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The roars accompanied Ty Dieffenbach with each step he took as he jogged back to the sideline in the third quarter Friday.
It was a heroic return for the quarterback who had departed UCLA’s game against Illinois just before halftime.
The Rose Bowl serenaded Dieffenbach with cheers anew once he came onto the field with a minute left in the third quarter and his team holding a 12-7 lead over Illinois.
The one thing UCLA football definitely did not want to happen Friday night was to lose another quarterback.
But there was Dieffenbach needing help to get off the field in the final minute of the first half after suffering an upper-body injury.
Dieffenbach initially clutched his left upper arm after that area of his body appeared to smash into the field while being tackled. Then he stayed down for a few minutes before going to the sideline.
Madden Iamaleava, the younger brother of injured UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava, replaced Dieffenbach and threw two passes that fell incomplete before the No. 4 Bruins headed to the locker room with a 10-0 lead over Illinois.
Madden Iamaleava started the second half for UCLA.
Nico Iamaleava had been UCLA’s starter for the season’s first five games before going down with torn knee ligaments before halftime against Oregon last month.
Dieffenbach has played admirably in Iamaleava’s absence. He completed 8 of 13 passes for 168 yards with one touchdown and one interception against the Fighting Illini in the first half.
Dieffenbach’s touchdown came on a 54-yard pass to Aidan Mizell, who now has 307 receiving yards in his last two halves of football.
The Bruins dominated the first half, outgaining Illinois, 252-84, in total yardage but could not build a larger lead after Dieffenbach threw a pass that was intercepted in the end zone.
