No. 7 UCLA Dominates Nevada 27-0 to Stay Undefeated

Dominant defense sets the tone

No. 7 UCLA delivered a dominant defensive performance at home, shutting out Nevada 27-0. The victory pushes the Bruins to 8-0 for the first time since 2005. It was also the first shutout for UCLA at the Rose Bowl since beating Oregon 16-0 in November 2007. UCLA entered the matchup favored by 22 1/2 points over Nevada.

The Bruins defense took control right away by picking off Nevada quarterback Luke Duncan three times in the first quarter alone. Scooter Jackson intercepted Duncan on the first play of the game. That set up a 26 yard field goal by Mateen Bhaghani to put UCLA ahead 3-0.

Anthony Woods grabbed another interception on Nevada's second drive after a tipped ball at the UCLA 16. Soon after, Derrick Barksdale grabbed the third pick of the opening quarter. Barksdale returned it for a 26 yard touchdown run, extending the lead to 10-0.

Offense pulls away in Pasadena

Former UCLA quarterback Luke Duncan struggled in his return, finishing 1 for 8 for 36 yards before being replaced. Backup AJ Bianco completed 6 of 13 passes for 71 yards. Nevada also used fourth string true freshman Reeve Sloan late in the game. Nevada missed a scoring chance when Joe McFadden saw his 48 yard field goal attempt go under the crossbar.

UCLA added to its lead just before halftime. Quarterback Ty Dieffenbach scored on a 4 yard keeper to make it 17-0. Dieffenbach ended the day completing 16 of 30 passes for 178 yards.

Early in the third quarter, Dieffenbach connected with Wayne Knight for a 12 yard touchdown pass. That was Knight's 14th score of the season. Knight led the UCLA ground attack with 53 yards on 11 carries. Bhaghani added a 38 yard field goal in the fourth quarter to wrap up the scoring at 27-0. Ty Lee sealed the shutout with UCLA's fourth interception of the afternoon in the final seconds.

Rapid defensive turn around

The Bruins defense now has 16 interceptions on the season. That is a massive jump from last year, when UCLA recorded only one interception at this point in the schedule and finished with just three wins overall.

What it means for the next game

New Mexico Lobos at Nevada Wolf Pack (College Football, Sat, 07 Nov): Nevada Wolf Pack win 43%, New Mexico Lobos win 57%; projected score Nevada Wolf Pack 22, New Mexico Lobos 24. Our safest pick: New Mexico +8.5.

UCLA Bruins at Minnesota Golden Gophers (College Football, Sat, 07 Nov): Minnesota Golden Gophers win 33%, UCLA Bruins win 67%; projected score Minnesota Golden Gophers 19, UCLA Bruins 24. Our safest pick: Minnesota +16.5.