do. Just keep attacking the football. Plenty of opportunities where the ball just didn't bounce our way. Today, we got a couple of opportunities where it did bounce our way, and we got to capitalize, but, you know, we gotta keep trying.”
Michigan State defensive back Nikai Martinez
on the upcoming bye week
“I feel like definitely, just being able to go home and just reflect on this game and just, get healthy and then focus on the week that comes.”