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UCLA football is back, and it’s thriving.
After Saturday’s dominant 27-0 victory against Nevada, UCLA is 8-0 and is now ranked as the No. 5 team in the country for the first time since 2001 — when Bob Toledo was running the program.
The program is now headed by Bob Chesney, and he not only has them headed to their first bowl game since 2023, but they’re looking poised to make the College Football Playoff for the first time in school history.
On Monday morning, Chesney appeared on the ESPN show, “Big Day,” hosted by Peter Schrager, answering questions on the team’s focus.
“The ranking tells us where we’ve been; I’m more interested in where we’re going,” Chesney said bluntly.
“The ranking tells us where we’ve been, I’m more interested in where we’re going.”
UCLA head football coach Bob Chesney has the Bruins ranked No. 5 in the AP poll, but his message is simple ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/8tqcxqIEu5
— Big Day (@BigDayESPN) November 2, 2026
The Bruins have had a lot to be happy about these days as they’re playing good football at all three levels.
UCLA’s defense has emerged as one of the best in the Big Ten, ranking third in the conference and has recently been coined with the nickname the “Bruin bullies.”
Defensive coordinator Colin Hitscher followed Chesney from James Madison — which also reached the College Football Playoff last year, and has transformed the Bruins’ defense.
The UCLA defense has given up an average of 13.4 points per game and has not given up more than one touchdown at home since the middle of September.
UCLA has spent the second half of their Cinderella run without Nico Iamaleava, who is out for the rest of the season due to a knee injury. Calabasas native Ty Dieffenbach has been running the show, throwing for 683 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
On the ground, the Bruins’ rushing attack has been the difference for their offense as they rank first in the Big Ten, averaging 219.5 yards per game with a total of 25 rushing touchdowns.
Senior running back Wayne Knight, who also followed Chesney from James Madison, has been the lead bell cow, running the ball 110 times for 680 yards and 12 touchdowns.
UCLA has four more games on the schedule that include a trip to “The Big House” to play Michigan and close the season against their cross-town rival, USC.
If they win out, they’re a lock for the College Football Playoff and could continue to climb their way up the rankings.
