Sticking with what works, UCLA coach Bob Chesney wore his usual all-black outfit Saturday.
San Diego State simply wore it.
Several days after their coach had poked the Bruins by suggesting they were uppity with “all their polos, all their khakis, all their resources,” the Aztecs were undressed as the inferior team.
It took some doing, UCLA shaking off a scoreless first half to finally mount some semblance of a competent offense.
The Bruins ran away with a 28-10 victory at the Rose Bowl only after their defense held firm and Wayne Knight sparked a breakthrough in the rushing attack.
Knight ran for three touchdowns in the second half, including a 7-yarder with seven minutes left in the game in which he cut outside and was untouched on his way to the end zone.
That put the Bruins up by two scores, and after UCLA linebacker Jalen Woods intercepted a pass deep in San Diego State territory, the Aztecs’ fate was sealed. UCLA running back Jaivian Thomas eventually spun into the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown, giving the Bruins a 21-3 cushion.
UCLA has now piled up more rushing touchdowns (10) through two games than it had all of last season (eight). Knight led the way Saturday with 97 yards in 13 carries and has notched six rushing touchdowns on the season.
The Bruins also gave further credence to one of their coach’s favorite sayings, that the most meaningless statistic in college football is the halftime score.
A week after UCLA dropped 21 points on Cal in the fourth quarter to pull away, it was similarly stout late against San Diego State (0-2).
The Bruins rolled up 365 total yards of offense to the Aztecs’ 189 while improving to 2-0 for the first time since 2023. UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava completed 14 of 22 passes for 151 yards and an interception while also rushing for 57 yards.
This was a victory that came in unconventional fashion.
With Iamaleava having more success running the ball than throwing it, his team drove deep into San Diego State territory on its first drive of the third quarter. Knight finally put UCLA on the scoreboard when he ran for an 8-yard touchdown, slipping a tackle near the goal line.
What preceded that was far less pleasing for Bruins fans.
A scoreless, bizarre first half ended in fitting fashion — with Iamaleava shaking off a defender only to throw a shaky pass across his body that fell incomplete. After Iamaleava took a knee on the next play to run out the clock, there were a few boos inside the Rose Bowl.
Bad throws and poor decisions were an unfortunate theme for Iamaleava in the game’s early going.
Just when it looked as if the Bruins might finally break through, facing a third-and-goal at San Diego State’s 2-yard line early in the second quarter, Iamaleava threw a pass across his body that was intercepted in the end zone.
Later, when UCLA faced a fourth-and-7 at the Aztecs’ 36-yard line, Iamaleava was sacked, leading to a turnover on downs.
But the scoreboard wouldn’t stay stuck on zeroes for much longer, the Bruins once again showing themselves to be a second-half team.
