“We did not come here to make excuses; we did not come here to put limitations on ourselves. We came here to achieve and grow every single day,” UCLA head coach Bob Chesney said after Saturday’s game.
The UCLA Bruins (4-0, 2-0 Big Ten) faced conference opponent Maryland Terrapins (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) in College Park, Maryland. The Bruins entered the matchup as close favorites over the Terrapins; however, UCLA quickly shattered national expectations.
The first quarter was a battle of defenses, with Maryland and UCLA trading punts. UCLA’s defense forced its first turnover of the game against sophomore quarterback Malik Washington when, on third-and-long, Washington rolled out of the pocket and threw a desperate pass intended for junior wide receiver Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding that was intercepted by fifth-year UCLA safety Mason Rivera.
UCLA capitalized on the turnover in its first drive of the second quarter, with fifth-year running back Wayne Knight going untouched on fourth-and-short for a 45-yard touchdown run, taking a 7-0 lead. In its very next drive, the Bruins marched down the field to the goal line thanks to Knight’s 33-yard rush. At 9:53 in the second quarter, UCLA fifth-year running back Anthony Woods punched in the one-yard touchdown and gave the Bruins a two-score lead, 14-0.
UCLA forced another punt for the Terrapins and proceeded to drive 75 yards down the field to knock in another score. This drive featured a heavy dose of UCLA senior quarterback Nico Iamaleava, completing three passes for 50 yards: 20 yards to Knight, 27 yards to fifth-year tight end Brayden Loftin, and three yards to sophomore tight end Noah Fox-Flores.
Senior running back Jaivian Thomas capped the drive off with a three-yard rushing touchdown and put UCLA up 20-0 after a muffed extra point attempt. Maryland would then drive down the field, reaching field goal range and putting points on the board with a field goal from kicker Sean O’Haire, 20-3.
The third quarter saw UCLA’s defensive potential as ball hawks flourish. With 11:29 in the third quarter, Washington’s pass was intercepted by senior defensive back Ta’Shawn James, running it back for 39 yards and the score, 27-3. In Maryland’s very next drive, Washington would have a miscommunication with Maryland wide receiver Chriss Durr Jr., seemingly running the incorrect route, resulting in an interception and touchdown for senior defensive back Scooter Jackson, 34-3.
The Bruins entered an offensive frenzy in the fourth quarter, scoring 20 unanswered points. At 14:50 in the fourth quarter, UCLA drilled a field goal from senior kicker Mateen Bhaghani, 37-3. Three minutes later, Iamaleava rolled out and completed a pass to senior wide receiver Aidan Mizell, who outsprinted the Terrapin defense for 83 yards and a touchdown, his first as a Bruin, UCLA 44-3.
Bhaghani drilled his second field goal of the game with 8:52 in the fourth quarter, giving UCLA a 47-3 lead. The Bruins scored their final touchdown of the game with 4:09 in the fourth quarter, with senior running back Troy Leigber rushing up the middle untouched for 63 yards and a touchdown, giving UCLA a 51-point lead, 54-3.
As the clock expired in the fourth quarter, the Bruin sideline and fans in the crowd celebrated as UCLA improved to 4-0 for the first time since 1940 and won UCLA’s largest road conference game in program history.
The crowd featured Chesney’s friends and family traveling from Kulpmont, Pennsylvania. When asked about playing in front of his home crowd, Chesney stated, “It doesn’t get better than that; it’s family… It’s a neighborhood that grows each other’s kids up and works hard and is as blue-collar as can be with tough people, and I am proud to be from there.”
UCLA now heads into a bye week with its eyes set on its next matchup Saturday, Oct. 10, against No. 20 Oregon in Eugene. “I think for us it is continuing to be us. We feel like we still have not played to our full potential despite scoring 54 points; the emphasis is that it does not matter and to keep getting better,” stated Iamaleava following the win.
