It might not have been the performance that Bob Chesney was hoping to see from his No. 9 UCLA Bruin team but it got the job done. UCLA overcame a sluggish start and grabbed a 28-10 win over Michigan State to move to 7-0 on the season.
The wins continue to pile up for UCLA, who have already established bowl eligibility in October after going just 3-9 a season ago. Chesney isn’t alone, bringing over talent from James Madison and elsewhere in the transfer portal.
Here are five standout performers from Saturday’s game
Linebacker: Sammy Omosigho
Sammy Omosigho is here seemingly every week, and for good reason. The Oklahoma transfer has been one of the best players in the entire country this season and that continued in Week 8 against Michigan State.
Omosigho got two sacks, bringing
his season total to five, the highest of any Bruin this season. Omosigho also made six tackles and recovered a fumble, remaining a force in the middle of the UCLA defense.
Linebacker: Jalen Woods
Omosigho might be an All-American but teammate Jalen Woods isn’t too far behind him. Woods is a long-time Bruin who has become a star as a senior. Woods led the Bruins with nine tackles, adding a sack and a tackle for loss.
The combination of Omosigho and Woods in the middle of the UCLA defense has been a strong point for the 7-0 football team.
Safety: Malik Hartford
UCLA added a lot of talent to their secondary over the offseason, with Ohio State transfer Malik Hartford being a part of that influx. Hartford had his best game as a Bruin against Michigan State, grabbing an interception, deflecting a pass and picking up a tackle for loss in the Bruins win.
UCLA was without Tao Johnson and Rodrick Pleasant in Week 8 but Hartford helped pick up the slack in the secondary.
Running back: Anthony Woods
Anthony Woods had an objectively terrible start to the game. Woods dropped a pass and then fumbled but the running back was able to overcome his early mistakes and wound up having an impressive game.
Woods put the drop and fumble behind him, rushing for 112 yards on 14 carries. Woods averaged 8.0 yards per carry and scored a touchdown. The running back added three receptions for 17 yards through the air as well.
Quarterback: Ty Dieffenbach
Was Ty Dieffenbach perfect? No. Was Ty Dieffenbach needed on Saturday? Not really. However, when UCLA turned to Dieffenbach, the big right-hander was able to make plays.
No play was bigger than Dieffenbach’s 63-yard bomb to Brian Rowe Jr. for a touchdown in the first drive of the second half. From there, UCLA never looked back, dominating Michigan State after halftime. UCLA doesn't need Dieffenbach to be a hero every snap, but the new quarterback has the ability to make big-time throws, which will be needed down the stretch of this season.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Five stars from No. 9 UCLA's 28-10 win over Michigan State
