UCLA quarterback Dieffenbach throws 303 yards in 34-20 rout of Minnesota
The eighth-ranked Bruins survived two turnovers to stay unbeaten, securing their spot in the College Football Playoff conversation.
By Aiko Petrov ·
UCLA quarterback Ty Dieffenbach transformed from a cautious game manager into a high-risk playmaker on Saturday.
The eighth-ranked Bruins (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten) defeated Minnesota (5-4, 3-3) 34-20 to remain in the College Football Playoff picture. Dieffenbach threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns while attempting just 16 passes. He also committed two turnovers that shifted momentum against his team.
Dieffenbach led the offense to a 54-yard gain on a pass to Semaj Morgan and rushed for 29 yards on the following drive. That run set up a 13-yard field goal by Wayne Knight. The kicker now leads the Big Ten with 13 touchdown points. Head coach Bob Chesney said Dieffenbach did not waver after the mistakes. Chesney noted that the way Dieffenbach carried himself in that moment was important.
The offense stalled in the second half after Dieffenbach threw an interception to linebacker Maverick Baranowski. He then lost the ball on a strip sack four plays after a blocked punt. Dieffenbach called the fumble unacceptable in the red zone. He said he adopted a next-play mentality.
UCLA responded with two consecutive 75-yard touchdown passes to Aidan Mizell in the fourth quarter. Dieffenbach identified the defensive coverage as two-high with quarters. He said the safety coming down allowed him to throw the ball over the top. Mizell caught the first pass after dusting his defender. On the second score, Minnesota switched to man coverage, and Mizell used his quickness to beat his defender on a deep crossing route.
The Bruins entered the game ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. That is their highest ranking in 25 years. Georgia moved up to No. 1, receiving 53 first-place votes. Utah sits at No. 2 with 12 first-place votes, followed by Notre Dame at No. 3. UCLA is the only other Big Ten team in the Top 10 besides Indiana, which is No. 6.
UCLA has won nine straight games for the first time since 1998. The team will host Illinois next before traveling to Michigan. They finish the season against No. 20 USC at the Rose Bowl. The next College Football Playoff rankings will drop on Tuesday.
Dieffenbach said he felt good about hitting explosive plays after a lull in the second quarter and start of the second half. He noted that the team understood what coverage they were going to be in. He said once he saw the safety come down, it was all green grass.
