Saturday's Homecoming Game for UCLA was special. It was also strange.
In the grand scheme of things, it feels rather odd that the Bruins, after ranking No. 9 in the country, made this transition so quickly after a period of desolation over the past few years. In Coach Bob Chesney's first season at the helm, UCLA stands alone as the only undefeated team from the Big Ten — complete with a pristine 5-0 record in conference play.
Here are instant takeaways from the Bruins' 28-10 victory at the Rose Bowl:
Bruin Bullies Continue To Be One of the Nation's Best Defenses
After Purdue surprisingly scored 38 points on Sept. 19 in Pasadena, Calif., UCLA flipped a switch. The Bruins have held opponents to 15 points or fewer for the past four games. In fact, only two teams have even scored 20 points on this defense (Purdue and California). As quarterback Ty Dieffenbach continues to grow into the starting role, Chesney can relax knowing that his defense will win football games.
Michigan State was missing starting quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, and that absence was felt throughout the afternoon. Spartan backup quarterbacks combined for one touchdown, two interceptions, and just 109 passing yards.
This Was a Slow Day at the Office for UCLA
On paper, the Bruins beat a Big Ten team by three scores. That should count for something, and it does. However, this was a 14-7 game at halftime. It is worth noting that Michigan State has the Big Ten's worst scoring offense and fifth-worst scoring defense.
In comparison, UCLA ranks sixth in scoring offense and fifth in scoring defense among Big Ten teams. The Bruins should have been able to pull away right out of the gate instead of finding their second touchdown with just over three minutes left before halftime.
Anthony Woods Took Center Stage, and That's Fine
Wayne Knight, UCLA's star runner, was generally bottled up, according to his standards. Knight only recorded 56 yards and averaged 3.7 yards per carry. The stranger part is that he only received 15 carries.
The low mileage is due to Woods' banner day. UCLA's secondary running back ran for 112 yards on just 14 attempts. Aside from a fumble in Michigan State territory, Woods was very productive. He also added three catches for 17 yards. The Bruins proved that their offense can function without Knight dominating — or, without its original starting quarterback, for that matter.
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