After taking a shot in the arm, Ty Dieffenbach delivered one.
Roars accompanied the previously injured UCLA quarterback with each step he took as he jogged back from the locker room to the Rose Bowl sideline late in the third quarter Friday night.
It was a heroic return for the veteran who had departed UCLA’s game against Illinois just before halftime with a sore elbow and ankle. The crowd serenaded Dieffenbach with cheers anew once he came onto the field with his team holding a suddenly precarious lead over Illinois.
“That crowd reaction was unbelievable,” Dieffenbach would say later. “I mean, that was one of the best moments of my life.”
All Dieffenbach did upon his return was to complete each of his five passes on the next drive, including a beautiful touchdown toss, to help the fourth-ranked Bruins hold on for a 22-14 victory that kept their unbeaten record intact.
“They just don’t give up, they just don’t,” UCLA coach Bob Chesney said of his players. “They just believe they have a shot to win every game and they’re going to find a way.”
The Bruins could exhale only after an Illinois pass fell incomplete over the middle with 43 seconds left.
UCLA had registered another big defensive play only minutes earlier when safety Scooter Jackson came up with an interception – his second of the game – and returned it 41 yards to the Illinois 19-yard line with 2 minutes 42 seconds left.
A short Mateen Bhaghani field goal gave the Bruins a 22-14 lead, necessitating a desperation drive by the Fighting Illini that came up well short.
There were feel-good vibes all around after Dieffenbach escaped injury and UCLA improved to 10-0 for the first time since 1998 – the last season it won a conference championship.
“No one believed that UCLA would be 10-0 this year, no one in the country, no one anywhere,” linebacker Sammy Omosigho said, “and we had to make them believe.”
The Bruins, who are 7-0 in Big Ten games, need only one more victory in their final two regular-season games – against Michigan and USC – to clinch an appearance in the conference title game.
Among other things, a season-high crowd of 45,800 celebrated a UCLA defense that intercepted three passes and registered five tackles for loss while holding the Fighting Illini (6-4, 4-3) to 240 yards of offense.
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Dieffenbach had been hurt shortly before halftime, when his arm got caught in an awkward spot when he got tackled and tightened up on him. Madden Iamaleava replaced Dieffenbach and completed 3 of 7 passes for 21 yards as the UCLA offense appeared to tighten.
As Dieffenbach returned to the sideline, he dapped up teammates and the decibel level rose.
“It was unbelievable, it was awesome,” said Dieffenbach, who completed 13 of 20 passes for 232 yards and 2 touchdowns with 1 interception, “and you can’t not want to play when you hear that, you know what I mean?”
Chesney said he didn’t know what all the hubbub was about until he looked up at the video screen to see his quarterback letting teammates know he was back.
“That’s leadership, that stands out,” Chesney said, “and there’s the confidence everybody gained from that.”
Said Dieffenbach: “Once I got on the field, all the pain went away with the adrenaline.”
In the huddle, Dieffenbach delivered a simple message.
“Let’s go, man,” Dieffenbach told his teammates. “Let’s score a touchdown right here.”
He did just that, finding wide receiver Semaj Morgan on a 26-yard completion in the end zone that put UCLA up 19-7 early in the fourth quarter.
Illinois closed to within 19-14 after quarterback Katin Houser converted a huge fourth-down play, finding wide receiver Collin Dixon in the back of the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown with 7:14 left. But the Fighting Illini could conjure no more late magic after Houser went out with his own injury.
After closing in on a College Football Playoff berth, the Bruins appear to be on the verge of another massive triumph.
The school is nearing on a contract extension for Chesney after he’s become the hottest coaching commodity in college football, the California Post has learned.
Chesney’s new deal would provide more money and years after he signed a five-year, $33.75-million contract less than a year ago, with an announcement possible as soon as within the next week.
Buzz around the team appears to be growing. One of the 12 end zone tarps was removed and two were shortened to make room for additional fans who withstood miserable rainy weather and Friday evening traffic to attend the game.
“When we walked out there, I was like, damn, yes,” Chesney said of the crowd. “I knew we were on the brink of it and you were worried about the weather, but ultimately what a great job by them and really proud of the way they showed up.”
Some of those fans chanted Chesney’s name as he walked off the field with his wife and daughters.
“It’s pretty special,” Chesney said, “and I appreciate them as much as they appreciate our program.”
The bandwagon keeps careening toward what would be UCLA’s first appearance in the CFP, a special season having no end in sight.
