Chesney Matches UCLA Coaching Milestone as Bruins Rout Purdue

PASADENA, Calif. — UCLA opened its Big Ten schedule with a 52-38 victory over Purdue at the Rose Bowl, giving head coach Bob Chesney a 3-0 record in his debut season. The Bruins’ win total now matches the team’s entire 2025 season total after only three weeks.

Chesney became only the third coach in UCLA history to win his first three games at the helm, joining Hall of Famer Terry Donahue and Jim Mora. Donahue, the winningest coach in Pac-12 history, reached the mark in 1976, while Mora did so in 2012.

UCLA’s first 50-point game against a Power Four opponent since November 2022 was built on an offensive line that rotated fresh personnel throughout the evening. The approach wore down Purdue’s defensive front, while running back Anthony Woods found the end zone to help preserve the double-digit margin.

The Bruins had gone scoreless in the first half of their previous game against San Diego State before offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy challenged the unit to establish an immediate tempo. UCLA answered with 21 points in the first quarter and finished with 645 yards.

Fifth-year tailback Wayne Knight led the ground attack with 177 yards and two touchdowns. UCLA rushed for 369 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 7.7 yards per carry, and Knight’s eight touchdowns through three games already equal the Bruins’ entire team output for rushing touchdowns from the previous season.

Senior quarterback Nico Iamaleava supplied another 55 yards on the ground while playing through multiple physical injuries sustained during the game. The highly touted recruit had entered the afternoon after a difficult opening two weeks, during which he threw two interceptions and no passing touchdowns.

Iamaleava completed 19 of 31 passes for 276 yards and three touchdowns. His ability to extend plays and find targets in the pocket provided stability for a passing game that had struggled early in the season.

Transfer additions expanded Iamaleava’s options. Senior wide receiver Semaj Morgan, who transferred from Michigan, caught four passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns, matching half of his entire receiving touchdown output from three seasons in Ann Arbor.

South Carolina transfer Brian Rowe Jr. caught two passes for 65 yards on eight targets, while tight end Landon Ellis, a transfer from James Madison, returned after suffering a head injury early in the second half against California. Ellis marked his return with his first touchdown as a Bruin.

Fifth-year wideout Leland Smith also emerged after playing only a single snap during the first two weeks. He caught three passes for 59 yards.

Purdue’s passing game kept the UCLA defense under pressure. Boilermaker quarterback Ryan Browne accounted for 378 of Purdue’s 488 total yards, completing 19 of 30 passes for one touchdown and one interception. Wide receiver Xavier Townsend finished with 162 yards and two touchdowns against the UCLA secondary.

Linebacker Sammy Omosigho recorded 12 tackles, two sacks, and two forced fumbles. He has now forced four fumbles through the first three games of the season.

James Madison transfer Sahir West recovered both of Omosigho’s forced fumbles, and each turnover directly preceded a UCLA touchdown drive. The takeaways were the first two turnovers surrendered by Purdue’s offense this season.

Defensive back Rodrick Pleasant ended Purdue’s comeback hopes by intercepting Browne with under six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The defeat extended Purdue’s conference losing streak to 19 games.

After the game, Chesney said the Bruins have yet to play a complete game across all three phases. He also expressed confidence in the team’s potential and noted that the chemistry between the offensive and defensive units remains strong as UCLA prepares for the rest of its Big Ten schedule.