PASADENA, Calif. - If last week’s second half against Oregon was senior Ty Dieffenbach going into the frying pan, Saturday’s matchup against the Wisconsin Badgers was him going into the fire.
But despite the fire, Dieffenbach thrived. After starting senior quarterback Nico Iamaleava went down with an injury, Dieffenbach was called up as the Bruins’ new starter and as a result, his first career FBS start was in the Rose Bowl against one of the best teams in the Big Ten and with his friends and family in the stands.
“For me, it’s more about them for real,” Dieffenbach said. “Just being an inspiration to those guys, like… you can do this…. You can go play ball at the highest level. I just think it was awesome seeing all of them show out. I love all of them and I appreciate them for coming out tonight.”
Big Day from Dieffenbach
Things started out smoothly for Dieffenbach and the Bruins. The senior looked sharp and decisive early on, including with a 29-yard pass to Landon Ellis that pushed the Bruins near the Wisconsin red zone, where they’d eventually net a field goal to go up 3-0 in the first quarter.
That lead was bolstered by a rushing touchdown from senior standout Wayne Knight in the second quarter to improve UCLA 10-0, but the few troubles that Dieffenbach had began just as the first half ended.
While the Bruins were trying to drive down the field for one more score before halftime, Dieffenbach instead concluded the second quarter with a pass that he airmailed across the field and straight into the arms of a Wisconsin defensive back for an interception.
That interception didn’t amount to much, nor did it rattle Dieffenbach and the Bruins. They weren’t even rattled when the Badgers scored their first and only touchdown of the game to cut the UCLA lead down 10-7.
Instead, Dieffenbach bounced right back and proved himself in the hardest moments: the third down.
The Bruins were a stellar 13-20 on third down conversions, which looked even better compared to the Badgers being just 3-11, and so many of those conversions were a credit to Dieffenbach’s poise under pressure.
Staying Cool in the Rose Bowl
“Tonight for me, before the game, I was just saying it’s another game, not making the moment too big,” Dieffenbach said.
Despite his success, the Badgers didn’t make anything easy for Dieffenbach. He was chased around constantly by the blitz. He had to operate on a razor’s edge of a lead and came out the other side victorious.
He showed grit and grace under pressure. Most of all, he showed why head coach Bob Chesney was right to put his faith in him.
“Ty, what a warrior all the way around,” Chesney said of his quarterback. “For a lot of people around here, but him in particular, the mental game of football he played today was impressive.”
Dream Come True
All in all, UCLA’s newest starting quarterback finished the day 22-33 with 264 passing yards and led the Bruins to their sixth-straight victory by the score 17-10.
Winning the way he did, and winning for the Bruins, was the fulfillment of a childhood dream for Dieffenbach.
“Five years ago, I’m sitting in the stands watching guys do this and now I’m here. It’s special to me,” Dieffenbach said.