LOS ANGELES — UCLA football won at Minnesota but at a physical cost to its offensive line.
Most notably, center Riley Robell was injured and replaced by Harvard transfer Derek Osman. Now the core of the offensive line is about to be tested during a short week, with UCLA (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten) set to host Illinois (6-3, 4-2) on Friday at the Rose Bowl.
UCLA has been using 10 different offensive linemen this season. Chesney’s philosophy is to play blockers based on their strength and skill set with regard to both play and scheme, and doing so keeps the collective unit fresh and gaining experience along the way.
With Robell set to be out, offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy is ready to showcase the team’s blocking depth while UCLA attempts to improve to 10-0 for just the third time in school history.
“You’ve seen the flow of the season, and it’s been a multitude of guys,” Kennedy said. “You’ve seen different position groups. You’ve seen it’s not just one person who has had to play. You look at receivers early on, you look at tight ends who it’s happened to, and you look at the quarterback position. It’s everything. It’s the mindset we have to have. Injuries stink, but it’s next man up. Part of it is how we practice.”
Illinois has won four straight, defeating Michigan State in overtime along with victories over Maryland, Oregon and Nebraska.
Defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler is tasked with limiting the speed and athleticism of 6-foot-1 receiver Collin Dixon. Dixon has 12 touchdown catches, a single-season record at Illinois.
Illinois also brings a pounding running back in 5-foot-11 and 200-pound fifth-year senior Aidan Laughery. Laughery is averaging 6.2 yards per carry and has two rushing touchdowns this season.
“Colin is extremely productive as a receiver,” Hitschler said. “He’s unbelievable as far as the plays he’s been able to make throughout the year. I don’t know if you can hone in on one skill when a kid is that productive. His catch radius is elite. His ability to get open and create separation is elite. His ability to make contested catches is elite. You have to play physical; you have to find ways to get multiple hats to him, but at the same time if you isolate him and bring too many hats, you’re robbing Peter to pay Paul. It’s the obstacle he presents, and they’re doing a hell of a job of creating mismatches.”
Quarterback Ty Dieffenbach will attempt to replicate his career day after throwing for 303 yards and three touchdowns on just eight completions while overcoming a fumble and an interception during his first road start.
Dieffenbach was named Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Week after his fifth game since taking over for Nico Iamaleava against Oregon. Iamaleava remains out with a torn ACL.
“I’m proud of him,” Kennedy said. “Obviously the awards are great, and they’re all team awards in my opinion. That’s an individual award, but at the end of the day, I’m just proud of him with the way he’s responded. At the same time, we pocket those reps, pocket the things he did well. You hold onto it, and every game it’s all about the process of keep getting better.”
Injuries haven’t thwarted UCLA’s perfect start and its ability to prepare. The offensive line might look slightly different, but the preparation even with a short week towards game day hasn’t changed.
Injured quarterbacks? Possibly losing a key leader in Robey? UCLA has overcome adversity by executing Chesney’s vision at every step this season.
“We walk into every game, no matter who we face, believing we are going to win,” Kennedy said.