PASADENA, Calif. — UCLA’s offense was quiet for an entire half Saturday, but once the Bruins found their rhythm, Wayne Knight made sure they finished the night with a victory.
Knight scored three second-half touchdowns, helping UCLA pull away from San Diego State for a 28-10 victory in the Bruins’ first home game under new head coach Bob Chesney.
The win moved UCLA to 2-0 and gave Chesney his first victory at the Rose Bowl after taking over the program following his successful tenure at James Madison.
Knight, a transfer from James Madison, has quickly become one of the most productive players in the new-look UCLA offense. After scoring three touchdowns in last week’s season-opening victory over California, he matched that total again Saturday.
He scored on runs of 8 yards in the third quarter before adding touchdown runs of 7 and 36 yards in the fourth.
“When the light shines on you,” Knight said, “it’s your time to make that play.”
His second touchdown came after San Diego State’s Josh Hunter was flagged for a facemask penalty at the Aztecs’ 7-yard line, giving UCLA an automatic first down and a fresh opportunity to reach the end zone.
Jalvian Thomas added a 1-yard touchdown run between Knight’s two fourth-quarter scores as UCLA finally broke open what had been a defensive struggle.
San Diego State didn’t reach the end zone until the final 2:28 of the game, when Jackson Ford caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from
Jayden Denegal.
The Aztecs had managed only a 46-yard Cooper Dileva field goal earlier in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to 7-3 before UCLA’s offense responded with its decisive scoring surge.
A Scoreless First Half
The Rose Bowl crowd arrived with plenty of anticipation following UCLA’s impressive 45-24 road victory at California.
Instead, fans were treated to a defensive battle for the first 30 minutes.
The two teams had combined for 98 points in their season-opening victories, but neither offense could find much success Saturday. UCLA and San Diego State traded punts throughout the opening quarter, and the game remained scoreless through halftime.
UCLA’s best opportunity came late in the first half.
Quarterback Nico Iamaleava connected with Brian Rowe Jr. on a 45-yard completion that moved the Bruins into San Diego State territory. UCLA eventually reached the Aztecs’ 2-yard line, but the drive ended when Iamaleava was intercepted in the end zone by Mike Lindsay.
Iamaleava was attempting to find Brayden Loftin, who had broken open, but the pass came up short.
Iamaleava finished the night 14 of 22 for 151 yards and an interception. He also rushed for 57 yards on 13 carries, giving him the sixth game of his career with at least 50 rushing yards.
Chesney said the Bruins’ ability to respond after halftime was more important than how they looked during the opening 30 minutes.
“It wasn’t pretty, but it was gritty and we need one of those,” Chesney said. “I loved the resolve that we had and I liked the energy we came back out with in the second half.”
Bruins Find Their Ground Game
UCLA’s rushing attack continued to emerge as one of the team’s biggest strengths.
The Bruins finished with more than 200 rushing yards, giving them consecutive 200-yard rushing performances to open the season. UCLA had reached that mark only once throughout the entire 2025 season.
Knight led the way with his three-touchdown performance, while Thomas provided another key contribution on the ground.
For a program trying to establish a new identity under Chesney, the ability to consistently run the football could become an important part of the Bruins’ success.
Rose Bowl Crowd Grows
The game also marked a noticeable increase in attendance compared with UCLA’s home opener a year ago.
The announced crowd was 31,973 at the 89,702-seat Rose Bowl, up from the 27,785 who attended last season’s home opener against Utah.
Chesney tried to make the occasion even more meaningful for his players by showing them a video highlighting some of the most memorable moments from the Rose Bowl’s 103-year history before the game.
“I wanted them to have a full understanding before we walked in here,” Chesney said.
Knight believes the excitement surrounding the program will continue to build.
“It’s going to continue to grow,” he said. “By the end of the year, we’ll have that thing packed up.”
The Takeaway
San Diego State: The Aztecs remained competitive for much of the night, particularly on defense, but struggled to generate consistent offense. They managed only two plays that crossed midfield until late in the game and were unable to capitalize on UCLA’s first-half struggles.
UCLA: The Bruins are 2-0 for the first time since 2023 and have already demonstrated an ability to win in different ways. After a high-scoring victory at California, UCLA survived a defensive battle before taking control in the second half. Chesney has now won 12 consecutive regular-season games dating back to his time at James Madison.
Up Next:
San Diego State returns home next Saturday to host James Madison.
UCLA remains at the Rose Bowl next Saturday when Purdue comes to Pasadena.
