There were a lot of different ways that Saturday’s game could have gone for the UCLA Bruins. What nobody expected was for Ty Dieffenbach to make a difference against Oregon but that’s exactly what happened.
Going into the game, Dieffenbach was viewed as UCLA’s third-string quarterback behind both Nico and Madden Iamaleava. Throughout the first half, Nico Iamaleava was ineffective, then just before halftime, he went down with an injury.
Instead of turning to Madden Iamaleava, Bob Chesney turned to Dieffenbach. Dieffenbach made the most of his chances, guiding UCLA to the win over Oregon while completing 3-6 passes for 43 yards and a touchdown. The Bruins needed every bit of it to hold on for the win, eking out a 17-15 win over No. 13 Oregon.
It’s
been a unique career trajectory for Dieffenbach. After two seasons without playing a snap at Pittsburgh, Dieffenbach transferred to Cal Poly where the Calabasas, California native played in 11 games, throwing for nine touchdowns and nine picks.
“Every week is a battle between me and Madden for the two spot. Both of us were executing in practice but today they felt to go with me,” Dieffenbach said. “I was just ready. I’ve been waiting for this moment.”
With how Nico Iamaleava has struggled, and gotten hurt this season, this might not be the last we see of Dieffenbach. The redshirt junior has had limited game action in college but the 6’6” quarterback looked capable at Autzen Stadium against a talented Oregon defense.
“It was awesome. I feel like defense kept us in the game for sure. Everyone was doing their job,” Dieffenbach said. “It was a great team win. I think this is a big one for us moving forward as we go deeper into Big Ten play.”
Even with Dieffenbach coming in to replace a UCLA captain, he still had nothing but good things to say about Nico Iamaleava.
“He was getting everyone going. He’s a great leader. I’ve learned so much from him already being with him for 10 months now, he’s a great guy. Him and Madden, they’re great leaders.” Dieffenbach said.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: UCLA QB Ty Dieffenbach speaks after relief performance versus Oregon
