Ty Dieffenbach threw for 198 yards and a touchdown Saturday while No. 9 UCLA held Michigan State to 156 yards of offense during a 28-10 win at Pasadena, Calif., that gave it its first 7-0 start since 2005.
Dieffenbach completed 18 of 31 passes and Anthony Woods added 112 yards on 14 carries, plus a touchdown, as the Bruins improved to 5-0 in the Big Ten Conference. Their 443 total yards were split between rushing (245) and passing (198).
The Spartans (2-6, 0-5) used two quarterbacks and neither one was particularly effective. Leo Hannan was 9 of 15 for 67 yards with an interception, while Kayd Coffman completed 4 of 10 for 42 yards with a score and a pick.
Michigan State rushed for only 47 yards on 29 carries and converted just 2 of 11 third downs while losing its sixth straight game. UCLA recorded four sacks and six tackles for loss.
The Spartans did score first, taking advantage of one of two lost fumbles by the Bruins. Coffman cashed in the 15-yard field by finding Kenneth Williams for a 14-yard touchdown pass with 5:26 left in the first quarter.
Williams lost a fumble at the Michigan State 19 early in the second quarter, paving the way for UCLA’s first score. Five plays later, Jaivian Thomas scored on a 7-yard run with 11 minutes left in the half.
The Bruins used Coffman’s interception as an avenue to their go-ahead touchdown. A 67-yard return by Donavyn Pellot teed up a 21-yard drive and Wayne Knight plunged in from the 1 with 3:04 remaining, making it 14-7.
UCLA broke it open in the third quarter when its offense found footing on two sustained touchdown drives. Dieffenbach found Brian Rowe Jr. for a catch-and-run 63-yard score two minutes into the period.
Later, it became 28-7 when Woods capped a 10-play, 70-yard drive on a 4-yard run with 5:27 left in the quarter.
The Spartans rounded out the scoring when Liam Boyd drilled a 46-yard field goal with 6:18 remaining in the game.