UCLA Beats Minnesota 34-20 to Reach 9-0 for First Time Since 1998
Two 75-yard Aidan Mizell touchdowns in the fourth quarter sent the Bruins past the Gophers and kept them atop the Big Ten.
UCLA is 9-0 for the first time since 1998 after a 34-20 win at Minnesota on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, a game the Bruins broke open with two 75-yard touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Ty Dieffenbach threw both of them, and receiver Aidan Mizell caught both, according to AP via CBS Sports.
A tie game turned into a Mizell show
This was not a stroll. Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey opened the fourth quarter with a game-tying touchdown pass, UCLA Wire reported via Yahoo Sports. Then Mizell took over. He finished with two catches, and both went for 75-yard scores.
The ground game helped too. Wayne Knight ran for a touchdown and 109 yards, per the same report. Dieffenbach turned the ball over twice, which is why the Bruins needed the late fireworks to settle things in Minneapolis.
The win moved UCLA to 6-0 in Big Ten play and kept the Bruins on top of the conference, according to AP via Yahoo Sports. Fox Sports noted that it is the program's first 9-0 start since 1998.
Where the CFP committee had them
Four days earlier, the College Football Playoff committee had put UCLA at No. 8 in its first rankings of the season, UCLA Athletics reported. That ties the highest spot the Bruins have ever held in the CFP rankings, previously reached on Nov. 25, 2014.
The unbeaten record did not buy a higher spot. Per NCAA.com, Miami (8-0) opened at No. 1 and Georgia (7-1) at No. 2. Utah (8-0) was No. 3, Indiana (8-1) No. 4 and Alabama (6-2) No. 5. UCLA, also 8-0, sat at No. 8. UCLA was one of three unbeaten FBS teams at the time of the rankings, along with Miami and Utah.
Utah, for its part, also reached 9-0 on Saturday, beating BYU 28-20, according to CBS Sports.
The backstory: from 3-9 to unbeaten
The reason this start stands out is where the Bruins were a year ago. UCLA went 3-9 in 2025. Chesney, who led James Madison to a playoff spot last season, has now matched the largest year-over-year turnaround in program history, per AP via Yahoo Sports.
What's left
The Bruins finish the regular season against Illinois, Michigan and USC, UCLA Wire reported.
Sources
- No. 5 UCLA pulls away from Minnesota to stay undefeated at 9-0 - CBS Sports (cbssports.com)
- College Football Week 10 Top Moments, Results: UCLA, Utah Improve To 9-0 (foxsports.com)
- Biggest Winners and Losers from UCLA's Tough Win Over Minnesota (si.com)
- Aidan Mizell's fourth quarter scores lead the way in UCLA's 34-20 win - Yahoo Sports (sports.yahoo.com)
- Five stars for No. 8 UCLA's 34-20 road victory over Minnesota - Yahoo Sports (sports.yahoo.com)
- No. 5 UCLA turns up the speed late to stay unbeaten with 34-20 win at Minnesota - Yahoo Sports (sports.yahoo.com)
- UCLA Football Ranked No. 8 in First College Football Playoff Rankings - UCLA Bruins (uclabruins.com)
- Miami, Georgia lead the first College Football Playoff rankings of 2026 (ncaa.com)
- Utah outlasts BYU: Utes stake claim to top of Big 12 standings as Cougars' road to CFP narrows - CBS Sports (cbssports.com)
- UCLA Football No. 8 in First 2026 CFP Rankings at 8-0 - BVM Sports (bvmsports.com)
