For a few uncomfortable minutes Saturday night, the honeymoon looked like it might end before UCLA even finished unpacking.
uncertain
UCLA → look → minutes
Purdue came to the Rose Bowl riding an 18-game Big Ten losing streak and without a victory over a Power Four opponent since 2023.
asserted
Purdue → come → 2023
The Boilermakers were two-touchdown underdogs, playing more than 2,000 miles from home and seemingly arriving at exactly the right time for UCLA to continue the feel-good start to the Bob Chesney era.
asserted
UCLA → play → era
Instead, they got punched in the mouth.
asserted
they → punch → mouth
But in a possible sign of what might be the new identity of the Bruins, they got up off the mat and punched back.
uncertain
they → get → mat
UCLA overcame an early second-half deficit and a career night from Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne to pull away for a 52-38 victory, improving to 3-0 under Chesney and surviving its first Big Ten test.
asserted
UCLA → overcome → test
But the Bruins remain perfect.
asserted
Bruins → remain → ?
And Wayne Knight continues to look like the best thing Chesney brought with him from James Madison.
asserted
Chesney → continue → Madison
Knight ran for 177 yards on 18 carries and scored two more touchdowns, giving him eight rushing scores through three games.
asserted
Knight → run → games
The 5-foot-7 bowling ball has rushed for 345 yards this season and is quickly becoming the centerpiece of UCLA’s rebuilt rushing attack.
asserted
ball → rush → attack
UCLA repeatedly appeared ready to put Purdue away, building multiple 14-point leads, only for the Boilermakers to climb back into the fight.
asserted
Boilermakers → appear → fight
Browne shredded the Bruins’ secondary for a career-high 378 yards and three touchdowns on 19-of-30 passing, while running back Fame Ijeboi added two rushing touchdowns.
asserted
Ijeboi → shred → touchdowns
Purdue actually took a 28-24 lead early in the third quarter when Browne connected with George Burhenn for a 30-yard touchdown.
asserted
Browne → take → touchdown
Everyone in the Rose Bowl started to get nervous, and the Boilermakers had the belief they could pull off the upset.
uncertain
they → start → upset
But UCLA responded like a team that might be growing up.
uncertain
that → respond → team
The Bruins ripped off a 21-3 run, reclaiming the lead on Anthony Woods’ 16-yard touchdown run before Knight added a 7-yard score.
asserted
Knight → rip → score
What had briefly looked like a potential disaster became another lesson in the infancy of the Chesney era.
asserted
looked → look → era
What it means
UCLA is 3-0.
asserted
UCLA → mean → What
The Bruins haven’t been perfect, and their defense should have plenty of uncomfortable film to watch after allowing Browne to throw for nearly 400 yards.
asserted
Browne → have → yards
Better Big Ten teams will turn some of Saturday’s defensive breakdowns into losses rather than scares.
asserted
teams → turn → scares
But after everything this program has endured in recent years, winning imperfectly beats losing spectacularly.
asserted
winning → endure → years
Chesney has already given UCLA something it desperately needed: belief.
asserted
it → give → something
Purdue had just taken a 28-24 lead and suddenly had UCLA wobbling and against the ropes.
asserted
UCLA → take → ropes
But the Bruins answered back immediately.
asserted
Bruins → answer → ?
Woods broke loose for a 16-yard touchdown to put UCLA back in front, and Knight followed with another score as the Bruins seized control.
asserted
Bruins → break → control
They would not relinquish the lead again.
asserted
They → relinquish → lead
Knight has gone from James Madison transfer to the engine of UCLA’s offense in three weeks.
asserted
Knight → go → weeks
His 177-yard performance marked his biggest game yet as a Bruin, and his eight rushing touchdowns through three games have put him in territory that evokes memories of the great UCLA backs who came before him.
asserted
who → mark → him
Maurice Jones-Drew is the only other UCLA player to have three consecutive games where he scored two or more non-throwing touchdowns.
asserted
he → have → touchdowns
Did you see that?
asserted
you → see → that
Nico Iamaleava finally threw a touchdown.
asserted
Iamaleava → throw → touchdown
After failing to throw a touchdown in UCLA’s first two games — the first Bruins quarterback to open a season that way since 1995 — Iamaleava broke through with 276 yards and three touchdown passes.
asserted
Iamaleava → fail → yards
That’s an encouraging development because UCLA can’t spend an entire Big Ten season asking Knight to drag the offense down the field by himself.
asserted
UCLA → ’ → himself
Saturday was the first glimpse of what this offense could become if its quarterback and running game start clicking simultaneously, and the 52 points is the most the Bruins have scored since they scored 59 points against North Carolina Central in September of 2023.
uncertain
they → become → 2023
Up next
UCLA now heads on the road for two huge Big Ten conference tests as they put its perfect record on the line against Maryland and Oregon.
asserted
they → head → Maryland
The Aporia
