UCLA Beats Michigan State 28-10 at the Rose Bowl as Dieffenbach Returns to Throw 63 Yard Touchdown

UCLA beat Michigan State 28-10 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, October 24, 2026, and moved to 7-0. Ty Dieffenbach left the game with a left leg injury late in the first half, returned for the third quarter, and on his first pass back threw a 63 yard touchdown pass to Brian Rowe Jr.

Michigan State led 7-0 after the first quarter. UCLA scored 14 points in the second quarter to lead 14-7 at half time, and scored 14 more points in the third quarter to lead 28-7. Michigan State scored its last points in the fourth quarter, when Liam Boyd kicked a 46 yard field goal to make the final score 28-10. The quarter scores were UCLA 0, 14, 14, 0 and Michigan State 7, 0, 0, 3.

Dieffenbach leaves, returns, and throws a 63 yard touchdown

Dieffenbach left with a left leg injury with 20 seconds left in the first half. Before the injury he was 10 of 19 for 84 yards, with 14 rushing yards, and UCLA led 14-7. He returned for the third quarter, and his first pass back was the 63 yard touchdown pass to Rowe. That score was part of a third quarter that took UCLA from a one score lead to a 28-7 lead by the end of the quarter.

Dieffenbach is starting because Nico Iamaleava suffered a season ending knee injury against Oregon. Dieffenbach made his first start against Wisconsin in Week 7, and this was his second start in that role.

Michigan State plays without its starting quarterback

Michigan State played without starting quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, who was out with an undisclosed injury. Kayd Coffman started for Michigan State. He completed his first four passes, including a touchdown pass to Kenneth Williams, then did not complete a pass after the first quarter and threw a second quarter interception that led to UCLA's go ahead score. Leo Hannan replaced Coffman in the second half.

Ohio State transfer Malik Hartford intercepted a Hannan pass late in the fourth quarter. The reports used for this article called that UCLA's third turnover of the game and its 22nd of the season.

This article does not state a national ranking for UCLA. The live reports named in the package differed on that ranking, listing the team at two different positions, so the ranking is omitted and only the 7-0 record from the final report is used. The facts that decide the game are in the scoring and in the quarterback changes on both sides. Michigan State scored first and last, and UCLA scored all 28 of its points in the second and third quarters, with Dieffenbach's return touchdown pass opening the second half scoring run that put the game out of reach.