UCLA Drops 52 in a Victory Over Purdue to Begin Conference Play
Head coach Bob Chesney earned his first Big Ten win over the Purdue Boilermakers 52-38.
The moods of both teams were complete opposites. UCLA was enjoying their 2-0 start to the season while Purdue looked to bounce back from a home overtime loss to Wake Forest University.
Earlier in the week, UCLA announced students can receive free tickets for football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball. Although attendance dropped to 30,916 from the previous week, seats reserved for students in sections 2-5, nicknamed ‘The Den,’ were filled to near capacity.
In the first game between these two programs in one day shy of 46 years, both offenses put together an explosive first quarter, which ended with the Bruins holding a 21-7 lead.
Purdue won the coin toss and elected to defer to the second half. UCLA began their first offensive possession at their own 21-yard line, needing only 2:58 and seven plays to score the first points of the game. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava connected with wide receiver Semaj Morgan for a 20-yard touchdown pass, the first of the season.
Purdue fans didn’t have to wait long for their team to respond, as Ryan Browne hit Xavier Townsend for a 75-yard touchdown pass.
“Xavier scored 2 touchdowns against that look tonight,” Browne said. “It feels good to prepare for something and then be able to put it out on the field.”
The offensive firepower did not stop with Purdue’s response, as UCLA needed just six plays for Iamaleava and Morgan to connect again on a 27-yard touchdown reception.
On the Boilermakers’ ensuing drive, linebacker Sammy Omosigho had a forced fumble against running back Travis Terrell Jr. to give the Bruins prime field position at Purdue’s 44-yard line. The drive was capped off by a 6-yard rushing touchdown by transfer running back Wayne Knight.
Neither team was forced to punt until Purdue with 8:19 left in the second quarter. In a quarter when everything was going Purdue’s way, UCLA’s Mateen Bhaghani kicked a 34-yard field goal to give the Bruins a 24-21 halftime lead.
At the intermission, UCLA had 313 yards of total offense, but was surrendering an average of 22.8 yards per completion on defense.
The woes on the defensive side of the ball continued in the second half, as Purdue went 75 yards in five plays to take their first lead of the game on a George Burhenn 30-yard touchdown reception, 28-24.
“At halftime and once we started fighting back there, I thought it's going to be a heck of a game,” Purdue head coach Barry Odom said. “I thought that the momentum had kind of switched to our sideline and then we couldn't keep it on that side.”
Purdue’s passing attack became a concern for Chesney.
“As far as the coverage is concerned, I think the quarterback and the receivers were really good,” he said. “I felt like the pressure mounted a little bit and we were not as clean in our technique as we needed to be. We can't put ourselves in some sort of panic mode.”
Other trends from the first half continued in the second half. After UCLA reclaimed the lead on a 16-yard rushing touchdown by Anthony Woods, Omosigho forced another fumble by wide receiver Asaad Waseem fumbled at his team’s 32-yard line, again providing the Bruins with optimal field position.
“I think that's his third game in a row forcing a fumble,” Chesney said. “There are things he's gonna want to clean up in there too.”
A clip that Chesney showed the team during film study played a key role in Omosigho’s two-turnover performance.
“Our coach on Tuesday, he put up a clip of Fred Warner. This was a big emphasis for us all week,” Omosigho explained. “Just punching the ball out, creating another turnover and creating another opportunity. That’s my goal every week, every day.”
Facing a critical fourth down in their own territory, Odom made an aggressive fake punt call. Punter Dylan Drennan completed a 47-yard pass to Antonio Harris to give Purdue 1st & goal at the 8-yard line. However, the Boilermakers walked away with only a field goal, cutting UCLA’s lead to seven.
UCLA’s potent rushing attack didn’t miss a beat, as Knight, Woods, and Jaivian Thomas combined for four touchdowns and 314 yards, with Iamaleava contributing 55 of his own.
Knight had two rushing touchdowns, bringing his season total to eight. With only nine all of last season with James Madison University, he’s on pace for 32 touchdowns as a redshirt senior.
“We’re sticking to the code. It’s a good rotation in our running back room. I’m put in a good position. We’re moving the ball on offense and we are getting down in the red zone. I’m able to punch it in. It’s about whatever is best for the team.”
Chesney was asked about the depth of his offensive line, which has helped the Bruins score 17 touchdowns through three games.
“I just think it continues to be impressive, and then we're putting a lot of guys through there, rotating a lot of guys.”
Purdue ran out of steam on the offensive side of the ball, electing to prioritize the running game in the fourth quarter. Running back Fame Ijeboi’s 1-yard touchdown run brought the game within one score, but UCLA’s defense forced a punt allowing the offense to drain the clock and extend the lead to two scores.
A game which started with two passing touchdowns from Iamaleava concluded with him throwing a third, this time to Landon Ellis, with only half a quarter remaining.
“What have we done really well up to this point in time? It’s been running the football, so you got to use that to set up the pass now,” Chesney said. “And I think we provided him with a pretty clean pocket. He got through his reads, he didn't hang on anybody, wait for them to get open, he just moved along, and got to the open receiver and was able to deliver accurately in front of them.”
Iamaleava reiterated that point, saying, “I think that in week three, that was the emphasis, our preparation.”
Defensive back Rodrick Pleasant picked off Browne’s pass at the goal line, putting the nail in the coffin. Purdue’s five touchdowns and 488 yards of total offense could not overcome their three turnovers which resulted in 14 points for the Bruins.
With this win, UCLA sits at 3-0 and has already matched their win total from last season.
“I think that just speaks to the growth of the team and speaks to Coach Ches, of how he got us to buy into this process and his winning ways. It feels good to be 3-0, and we’ve got to keep going."
UCLA will travel to face the Maryland Terrapins Saturday at 10:30 a.m. on Big Ten Network.
