UCLA's Biggest Winners and Losers From Dominant Win Over MSU

The Bruins have advanced to 7-0.

Oct 24, 2026; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Bob Chesney looks on during the first half against the Michigan State Spartans at Rose Bowl.at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The UCLA Bruins have improved to 7-0 following a dominant win over Michigan State. There’s a lot of positives to take from the win at home, and these three Bruins showed out in the Week 8 contest.

Ty Dieffenbach

Ty Dieffenbach continues to impress with another positive performance to keep the momentum rolling for the Bruins. It was a slow start not just for Dieffenbach, but for UCLA’s offense as a whole.

Oct 24, 2026; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Ty Dieffenbach (14) looks to throw against the Michigan State Spartans during the first quarter at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In fact, the first half was almost a disaster as Dieffenbach stayed on the turf in pain following a play at the end of the second quarter, and you could tell a scare was sent throughout the Bruins fanbase. Luckily, Dieffenbach would return to the field seemingly healthy following halftime, and that’s when he began to put on an impressive performance.  

To begin the third quarter, Dieffenbach found Brian Rowe on a beautiful, 63-yard touchdown pass deep down the field. He looked great the remainder of the game, making impressive throws all over the field. Overall, he built upon his solid game a week ago and proved he truly can lead this team to where they want to go this season.

Donovyn Pellot

The Bruins struggled to begin this game, as they couldn’t get anything going on offense and looked sloppy overall. However, following an interception by linebacker Donovyn Pellot, the momentum fully shifted back to UCLA’s sideline.

It was a major play for multiple reasons. The Spartans were inside UCLA’s 20-yard line and threatened to take the lead in the second quarter. Instead, Pellot made the crucial interception, returned it 67 yards the opposite way, and allowed Wayne Knight to punch in a touchdown to take the lead heading into the half.

Oct 24, 2026; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins running back Anthony Woods (6) and quarterback Ty Dieffenbach (14) celebrate after a rushing touchdown during the second half against the Michigan State Spartans at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Anthony Woods

UCLA’s running game bounced back as a whole this week, but Anthony Woods bounced back himself after a bad start against Michigan State. In the first quarter, Woods had the ball stripped from him, leading to a Michigan State touchdown and an early lead.

From there, he made sure to not make the same mistake. He played fantastic the remainder of the game, running for 112 yards on 14 carries and found the end zone in the third quarter to extend UCLA’s lead.

Landon Ellis

It’s hard to give anyone a bad grade on UCLA’s sideline in the 28-10 win over Michigan State. However, there were a few times when Landon Ellis dropped some passes he should have come down with. Ellis’s two drops in the first half ended up ending drives for UCLA on both occasions, which took part in the slow start for UCLA’s offense.