MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck tells his staff to row the boat, everyone pulling in unison.
UCLA’s Bob Chesney instructs his gamers to burn the rattling issues, their resolve being the only factor they want.
Whose staff will keep afloat Saturday in the battle of the metaphors?
The stakes seemingly couldn’t be greater for the eighth-ranked Bruins, one of three undefeated groups left in main faculty soccer.
If UCLA (8-0 total, 5-0 Big Ten) can beat the Golden Gophers (5-3, 3-2), they’ll take one of the greatest remaining steps wanted to attain the College Football Playoff.
It won’t be simple at a place where Minnesota has won 11 of its last 12 video games, going undefeated in Big Ten play since 2024.
“This is as tough a team as we’ve faced and probably will face,” Chesney said. “Playing at their place, early start – all the things that come with it – there’s going to be uncomfortable moments that occur throughout the course of this game.”
The boat will go from a image to the literal focus of Huntington Bank Stadium before the sport and between the third and fourth quarters, when an alumnus – and then a member of the band – bangs a drum and the followers mimic the movement of rowing a boat.
If the scene appears acquainted, it’s something Norway popularized during the latest World Cup.
Here are 5 issues to watch in a sport that kicks off at 9 a.m. PST on FOX:
UCLA head coach Bob Chesney watches from the sideline during the first half of an NCAA faculty soccer sport against Michigan State, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, in Pasadena, Calif. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
History in the making?
Maybe the mistake UCLA saved making over all these dreadful years of soccer was not hiring a sitting head coach.
The last two they’ve employed – Chesney and Pepper Rodgers, who came from Kansas in 1971 – went on to engineer the greatest single-season turnarounds in program historical past.
Rodgers’ 1972 staff went 8-3, a six-win enchancment over a staff that went 2-7-1 the earlier yr. Of course, that meant that Rodgers’ enchancment was over his own disappointing debut season.
Chesney is cleansing up the mess left behind by predecessor DeShaun Foster. If the Bruins beat the Golden Gophers, they will enhance to 9-0 for the first time since 1998 – the last time they won a convention title.
Barring an epic late-season collapse, Chesney is in all probability a lock for Big Ten coach of the yr.
Ty Dieffenbach (14) of the UCLA Bruins runs the ball as Kameron Brown (3) of the Nevada Wolf Pack pursues on Oct. 31, 2026, in Pasadena, Calif. Getty Images
Ty time
Quarterback Ty Dieffenbach is 3-0 as UCLA’s starter, but all of these video games came at residence.
The senior switch from Cal Poly does have expertise in a powerful street setting, having helped the Bruins maintain off Oregon after changing the injured Nico Iamaleava just before halftime at Autzen Stadium.
While Dieffenbach has been a competent sport supervisor, finishing 59% of his passes for 683 yards and three touchdowns with one interception, Chesney intimated there was a lot more upside to his sport.
“This is a giant week for him and the receivers to all get on the same page and everybody start clicking on all cylinders,” Chesney said.
“It’s time.”
UCLA Takeaway kings
UCLA’s offense is always just a second away from needing to retake the area.
That’s because the Bruins protection leads the nation with 26 takeaways, including 16 interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries. The staff is plus-15 in turnover margin. Their +1.9 turnovers per sport rank atop all of faculty soccer in 2026.
The major ball hawk has been senior linebacker Sammy Omosigho, who leads the Football Bowl Subdivision with 5 pressured fumbles and ranks third in the Big Ten with 10.5 tackles for loss. Omosigho is a semifinalist for both the Lombardi Trophy and the Butkus Award.
Minnesota kicker Luke Drzewiecki (12) kicks a area purpose previous Iowa defensive back Deshaun Lee (8) in Minneapolis, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. AP Photo/Bailey Hillesheim
Always in field-goal vary
Minnesota has a middling offense, but the same factor can not be said about the Golden Gophers’ kicker.
Luke Drzewiecki has been as clutch as it gets, making a 46-yard area purpose as time expired two weeks in the past to give Minnesota a walk-off win over Iowa.
Last week, Drzewiecki made all three area objectives, including a 51-yarder and a 60-yarder that was the second longest in college historical past. He’s made 26 consecutive area objectives relationship to last season, giving him the longest energetic streak in the nation.
Injury report
UCLA will seemingly flip to Chase Barry at punter after Curtis Gerrand, who has averaged 44.7 yards while making every punt this season, was listed as out on the Big Ten availability report.
The Bruins will also be with out cornerback Rodrick Pleasant, huge receiver Jalen Saint Paul, defensive lineman Ashton Sanders and linebacker Ryan McCulloch in addition to Iamaleava and huge receiver Mikey Matthews, who were beforehand lost for the season.
Offensive sort out Jordan Davis, who has missed the last three video games, is listed as questionable. But the Bruins are expected to get back left guard Eugene Brooks, who missed the last two video games, as nicely as security Tao Johnson, who has performed in only two video games this season.
Minnesota heart Ashton Beers, who began the first three video games of the season, is out, a destiny shared by fellow reserve offensive lineman Brett Carroll. The Golden Gophers will also be lacking a trio of reserves in defensive back Garrison Monroe, working back Ryan Estrada and huge receiver Hayden Moore.
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