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Postgame Notes - UCLA at MinnesotaPostgame Notes - UCLA at Minnesota

Donavyn Pellot (photo by Isabella Serafini)

Postgame Notes - UCLA at Minnesota

Football

The Bruins are 9-0 for the first time since 1998

POSTGAME NOTES
No. 5 UCLA 34, Minnesota 20
Minneapolis, Minn. (Huntington Bank Stadium)
Nov. 7, 2026

Records: UCLA (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten), Minnesota (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten)
Up Next: UCLA vs. Illinois – Rose Bowl Stadium – Nov. 13, 2026 (6 p.m. PT) – FOX

TEAM NOTES

• UCLA is 9-0 to start a season for the fourth time in program history, and first time since 1998. 
• Bob Chesney is the first UCLA head coach ever to start his tenure 9-0 (he was previously the first UCLA coach to start his tenure 5-0)
• Coach Chesney has now won 19 consecutive regular season games dating back to 2025
• Coach Chesney recorded the 100th conference win of his head coaching career
• UCLA went ahead for good with a 75-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. It came on the first play of that drive, the third time this season that UCLA has found the end zone on an opening play of a drive (both of the previous occurences came in the season opener at California on Sept. 5). They later added their fourth one-play scoring drive of the year. 
• The Bruins scored again on their very next offensive snap (again on a 75-yard pass from Dieffenbach to Mizell). It’s the first time this year the Bruins have scored on consecutive offensive plays. 
• The Bruins improved to 2-3 all-time against Minnesota, and recorded their first-ever win over the Golden Gophers in Minneapolis (previously 0-1)
• UCLA remains the lone undefeated team in the Big Ten
• As of publication, only three undefeated teams remain in the FBS (UCLA, Miami, Utah)
• Over its last seven games, UCLA has held its opponents to a 21-for-101 clip (20.8%) on third downs. Minnesota was 4-for-15 in third-down situations.
• UCLA has held its opponent under 33% on third downs in eight straight games, including four games under 20%
• The Bruins allowed 11 third-down conversions vs. Cal in the season opener; since then they’ve allowed just 21 total over eight games
• UCLA allowed just 91 rushing yards
• UCLA has held its opponent under 100 yards rushing in six games this season (all occurring over the last seven games)
• A season-high total of 22 players recorded a tackle for UCLA
• Seven different receivers caught a pass for the Bruins (on eight completed passes)
• UCLA had a season-high eight pass breakups
• The Bruins had 466 yards of total offense. It was the squad’s third-highest total of the year, and fifth time eclipsing 400 yards of total offense. 

Individual Notes

QB Ty Dieffenbach 
• Threw for a career-high 303 yards and matched his career-high with three touchdown passes
• Recorded his first multi-TD performance as a Bruin and third of his career
• Connected with Aidan Mizell for a pair of 75-yard TD passes in the fourth quarter. They were the longest completions of his career (previous long: 70).
• He’s the only FBS player since at least 1995 to pass for 300+ yards on eight or fewer completions.

WR Aidan Mizell
• Reeled in a pair of 75-yard touchdown passes, on consecutive offensive plays, in the fourth quarter for UCLA
• They were his second and third TD catches of the year, all going for 75+ yards
• He’s the first Bruin receiver with a 100-yard receiving game this season, and first overall since Titus Mokiao-Atimalala vs. Maryland in 2025
• He’s the first Bruin with 150 receiving yards since Greg Dulcich vs. USC in 2020

RB Wayne Knight
• Recorded a 1-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter
• It marked his ninth consecutive game with a TD. He’s recorded a rushing touchdown in 8-of-9 games this year for UCLA
• Knight is now tied for 7th in UCLA single-season program history with 15 total touchdowns this season (13 rushing, 2 receiving)
• He is the first Bruin with a TD (non-passing) in nine straight games since Joshua Kelley did so over the 2018-19 seasons
• Knight is the first UCLA player with a nine-game TD streak (non-passing) in a single season since at least 1995
• Finished with 109 rushing yards on 18 carries. It was the fourth time this season and ninth time in his career that he eclipsed 100 yards on the ground. 

TE Noah Fox-Flores
• Recorded a go-ahead 27-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter
• It was his first TD catch of the year and second of his career (first since Sept. 9, 2025 at UNLV)
• It was the longest catch of his career

WR Aidan Mizell
• Reeled in a 75-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter
• It was his second TD catch of the year, both going for 75+ yards

RB Troy Leigber
• Blocked a punt in the third quarter. It was his second blocked punt of the year (both occurring in the last three games)
• He’s the first Bruin with multiple blocked kicks in a single season since Datone Jones in 2012

LB Jalen Woods
• Matched a career high and led the team with 11 tackles

DB Scooter Jackson
• Grabbed his third interception of the season and fourth of his career. He’s second on the team in INTs. 

LB Donvayn Pellot
• Made his first-career start and 26th-career appearance

P Chase Barry
• Served as UCLA’s primary punter for the first time this season
• Recorded his first punt as a Bruin since Aug. 31, 2024 at Hawaii