A win over Purdue would keep things rolling for UCLA in the infancy of the Bob Chesney era.
A loss?
Well, that would change things quite a bit.
The Boilermakers’ last few seasons have sent their fans in search of boilermakers — shots of whiskey paired with a beer chaser.
Purdue hasn’t beaten a Power Four opponent since topping Indiana to end the 2023 season. Thank goodness for that victory over Indiana State earlier this month, which snapped a 10-game losing streak but couldn’t solve a 21-game skid against major-conference opponents.
The Boilermakers’ victory over Indiana three years ago was also their last against a Big Ten opponent, meaning they have dropped 18 consecutive games against conference foes.
So, yeah, losing to this team wouldn’t be good for the early Chesney buzz.
Here are five things to watch when the Bruins (2-0) face the Boilermakers (1-1) on Saturday night at the Rose Bowl:
Getting closer
Showing that it might be on the verge of a breakthrough, Purdue nearly snapped that losing streak against major-conference teams last week.
The Boilermakers took Wake Forest to double overtime before the Demon Deacons bedeviled them with a two-point conversion on the final play of a 38-36 victory.
Purdue looked plenty capable for most of the game.
Quarterback Ryan Browne completed 32 of 43 passes for a career-high 329 yards, and running back Fame Ijeboi ran for 114 yards and three touchdowns.
Let’s just say they’ve got Chesney’s attention.
“I think they’re as complete as they can be right now,” said Chesney, who recruited Browne out of high school, “and I think that they believe.”
Can’t get right?
Nico Iamaleava is in a funk.
The UCLA quarterback readily admitted as much.
He hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in back-to-back games for the first time since 2024 and conceded that he needed to get on the same page as new offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy.
Kennedy said that was just a matter of time — but how much?
“I mean, everything’s about trust, right?” Kennedy said. “And you got to prove that you have their back, and they got to prove that they have your back.”
Facing a Purdue defense that’s giving up 221.5 yards per game — 90th in the nation — might be just what Iamaleava needs to get going.
Making a run for it
There’s a world in which Iamaleava continues to struggle and the Bruins continue to win.
It involves UCLA continuing to rely heavily on a run game that’s been its best in years.
The Bruins are averaging 245.5 yards per game on the ground — 22nd in the nation — and have already piled up 10 rushing touchdowns, two more than they tallied all of last season.
Wayne Knight has led the way with a historic start in which he became the first UCLA player to rush for six touchdowns in his first two games.
What does Knight need to do now?
“To be honest with you,” Kennedy said, “he just needs to keep being himself.”
Starting faster
Chesney has continued his pattern of dominating late in games.
A year after his final James Madison team outscored opponents, 261-59, in the second half, his Bruins have outscored opponents by a 49-17 margin after halftime.
Of course, things would be a lot less stressful if UCLA didn’t need late surges to pull away.
Kennedy said players struggled in practice the week before the San Diego State game, which was reflected in their play.
By midweek, the Bruins were back to meeting the standard their offensive coordinator wanted.
“The biggest piece for us is starting fast this game,” Kennedy said. “That’s a huge stressing point of putting the foot on the pedal early and often, and for four quarters.”
A new Fab Four
UCLA held San Diego State to 45 passing yards — the fewest the Bruins have given up in a game since 2009.
While a big part of that was a crummy Aztecs quarterback, the Bruins also applied plenty of pressure.
Defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler said he liked what he’s seen from edge rushers Sahir West, Aiden Gobaira, Scott Taylor and Cole Cogshell, who have combined for 1 ½ sacks and two quarterback hurries in the season’s early going.
“We’re excited about our third-down pass-rush ability, and obviously we give enough exotic looks that creates some issues on third down, as well,” Hitschler said. “They’ve done a good job getting after the passer. They haven’t been rewarded with as many sacks as they would like. But we’ll get ’em, we’ll find ’em.”
