Bruin Breakdown: UCLA Moves Past Minnesota Behind Solid Second Half

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

It was a seemingly uncharacteristic game for UCLA for a variety of reasons, yet the Bruins just seem to be able to find a way to win, which they did against Minnesota, 34-20, protecting their perfect record.

First for the Bruins

There were a lot of firsts for this offense against Minnesota. For starters, this was the first time we had seen a quarterback throw for over 300 yards in a game this season, as Ty Dieffenbach passed for 303 yards with just eight completions.

Nov 7, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Bob Chesney walks the sideline against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the second half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

However, that wouldn't have been possible without Aiden Mizell, as he was the first UCLA receiver to eclipse 100-plus yards in a game this season. Mizell only caught two passes all day, both 75-yard touchdowns, and both gave UCLA a massive wave of momentum that the Bruins were able to ride for the remainder of the game in order to get the win.

Missed Some Big Opportunities

Despite the fact that Dieffenbach threw for 300 yards and his box score looks great, I wouldn't say that this is the best performance we've seen from him this season. He made some ill-advised throws in the first half, one of which was picked off with little time remaining in the second quarter, which allowed Minnesota to put points on the board and grab momentum just before halftime.

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In the second half, the Bruins' special teams came up with a crucial block to give the offense the ball with excellent field position and the possibility of extending the lead. The Bruins would score with Jaivian Thomas; however, it was called back for holding.

The very next play, Dieffenbach fumbled the possession away. Those two miscues could have proven costly, but the Bruins' offense was able to make the necessary plays to not only keep the Bruins alive, but to thrive as they pulled away with the win.

Nov 7, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; UCLA Bruins defensive back Scooter Jackson (1) intercepts a pass intended for Minnesota Golden Gophers wide receiver Jalen Smith (8) during the second half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

No Volume Through the Air

Interestingly enough, the two 75-yard touchdowns to Aiden Mizell were his only catches of the game, and he still came out as the leading receiver for the Bruins in receptions. Mizell was the only UCLA receiver with multiple catches.

Offensively, this was among the lowest volume we've seen UCLA produce through the air, as Dieffenbach only attempted 16 passes all game.

Nov 7, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; UCLA Bruins running back Wayne Knight (3) runs with the ball against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the second half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Even the Bruins' ground game was not as diverse as we've seen in the past. Wayne Knight did a lot of the heavy lifting with 18 carries for 109 yards, a pretty decent margin from the rest of the pack in the running back room. Moving forward, you'd like to see UCLA get more offensive playmakers involved, but with one-play drives produced by Mizell, it makes sense as to why the volume was so low from UCLA's offense.

Moving forward, UCLA will turn its attention to Illinois as they travel back home to take on the Fighting Illini. Based on UCLA's current College Football Playoff ranking (8) and projection, there's little margin for error, and Illinois is not a team that UCLA can afford to slip up against at this point in the season.

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