The Bruins got the job done and improved to 8-0 behind a sloppy offensive win, backed by another elite performance from this Bruins defense.
Due to the lack of offensive firepower, most of the standouts in Week 9's action came from the defensive side of the ball. Here were the biggest winners, along with players who underperformed in the Week 9 win over Nevada.
Sep 5, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; UCLA Bruins defensive lineman Sahir West (15) before the game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
We have been talking about how Sahir West was due for a breakout game, and it finally came against the Wolf Pack in Week 9. It had been a quiet season for West in the box score up until this point.
It was by far West's best performance of the season, as he was disrupting this Nevada offense all day long. The Wolf Pack had a very difficult day under center as they tested out three different quarterbacks in the matchup to try to find some rhythm. Sahir West's presence off the edge made it difficult for each of the Nevada quarterbacks who saw any action, as he ended the day with 1.5 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, and was the Bruins' leading tackler in the matchup with 9 total tackles.
Another dominant player off the defensive line against Nevada was Aiden Gobaira. Like West, Gobaira also had his best performance of the season and added to the pressure Nevada's signal callers faced. Gobaira found his way to the quarterback for 1.5 sacks on the day, along with 7 total tackles and 3 tackles for a loss.
Oct 17, 2026; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins defensive back Scooter Jackson (1) reacts after a missed field goal by the Wisconsin Badgers in the second half at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It's hard to pick out any one player in the Bruins' secondary who stood out significantly from the rest. Overall, UCLA's secondary played a dominant game through four quarters, right from the opening snap. In fact, the first play of the game was an interception by Scooter Jackson.
The opening interception was one of four takeaways that the secondary would force on the day, which has been a strength for this Bruins team all season long.
Oct 31, 2026; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Ty Dieffenbach (14) celebrates with offensive lineman Riley Robell (51) after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Nevada Wolf Pack at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It wasn't the best game that we have seen from quarterback Ty Dieffenbach. There were quite a few throws that I'm sure Dieffenbach wants back, and some that could have resulted in scores. Dieffenbach threw for 178 yards on 16-of-30 passing, with 2 scores, one on the ground and one through the air.
We knew Nevada's secondary would be a unit to keep an eye on, and overall they did perform well against UCLA's passing game. Overall, I wouldn't label Dieffenbach's performance as "bad," but rather he just didn't show enough for this team to gain any significant momentum heading into Week 10.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/ucla as Biggest Winners and Losers in UCLA's Win Over Nevada .
