LOS ANGELES — Oh, what a year can do.
At this point of the 2025 college football season, UCLA had fired its head coach, DeShaun Foster, early in his second season. Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell was under similar heat. The Bruins sputtered to a 3-9 record. The Badgers finished 4-8.
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On Saturday, they meet as teams at the top of the Big Ten standings. No. 12 UCLA hosts Wisconsin at 4:30 p.m. in the first game at the Rose Bowl since UCLA students returned for the fall academic quarter, as both teams look to remain perfect in the conference.
To get to this point, the Bruins (5-0 overall, 3-0 Big Ten) and Badgers (4-1, 2-0) constructed quick turnarounds.
Wisconsin kept Fickell. He recruited 30 transfers, including former Old Dominion quarterback Colton Joseph, who has passed for 1,132 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions through five games. Joseph led the Badgers on a 17-point comeback victory against Penn State for the program’s most significant win of the Fickell era in Week 4. After defeating Michigan State last week, they’ll try to keep that momentum going against their toughest Big Ten opponent yet.
As for UCLA, the story’s been told. The Bruins hired Bob Chesney, and he’s become the school’s first first-year coach to author a 5-0 start. But after a statement win at Oregon last week, the Bruins face an uncontrolled obstacle, as quarterback Nico Iamaleava is set to miss the remainder of the season.
“We can’t control everything that happens out there,” Chesney said Monday about Iamaleava’s injury. “A team is not good because they avoid adversity. They’re good because they handle adversity. And not only handle adversity, they respond to it.”
How has UCLA responded since losing its starting signal-caller and team captain?
In the locker room at halftime of the game against Oregon, Chesney approached backup Ty Dieffenbach, who had replaced Iamaleava for one play near the end of the first half. He informed him he would start the second half, a privilege he had earned after a week of practice in which his athleticism proved valuable, Chesney explained.
Dieffenbach replied, “Let’s go!”
“Ty was more than ready,” Chesney said.
During his singular snap in the first half, he had targeted wide receiver Brian Rowe Jr. in the back of the end zone. It was a perfect ball, Chesney said. Although Rowe didn’t haul it in, that attempt made Dieffenbach hungry for more opportunities.
When it was clear the change was happening, offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy, a former college quarterback himself, told Dieffenbach to embody the confidence he showed in that throw to Rowe throughout the second half. Wide receiver Landon Ellis came over to him on the sideline and said, “Man, just let it fly. There’s no reason to be hesitant.”
Dieffenbach nodded. His eagerness turned into steady game management as he threw for 43 yards and a touchdown, leading UCLA to a 17-15 win.
“His poise was really inspiring,” Bruins tight end Josh Phifer said. “Being in the huddle and seeing that your quarterback is not really nervous or freaking out at all, and is ready to go attack, just makes the rest of the offense just feel comfortable, too. It was just good to see a guy have that level of confidence and poise in a place where it’s hard to have confidence and poise.”
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Heading into its matchup with Wisconsin, UCLA’s coaching staff is displaying more faith in Dieffenbach. The staff had taken a “fluid,” “week-to-week” approach to deciding the backup to Nico Iamaleava before he got hurt. And while Dieffenbach and Madden Iamaleava, Nico’s younger brother, split reps throughout this week of practice, there wasn’t much question as to who was getting the start.
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“Ty certainly earned the right to be out there, to put us in a position, to do what he did,” Chesney said. “I think Madden has as well. It will be one of those things, where we get started with Ty here, and see how the rest of this plays out.”
It’s Dieffenbach’s position to lose.
But that competition has been healthy. Chesney and Kennedy emphasized each quarterback has actively supported the other as they’ve battled, factoring that leadership into their decision.
“Ty and Madden have done a great job. They really have. And I think them having each other’s back, regardless of what happens, is the biggest piece,” Kennedy said Wednesday.
Behind them, too, is Nico Iamaleava, continuing his captainship from a different post. As he began his recovery, he returned to Spaulding Field, participating vocally during positional drills – an extension of Kennedy and quarterbacks coach Jon Boyer.
Kennedy and the offense are preparing for Wisconsin with a hint of familiarity. He’s leaning on UCLA defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler, who coached with Fickell for five seasons at Cincinnati and one with the Badgers. The two helped the Bearcats to a 13-1 record and a College Football Playoff appearance in 2021.
If Hitschler’s consistent tendencies are any tell for what Fickell might deploy, Wisconsin’s defense will take an aggressive approach to rattle UCLA’s offense.
“He’s helping us (prepare) in a lot of different ways,” Kennedy said of Hitschler.
On the other side, Hitschler’s calculated-risk scheme, which has led to UCLA leading the Big Ten in turnovers created, could cause Joseph fits as he tends to attempt throws into tight windows.
Between Hitschler and Fickell’s history and UCLA and Wisconsin’s sudden rebuilds, two teams with shared paths will try to keep their good vibes rolling Saturday in Pasadena. Only one will remain perfect in conference play.
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Wisconsin (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) at No. 12 UCLA (5-0, 3-0)
When: Saturday, 4:30 p.m.
Where: Rose Bowl
TV/Radio: NBC (Ch. 4)/790 AM