California College Football Roundup: Backup QB Ty Dieffenbach Leads Undefeated No. 12 UCLA Past Wisconsin as UC Davis Battles

California collegiate football programs produced a weekend of milestone performances as backup quarterback Ty Dieffenbach guided undefeated No. 12 UCLA to a 17-7 victory over Wisconsin at the Rose Bowl, while Northern California FCS contenders UC Davis and Sacramento State battled in road matchups. Making his first career start on Saturday night after beginning the autumn as UCLA's third-string signal-caller, the 21-year-old Dieffenbach completed 22 of 33 passes for 264 yards with one interception. University alumni chapters across Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda, Walnut Creek, Pleasanton, and San Francisco gathered at weekend watch parties to cheer the state's collegiate squads.

Dieffenbach stepped into the starting lineup after taking over in the second half of last week's road victory at then-No. 13 Oregon when starter Nico Iamaleava suffered a leg injury. Running backs Wayne Knight and Anthony Woods each rushed for a touchdown against Wisconsin, while Colton Joseph scored the Badgers' lone touchdown on a 3-yard run in the third quarter. With the victory, head coach Bob Chesney became the first coach in UCLA history to open his tenure with six consecutive wins, lifting the Bruins to 6-0 overall and 4-0 in Big Ten play as the lone undefeated team remaining across both the Big Ten and Southeastern conferences.

Following the game, Chesney praised Dieffenbach as a warrior who stood tall in the pocket, saw the field cleanly, and delivered decisive third-down throws. Meanwhile in Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) action, UC Davis quarterback Nate Dahle threw for 282 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception as the Aggies built a 17-9 halftime lead at Southern Utah before falling 38-17 in Cedar City. Southern Utah rallied in the second half behind quarterback Will Burns—who accounted for four total touchdowns (two passing, two rushing) on 126 passing yards and 98 rushing yards—and tailback Floyd Chalk, who ran for a career-high 212 yards on 26 carries.

In a separate Saturday night non-conference road contest, Sacramento State quarterback Nick Poulos completed 11 of 14 passes for 165 yards as the Hornets (1-6, 0-4) fell 48-7 to Mid-American Conference leader Ohio (5-2, 3-0), which received two rushing touchdowns of 3 and 14 yards from Duncan Brune and an 87-yard touchdown run from Irving Brown. High school football coaches and athletic district directors in Lamorinda and the Diablo Valley noted that over 40 East Bay prep graduates currently compete on UC Davis, Sacramento State, and UC system rosters.

Alumni and college football fans commuting along Interstate 80 from Orinda, Lafayette, and Walnut Creek can review upcoming home schedules and $25 family ticket packages at ucdavisaggies.com and uclabruins.com. Questions regarding UC Davis Aggie athletics events at 1050 La Rue Road in Davis may be directed to the box office at (530) 752-2471 between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM Monday through Friday.