Instant Takeaways From UCLA's Physical Win Over Wisconsin

UCLA keeps the wins coming, as they improve to 6-0 under Bob Chesney in year one.

The Bruins answered a lot of questions in the win against the Badgers, and more importantly, may have quieted a lot of the concern that stemmed from last week.

This Team Will Be More Than Fine

There was a real concern that UCLA wouldn’t be able to win games without their running game playing at a high level. They evaporated that concern against Wisconsin, as UCLA’s ground game was shut down all night long. Wayne Knight would find the end zone, but was held to only 23 yards on the night, and UCLA still managed to win this game.

There have been concerns in the past week about whether or not this team would be able to continue their hot streak following a season-ending injury to starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava, but the performance we saw from Ty Dieffenbach was enough to be confident in for UCLA fans. Dieffenbach took control of this offense, and arguably put up the best passing performance for UCLA all season long.

UCLA’s Passing Game Could Be Legit

Not only did UCLA’s passing game show enough to support the offense, but it realistically could end up being a strength for this team moving forward. Dieffenbach was 22-for-33 on the night with 264 yards. He looked calm and confident in the pocket, and proved he is the quarterback for the Bruins the rest of the way.

Aside from the quarterback position, multiple receivers rose to the occasion to help their new quarterback out. Semaj Morgan looked like a reliable option all night long and was able to make some special plays to extend drives and set the offense up nicely. Jalen Saint Paul also revealed himself, as he looked to have established a connection with Dieffenbach, especially in the first half.

They Must Capitalize on Drives

The one worry that came from the win over Wisconsin was the inability to finish drives and capitalize fully on opportunities. Late in the 3rd quarter, Bob Chesney and the Bruins offense opted to go for it on fourth down instead of kicking a field goal, and they were stopped by Wisconsin’s defense. Sure, it would have been a deep field goal attempt, but at that moment in time, an additional three points to stretch the lead could have been huge.

UCLA also made it to a first-and-goal on their first offensive drive of the game, but were denied three times in the red zone, which prompted UCLA’s offense to settle for a field goal. Neither instance ended up affecting the final score, as Wisconsin would only score 7 all night, but it could be a problem in the future if the Bruins aren’t able to end drives with touchdowns and score on every opportunity.