Game notes: Illinois at UCLA
Friday, November 13, 9 p.m. ET, Rose Bowl.The game page.
30 notes · built Oct 19, 10:43 AM ET
The matchup
- Illinois (3–3, 1–2 in conference) at UCLA (6–0, 4–0 in conference), Friday, November 13, 9 p.m. ET, Rose Bowl.resultsWins and losses in this season’s finished games before kickoff, from the game results on file. Ranks as of the game, as listed with the schedule (AP poll, else the coaches’).
The series
- It will be their 13th meeting; the series is even at 6–6.resultsEvery meeting on file; official counts take out wins the NCAA vacated and count forfeits as the rivalry’s article does.
- Last meeting: Saturday, December 31, 2011: Illinois 20, UCLA 14.resultsThe most recent meeting on file.
- They first met in 1946: Illinois 45, UCLA 14.resultsThe earliest meeting on file.
- UCLA is 2–2 at home against Illinois.resultsThe home team’s record against this opponent in its home games (neutral sites aside), every meeting on file.
- Last five meetings: 2011: Illinois 20–14 (neutral site); 2004: UCLA 35–17 (at Illinois); 2003: UCLA 6–3 (at UCLA); 1991: UCLA 6–3 (neutral site); 1983: UCLA 45–9 (neutral site).resultsThe last five meetings on file.
Illinois
- Illinois is 3–3 (1–2 in conference games), 0–1 against ranked teams.resultsWins and losses in this season’s finished games before kickoff, from the game results on file.
- This season: W 42–23 vs. UAB; L 27–31 vs. Duke; W 48–10 vs. Southern Illinois; L 19–42 at No. 7 Ohio State; L 17–24 vs. Purdue; W 38–37 at Michigan State.resultsThis season’s finished games.
- Illinois is No. 68 of 138 FBS teams in our Elo ratings.our ratingsOur Elo rating, from every game on file, ranked among active FBS teams.
- Bret Bielema is 40–29 in his sixth season at Illinois and 137–87 as an FBS head coach.results, WikipediaHead-coaching seasons on file, ours rebuilt from game results and the season articles’ coaching splits.
- Bret Bielema faces UCLA as a head coach for the first time.results, WikipediaGames between the two coaches’ teams in seasons each was the head coach, every game on file.
- Collin Dixon (WR): 47 catches, 608 yards, 9 TD, No. 3 in FBS in receiving touchdowns.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Katin Houser (QB): 1,440 passing yards, 12 TD, the team leader in passing yards.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Matthew Bailey (DB): 41 tackles, 1 INT, the team leader in tackles.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Collin Dixon needs 1 touchdown catch to tie Pat Bryant (10 in 2024) for Illinois’s single-season record in touchdown catches, 2 to break it. He has 9 this season.Wikipedia, resultsThe school’s record lists (its Wikipedia statistical leaders article, from the school’s media guide) against our totals from his season lines at the school, this season through the last game in our records.
- Collin Dixon is tied with Isaiah Williams (14, 2019–23) for eighth on Illinois’s career touchdown catches list, at 14 so far; one more touchdown catch breaks the tie.Wikipedia, resultsThe school’s record lists (its Wikipedia statistical leaders article, from the school’s media guide) against our totals from his season lines at the school, this season through the last game in our records.
- On this date in 1999, Illinois beat No. 25 Ohio State 46–20.resultsThe team’s most notable finished game on this calendar date in an earlier season: a ranked opponent first, then a bowl, then the newest.
UCLA
- UCLA is 6–0 (4–0 in conference games), 1–0 against ranked teams.resultsWins and losses in this season’s finished games before kickoff, from the game results on file.
- This season: W 45–24 at California; W 28–10 vs. San Diego State; W 52–38 vs. Purdue; W 54–3 at Maryland; W 17–15 at No. 13 Oregon; W 17–7 vs. Wisconsin.resultsThis season’s finished games.
- UCLA has won six straight, since losing 29–10 to USC (Nov. 29, 2025).resultsThe team’s current run of results, every finished game on file across seasons.
- UCLA is No. 28 of 138 FBS teams in our Elo ratings.our ratingsOur Elo rating, from every game on file, ranked among active FBS teams.
- UCLA is one of six FBS teams that are unbeaten this season, with BYU, James Madison, Miami, Texas Tech and Utah.resultsFBS teams with no losses this season (four games or more).
- Bob Chesney is 6–0 in his first season at UCLA and 27–6 as an FBS head coach.results, WikipediaHead-coaching seasons on file, ours rebuilt from game results and the season articles’ coaching splits.
- Bob Chesney faces Illinois as a head coach for the first time.results, WikipediaGames between the two coaches’ teams in seasons each was the head coach, every game on file.
- Wayne Knight (RB): 571 rushing yards, 11 TD, No. 5 in FBS in rushing touchdowns.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Nico Iamaleava (QB): 982 passing yards, 4 TD, the team leader in passing yards.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Jalen Woods (LB): 51 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT, the team leader in tackles.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Mateen Bhaghani is tied with Chris Griffith (42, 1999–02) for eighth on UCLA’s career field goals list, at 42 so far; one more field goal breaks the tie.Wikipedia, resultsThe school’s record lists (its Wikipedia statistical leaders article, from the school’s media guide) against our totals from his season lines at the school, this season through the last game in our records.
- On this date in 1999, UCLA beat No. 23 Washington 23–20.resultsThe team’s most notable finished game on this calendar date in an earlier season: a ranked opponent first, then a bowl, then the newest.
The coaches
- It is the first meeting of Bret Bielema and Bob Chesney as head coaches.results, WikipediaGames between the two coaches’ teams in seasons each was the head coach, every game on file.
Sources
Every sentence here is ours, written from counts we make over the games on file. Where the facts come from:
- CollegeFootballData.com: Game results, rankings and player statistics; the sentence and every count in it are ours. Derived output (CollegeFootballData.com terms, section 4).
- CollegeFootballDigest: Our own ratings (Elo) and research notes. CC BY 4.0.
- Wikipedia: Facts from Wikipedia’s lists and articles (schools’ record books, trophies, College GameDay sites, coaching records), restated. CC BY-SA 4.0 (facts restated; credit Wikipedia).
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