UCLA Seeks 10th Win to Tie Record Against Illinois

Fourth-ranked UCLA puts its undefeated season and national playoff positioning on the line Friday night when Illinois visits Rose Bowl Stadium for a 6 p.m. kickoff.

PT kickoff televised on FOX. A victory for the Bruins would secure their 10th win of the season, tying the program’s single-season record.

UCLA currently holds its highest ranking since the College Football Playoff selection committee began its process in 2014, and the team is one of two unbeaten squads in the country. The Illini’s resurgence has moved them into bowl eligibility for the third consecutive season, a feat not achieved by the program since 1992.

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema, who holds a 0-3 personal record in the Rose Bowl as a player and coach, said that his team has earned its recent success in varied ways.

The teams last met at the Rose Bowl in September 2003, a defensive battle that ended in a 6-3 victory for the Bruins.

Backup Ty Dieffenbach has stepped into the starting role, leading the team to a 4-0 mark in his starts. Supporting the offense, running back Wayne Knight has scored a touchdown in all nine games this season.

Illinois quarterback Katin Houser enters the matchup following a 292-yard, three-touchdown performance against Nebraska. Dixon has recorded 12 touchdowns this season and will be a primary focus for the UCLA secondary, specifically defensive back Scooter Jackson, who recently recorded an interception against Minnesota.

Defensively, UCLA has been difficult to convert against on third down, limiting opponents to a 26.6% success rate. Bruins linebacker Sammy Omosigho has recorded 10.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks this season.

Bielema has expressed deep respect for the rapid turnaround achieved by UCLA. How he’s built that thing up very quickly is super impressive, Bielema said.

Obviously to play in the Rose Bowl is a whole huge deal. I kind of made an important point to them all year, but to play a team of this caliber who’s undefeated in Game 10 is just absolutely awesome. So I think our guys are excited for the moment.

Bret Bielema, Illinois head coach

As of Thursday afternoon, UCLA is listed as a 10.5-point favorite by FanDuel, with the over/under set at 47.5 points. The Bruins have covered the spread in all nine games this season, including five home victories. Illinois, meanwhile, has been successful as an underdog, winning seven of its last nine games against ranked opponents while serving as the betting underdog in each of those contests.

Fans can tune in to the broadcast on FOX, with play-by-play commentary provided by Tim Brando, analyst Devin Gardner, and sideline Josh Sims.