No. 9 UCLA hosts Michigan State on Saturday at the Rose Bowl with a new starting quarterback under center for the first time all season. The Bruins are 6-0 and 4-0 in Big Ten play, while the Spartans arrive at 2-5 overall and winless in conference games at 0-4. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m.
ET on CBS. The biggest question entering the Michigan State vs UCLA Dieffenbach start is whether the Bruins can keep rolling behind a backup signal caller against a Spartans defense that has shown flashes of pressure.
UCLA Bruins Vs Michigan State Spartans Game Information
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026
- Time: 3:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. local)
- Venue: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
- TV: CBS
- Series: Big Ten conference game
How Does UCLA Move Forward Without Nico Iamaleava?
UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava underwent season-ending knee surgery after getting hurt in the Bruins’ 17-15 win over Oregon on Oct. 10, according to ESPN. Before the injury, Iamaleava had completed 72 of 116 passes for 982 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions, adding 144 rushing yards and a score on the ground.
Ty Dieffenbach, a transfer who previously played at Pitt and Cal Poly, is expected to start in Iamaleava’s place, per Yahoo Sports. Dieffenbach already got a trial run last week, completing 22 of 33 passes for 264 yards in a 17-7 win over Wisconsin that is detailed in Total Apex Sports’ recap of UCLA’s win over Wisconsin. UCLA coach Bob Chesney praised Dieffenbach’s performance in that game, saying, “Ty, what a job.
To stand in there and have the confidence to do what he did. What a warrior just all the way around.”
Can Michigan State’s Pass Rush Disrupt A First-Time Starter?
Michigan State recorded five sacks in its 24-21 loss to Northwestern last week, a game the Spartans dropped despite a blocked field-goal attempt and a late Northwestern scoring drive, as covered in Total Apex Sports’ recap of the Northwestern loss. That pressure total stands out given Michigan State’s per-game sack average of 1.7 on defense this season. Facing Dieffenbach in his first true road start as a starter gives the Spartans a chance to test whether that pass rush can translate into turnovers, something Michigan State has struggled to generate with just 1.1 takeaways per game.
What Does Michigan State’s Offense Need To Do Differently?
The Spartans have lost five straight games, a stretch that includes a 31-3 defeat at Wisconsin detailed in Total Apex Sports’ recap of that Big Ten loss. Michigan State quarterback Alessio Milivojevic has completed 121 of 185 passes for 1,263 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions this season, while running back Jaziun Patterson has carried 76 times for 327 yards and five scores. The Spartans average just 119.1 rushing yards per game, a number they will need to improve against a UCLA defense that has forced 15 takeaways against only nine giveaways, a plus-6 turnover margin.
By The Numbers
- Points per game: UCLA 35.5, Michigan State 21.3
- Total yards per game: UCLA 445.8, Michigan State 310.7
- Rushing yards per game: UCLA 231.0, Michigan State 119.1
- Passing yards per game: UCLA 214.8, Michigan State 191.6
- Third-down conversion rate: UCLA 48.19%, Michigan State 40.22%
- Turnover margin: UCLA plus-6, Michigan State even
- Sacks allowed per game: UCLA 1.5, Michigan State 2.9
- Total penalties: UCLA 57 for 499 yards, Michigan State 28 for 254 yards
UCLA Bruins Outlook
UCLA has won five straight games and sits at 6-0 for the first time this season under first-year coach Bob Chesney, who previously led James Madison to a 12-1 record last season before a College Football Playoff loss to Oregon. Running back Wayne Knight has been the engine of the offense, rushing 84 times for 571 yards and 11 touchdowns, numbers that help explain why UCLA leads the matchup with 231 rushing yards per game. The Bruins have also protected the football well, posting a plus-6 turnover margin through six games.
Receiver Semaj Morgan has caught 24 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns, giving Dieffenbach a reliable target as he makes his first start in place of Iamaleava. A preview of last week’s matchup is available in Total Apex Sports’ Wisconsin vs UCLA preview.
Michigan State Spartans Outlook
Michigan State has dropped five consecutive games and remains winless in Big Ten play at 0-4. The Spartans have shown an ability to convert on fourth down, succeeding on 10 of 18 attempts this season, a 55.56% rate that suggests a willingness to be aggressive in short-yardage situations. Wide receiver Jayden Savoury leads the team with 27 catches for 261 yards. Michigan State’s defense has totaled 22 tackles for loss and 12 sacks through seven games, numbers that will be tested against a UCLA offensive line that has allowed only 1.5 sacks per game.
Key Matchup: Michigan State’s Pass Rush Against A First-Time Road Starter
The clearest storyline centers on how Michigan State’s defensive front handles Dieffenbach making his first career road start. The Spartans posted five sacks against Northwestern last week, and UCLA has allowed just nine sacks all season. If Michigan State can replicate that pressure, it could force the kind of mistakes that have been rare for UCLA, which has given the ball away only nine times in six games. For UCLA, protecting Dieffenbach and leaning on Wayne Knight’s ground production will be central to keeping the offense on schedule against a defense that has forced takeaways at a modest 1.1-per-game clip.
Players To Watch
Ty Dieffenbach, UCLA Quarterback
Dieffenbach threw for 264 yards on 22-of-33 passing in his first start against Wisconsin. His performance in a road environment at Michigan State will offer a clearer picture of how UCLA’s offense functions without Iamaleava for the rest of the season.
Wayne Knight, UCLA Running Back
Knight has rushed for 571 yards and 11 touchdowns on 84 carries this season. With a new quarterback settling in, UCLA is likely to rely heavily on Knight to control the tempo of the game.
Jaziun Patterson, Michigan State Running Back
Patterson has five rushing touchdowns and 327 yards on 76 carries. Michigan State will need him to find room against a UCLA defense that has limited opponents effectively through six games.
What To Watch
UCLA has won the last four meetings in the series dating back to the 1966 Rose Bowl, and the Bruins hold a 4-3 edge all time, including a 38-13 win over Michigan State in 2025 that came during the Spartans’ homecoming game. Michigan State’s last win over UCLA came in 1965. This marks only the second meeting between the two programs as Big Ten members.
For Michigan State, the trip continues a difficult run of recent West Coast games, following a 31-10 loss at Oregon in 2024 and a 45-31 loss at USC in 2025. For UCLA, a win would keep the Bruins undefeated as they navigate the transition to a new starting quarterback for the remainder of the season.
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