This post was updated Oct. 27 at 11:59 p.m.
Despite ranking the highest the program has ever done since 2015, the Bruins speak as if it never happened.
After a 54-3 victory over Maryland that brought UCLA football to the No. 23 spot, the Bruins have climbed the ranks every week, now sitting squarely at No. 7.
Nevertheless, coach Bob Chesney has continuously emphasized the message that the number has to be ignored. He said the only thing of importance is what it took for the team to get there in the first place.
And while he has led his team to a program-best start since 2005, 7-0 in his first year at the helm, Chesney has still focused on ways the Bruins can improve following a 28-10 win over the Spartans on Saturday.
[Related: UCLA football keeps its rhythm against Michigan State to stay undefeated 7-0]
“The first quarter was not the best football that we’ve played in a while,” Chesney said. “But at the same point in time, I like our resolve. I like our ability to come back. I like our ability to never let something hold you back too long so that it affects something moving into the future.”
Although UCLA would walk out of the Rose Bowl with another victory, it did not come cleanly.
The Bruins fumbled twice in the first half against the Spartans for a combined return of 112 yards, the first of which set up Michigan State for its sole touchdown of the game that gave the East Lansing squad its only lead of the match.
The fumbles occurred on respective carries from running backs fifth-year Anthony Woods and senior Jaivian Thomas, both of whom offset their mistakes with rushing touchdowns of their own – with Woods leading the game with 112 total yards on the ground. Chesney added that he loved the response from his players, including those on offense who made plays and tackles to stop potential touchdowns on the fumble returns.
“It’s just adversity – we all go through it,” Thomas said. “It’s in the sport. It’s going to happen. We really just flushed over it and looked past it and continued to play our game. When Woods fumbled, I told him, ‘You’re good.’ He was kind of in his head about it. Next thing you know, I fumbled. … It is what it is.”
On Thomas’ own fumble, an interception just two plays later from Donavyn Pellot turned the tide and prevented any additional Spartan momentum, instead setting up the Bruins’ second touchdown of the game.
The senior linebacker caught a career-first interception in his fourth year with UCLA, running it back for 67 yards and just shy of the red zone, before fifth-year running back Wayne Knight punched it home.
“I definitely thought I was going to the house,” Pellot said. “In high school, I used to play offense, so I was trying to look for a hole, break a tackle. I definitely thought I was going to score, but it’s all good.”
Chesney said the defense and the run game are two integral components of the Bruins’ brand of football that have been consistent all year, despite each win seemingly coming in a different way.
In a game where all three heads of UCLA’s Cerberus scored – the first such performance since Sept. 26 at Maryland – Thomas added that all the running backs push each other to be better, also highlighting Knight’s ability to handle moments professionally and not be frustrated under pressure.
“Everybody wants to be the main guy, but this is a loaded room,” Thomas said. “Everybody gets their opportunity, gets their chance to do what they want. Most of the time, you want to be the guy who shows it every week. But it’s just not how it goes.”
No matter who starts or how many snaps an individual gets, Chesney said the work ethic is always constant. Whether it be freshman Cooper Javorsky getting valuable playing time against the Spartans amid a deep offensive lineman room, or senior wide receiver Mikey Matthews scootering around the locker room at halftime to support the team while dealing with a season-ending foot injury since Week 2, every Bruin is involved.
According to Chesney and Co., the program is unwavering and consistent, no matter the number that reads ahead of “UCLA football.”
“They were this way from the beginning,” Chesney said. “When we started in the winter conditioning and in the weight room, that was a group that we looked at and said, ‘Man, they’re strong. They’re explosive. They work really, really, really hard.’”
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