UCLA Breaks Into Top 5 After Maintaining Perfect Record

Support Local Media - Click to Add LA Sports Report as a Preferred Source on GoogleThe UCLA Bruins maintained their spotless record with a win over Nevada on Saturday, propelling them into the No. 5 spot in the AP Top 25 poll. View this post on Instagram A post shared by LA Sports Report (@lasportsreport)Their ranking marks the first time since 2001 they’ve ranked in the top 5.The Bruins, currently the only team in the Big Ten yet to lose a game, sat in the No. 7 spot heading into their dominant, shutout performance over Nevada.“Really good defensive plays that showed up in there,” UCLA coach Bob Chesney said. “And then just a lot to be desired at moments on the offensive side, but I thought overall to get yourself to 8-0 is a big deal, and to shut a team out at any level is a big deal.“Wins are not the easiest thing to come by. I like where we’re at, and there’s a whole lot more that we have to continue to step up.”How Did the Bruins’ Win Unfold?The Bruins cruised to a 27-0 win over Nevada, making a statement with three interceptions in the first quarter. They ran the third of those three interceptions back for a touchdown, also scoring a field goal to end the first quarter with a 10-0 lead.The offense stagnated for most of the second quarter, but stand-in quarterback Ty Dieffenbach scored the Bruins’ second touchdown of the day with a four-yard rush just before the half. Dieffenbach has been decent since coming in for the injured Nico Iamaleava, and had a solid outing Saturday with 178 yards and a touchdown without turning the ball over.A 12-yard passing touchdown to Wayne Knight in the third quarter further extended the Bruins’ lead, and hit a field goal for their final score in the fourth quarter before logging their fourth and final interception of the game.With their shutout, the Bruins have now held opponents to 10 points or fewer in five of their eight games, including each of their last three. The Bruins have an early kickoff next week, as they take on Minnesota on the road for a 9:00 a.m. kickoff on Saturday. Minnesota is coming off of two close games against ranked opponents, beating No. 15 Iowa two weeks ago before taking No. 4 Indiana to overtime on Saturday.With just four games left in the season, the Bruins are a real threat to crack the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.The post UCLA Breaks Into Top 5 After Maintaining Perfect Record appeared first on LA Sports Report.