How to Watch Purdue vs. UCLA in Week 3 With TV, Radio, Forecast & Preview
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Every game on the schedule is important, but Saturday's becomes even more significant for Purdue. The Boilermakers open the 2026 Big Ten season on the road against UCLA, hoping to bounce back after suffering a 38-36 double-overtime loss to Wake Forest last weekend.
UCLA, on the other hand, has enjoyed a pair of wins over Cal and San Diego State. The Bruins have produced a great rushing attack in the first two weeks, but have also closed out games, scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter of each game to secure victories.
Saturday's game will be a late, 11 p.m. ET kickoff, but it should be an interesting matchup between the Boilermakers and Bruins. Here's everything you need to know for the showdown in Pasadena.
How to follow along
- What: Purdue (1-1, 0-0 Big Ten) vs. UCLA (2-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
- When: Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026
- Where: Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif.
- Kickoff: 11 p.m. ET
- TV: Big Ten Network
- Stream: FOX One
- TV announcers: Jason Horowitz (play-by-play), Brock Vereen (analyst), Kelsie Kasper (sideline)
- Radio: Purdue Global Radio Network — 96.5 FM WAZY (Lafayette) |100.9 FM WKJG (Fort Wayne) |1260 AM WNDE (Indianapolis) | 99.5 FM WFNB (Terre Haute) |1450 AM WXVW (Louisville) | SiriusXM Ch. 85
- Radio announcers: Tim Newton (play-by-play), Mark Hermann (analyst), Derek Schultz (sideline), Rob Blackmon (producer)
- Live stats: StatBroadcast
Forecast outlook
It's projected to be a perfect evening for football at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena on Saturday night. Per weather.com, temperatures are expected to reach the low 80s during the afternoon, but will cool to 74 degrees for the opening kickoff. Temperatures are predicted to dip below 70 late in the game. There is also a 0% chance of rain, and we should see clear skies.
- High temp: 83
- Low temp: 61
- Kickoff temp: 74
- Skies: Clear
- Rain chances: 0% (0% at kickoff)
- Wind: 1-7 mph (SW)
- Humidity: 65% at kickoff, 57% average
Scouting UCLA
Bob Chesney, head coach
- 1st season at UCLA (2-0)
- 17th season overall
- Spent two seasons at James Madison
- Went 21-6 at JMU
- College Football Playoff bid in 2025
- Overall coaching record of 134-52
- Coaching stops at NCAA Division II and III (Assumption and Slave Regina)
- Coached at Holy Cross (2018-23)
- 44-21 record at Holy Cross with four playoff appearances
- Combined eight conference championships
Key players
- Wayne Knight, RB — UCLA tries to utilize Knight as much as possible, using him as a running back and in the kick return game. He's scored an impressive six touchdowns through the first two games, currently tied for the most in the country. He has accounted for 168 rushing yards, 30 receiving yards and 56 yards on kickoff returns.
- Anthony Woods, RB — Woods adds a great second punch out of the backfield for the Bruins, accounting for 148 yards and two touchdowns in the first two contests of the season. What's been most impressive, though, is that he's averaging 9.25 yards per carry. He's a tough running back to bring to the ground.
- Nico Iamaleava, QB — It's been a shaky start for Iamaleava throwing the football, but he is particularly dangerous with his legs. He rushed for more than 100 yards last season against Penn State and is coming off a 57-yard performance last weekend in UCLA's win over San Diego State.
- Sammy Omosigho, LB — A do-it-all linebacker, Omosigho has already racked up 21 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and has forced two fumbles. He makes plays all over the field and is the anchor of the Bruins' defense this season. Omosigho has recorded at least two tackles for loss in each of the first two games this season.
- Ta'Shawn James, DB — James was impressive in UCLA's opener, recording a pair of interceptions in the 45-24 victory over Cal. Both of those picks came in the fourth quarter and set up touchdowns for the Bruins, allowing Chesney's team to pull away from the Bears late. James is a playmaker in the secondary, especially on critical passing downs.
- Sahir West, DL — West is arguably the most destructive defensive lineman on UCLA's roster this season. He has totaled 11 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack so far this season. Last season at James Madison, he accounted for seven sacks and 14 tackles for loss.
Boilers to watch
- Fame Ijeboi, RB — Ijeboi popped off the screen in Purdue's loss to Wake Forest last week. He was the workhorse for the Boilermakers, accounting for 114 rushing yards and three touchdowns. The running back also caught six passes for 42 yards. He has produced at a high level out of the backfield.
- Ryan Browne, QB — Through the first two weeks, Browne is the Big Ten's passing leader, averaging 323 yards per game. He made some clutch plays in the Wake Forest game, but most importantly, he hasn't had a turnover yet. Browne has played much cleaner to start the 2026 campaign.
- Asaad Waseem, WR — Waseem looks like a go-to target this season and is Purdue's leading receiver after two weeks. He has hauled in 12 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown. He was particularly impressive in the opener, finishing with 107 yards and a touchdown against Indiana State.
- Jeremy Lewis, DE — It's still early, but Lewis looks like Purdue's best pass-rusher. The junior college transfer has 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss for the Boilermakers, but he's the only player who can consistently get into the backfield at the defensive end spot, at least right now.
- Ian Jeffries, DL — Jeffries doesn't pile up many stats, but he does give Purdue an excellent push in the trenches. He's been able to put pressure on quarterbacks and has helped clog up running lanes in the first two weeks. He's been responsible for six stops and two tackles for loss this season.
- Don Saunders, DB — Saunders is still the only Boilermaker to force a turnover this year, recording a pick-six in the opener against Indiana State. He is Purdue's best player in the secondary and a leader of that group. Along with his interception, he has totaled 10 tackles in two games.
Key stats
Offense
Stats (per game) | Purdue | UCLA |
|---|---|---|
Scoring | 40.0 | 36.5 |
Rushing yards | 151.5 | 245.5 |
Yards per carry | 3.79 | 6.55 |
Passing yards | 337.5 | 167.5 |
Completion % | 77.6% | 62.2% |
Total yards | 489.0 | 413.0 |
Yards per play | 6.27 | 6.88 |
3rd down % | 52.0% | 45.45% |
Red zone % | 100% | 77.78% |
Turnovers (total) | 0 | 2 |
Defense
Stats per game | Purdue | UCLA |
|---|---|---|
Points allowed | 28.5 | 17.0 |
Run defense | 126.0 | 131.5 |
Pass defense | 221.5 | 168.0 |
Total defense | 347.5 | 299.5 |
Sacks (total) | 5 | 5 |
Opp. 3rd down % | 39.13% | 39.39% |
Opp. red zone % | 100% | 100% |
Takeaways | 1 | 4 |
Penalties (yards) | 8.5 (67.5) | 10.0 (90.0) |
Fast facts
Winless vs. UCLA
Saturday night's matchup between Purdue and UCLA will be the sixth in the all-time series and the first since the Bruins joined the Big Ten. The Boilermakers have had no success in this matchup, trailing the series 0-3-2.
The good news? All of those games were played more than 45 years ago. Purdue and UCLA last met on the gridiron in 1980, a 23-14 victory for the Bruins at Ross-Ade Stadium. The last meeting in Pasadena was in 1979, a 31-21 win for UCLA.
First Big Ten-opening win in five seasons
Purdue has not had much success in its Big Ten opener over the years. The Boilermakers have lost their four conference openers, with the last victory coming in 2021, a 13-9 victory over Illinois on Sept. 25. That's quite some time.
The struggles in Big Ten openers actually extends further than that. In the last 15 seasons, Purdue has only won its first conference game twice: beating Illinois in 2021 and a season-opening victory over Iowa in the 2020 campaign. The Boilermakers have not won a Big Ten opener on the road since a 2010 victory over Northwestern.
Top passer in the conference
Browne has played well through the first two games for Purdue. His 646 passing yards lead the Big Ten and rank 15th nationally. He is also completing a sizzling 77.5% of his passes and has four touchdowns without an interception.
Purdue needs that type of productivity and decision-making from Browne throughout the season. Having better running backs, a bigger offensive line and more skilled wide receivers has certainly helped the quarterback, but he's also delivered early in the year.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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