UCLA and Ty Dieffenbach strike twice with 75-yard touchdowns to defeat Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS — If at first you succeed, try the exact same thing again following UCLA’s 34-20 victory over Minnesota on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Huntington Bank Stadium. That was the script for UCLA quarterback Ty Dieffenbach and wide receiver Aidan Mizell in the fourth quarter, when back-to-back deep play-action passes over the middle broke open a tight game and kept the eighth-ranked Bruins among the ranks of the unbeaten and on track for the College Football Playoff.
Spotting a coverage weakness in the Golden Gophers’ defense, Dieffenbach unleashed a deep play-action throw to a streaking Mizell that went for a 75-yard touchdown. On the Bruins’ next play from scrimmage, following a Minnesota field goal, the exact same sequence unfolded as if it were an instant replay. Mizell beat his defender, Dieffenbach hit him in stride, and the Bruins added another 75-yard score punctuated by a celebratory dance in the end zone.
“I was tweaking out in the end zone, I’m not gonna lie,” Mizell said.
The back-to-back bombs arrived after UCLA diagnosed a defensive alignment that left Mizell 1-on-1 with an overmatched defensive back. “Once I saw the safety come down, it was wraps from there,” Dieffenbach said of the play design. “All green grass, Aidan killed his guy and just put it out there and let him go get it.”
The completions relied on the speed of Mizell and the protection of an offensive line missing starting center Riley Robell and right tackle Hall Schmidt, both sidelined by injuries. “They’ve got to hang in there and let this ball be delivered,” UCLA coach Bob Chesney said, “and I thought they did a great job of creating a pocket to be able to step up into and let it fly.”
Those big plays salvaged what had been a difficult day for Dieffenbach up to that point. The senior quarterback threw an interception late in the first half that led to a Minnesota field goal and lost a fumble in the third quarter while the Bruins were driving deep into Golden Gophers territory.
“Obviously that can’t happen in the red zone after a blocked punt,” Dieffenbach said, referencing teammate Troy Leigber’s special teams play. “I mean, it’s just unacceptable, so next-play mentality.”
Dieffenbach finished the game completing 8 of 16 passes for a career-high 303 yards with three touchdowns and one interception, averaging a staggering 37.9 yards per completion. Mizell’s two long receptions were his only catches of the afternoon, giving him 150 yards and making him the first UCLA receiver to top 100 yards this season. He also became the first Bruin with 150 receiving yards in a single game since tight end Greg Dulcich reached that mark against USC in 2020.
Dieffenbach continues to establish himself as a confident starter after stepping in for injured quarterback Nico Iamaleava during a win over Oregon. “I feel like that Oregon halftime to now is night-and-day difference,” Mizell said. “He’s more confident, he’s more consistent in practice and I feel like how he practices is how he plays — and we knew from practice this week it was over with.”
“Just keep playing with confidence,” Dieffenbach said of his coach’s daily message. “We got you.”
