We Speak College Football

Aidan Mizell’s Two 75 Yard Touchdowns Keep UCLA Perfect at 9-0

Published

2 hours ago

November 8, 2026

A UCLA player runs with the ball against Minnesota in Minneapolis

A UCLA receiver breaks free against Minnesota. Photo via UCLA Football.

Nine games in, the perfect season is still alive, and it survived Minneapolis because of two identical lightning strikes. Aidan Mizell caught just two passes for No. 8 UCLA on Saturday, and both went for 75 yard touchdowns in the fourth quarter, lifting the Bruins past Minnesota 34-20 and to the program’s first 9-0 start since 1998.

Ty Dieffenbach threw for a career high 303 yards on just 8 of 16 passing, with three touchdowns and one interception, a stat line built on explosive plays. Two of those completions were the Mizell scores that broke a game Minnesota refused to let go of. UCLA led 10-0 early, the Gophers pulled even at 10-10 by halftime and again at 17-17 late, and every time the Bruins needed an answer, they found one over the top.

Wayne Knight powered the ground game with 109 rushing yards and a 1 yard touchdown run. Mateen Bhaghani added field goals of 37 and 36 yards. Noah Fox-Flores caught a touchdown pass in the third quarter, and Scooter Jackson came up with a fourth quarter interception that helped UCLA close the door.

Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey completed 19 of 37 passes for 205 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Darius Taylor ran for 46 yards and a touchdown for the Gophers, who fall to 5-4 after pushing one of the nation’s last unbeaten teams deep into the fourth quarter.

UCLA is 9-0 and 6-0 in the Big Ten, just the fourth 9-0 start in program history. With the hardest part of the schedule still ahead, the Bruins keep stacking wins, and Saturday they did it with the deep ball.

Statement In Beaumont: No. 12 Lamar Knocks Off No. 2 Stephen F. Austin 45-28 In The FCS Game Of The Week

Published

16 minutes ago

November 8, 2026

Julie Isbell

Lamar quarterback Aiden McCown hands the ball off to running back Parker Jenkins against Stephen F. Austin at Provost Umphrey Stadium

Lamar quarterback Aiden McCown hands off to Parker Jenkins against Stephen F. Austin at Provost Umphrey Stadium in Beaumont. Photo by Julie Isbell.

This was the biggest game in the FCS this weekend, and it played like it. On Saturday at Provost Umphrey Stadium in Beaumont, No. 12 Lamar beat No. 2 Stephen F. Austin 45-28 in the STATS Perform FCS Game of the Week, a showdown between the top two teams in the Southland Conference. The Cardinals never trailed, answered every Lumberjacks comeback, and pulled into a tie for first place in the Southland with two weeks left in the regular season. Photographer Julie Isbell was on the sideline for We Speak Media.

The Fast Start

Lamar opened the game like a team that had been waiting for it. Andres Sandoval kicked a 27 yard field goal, Aiden McCown found Davin Driskell for a 7 yard touchdown late in the first quarter, and Parker Jenkins added a 3 yard touchdown run in the second quarter to build a 17-0 lead. Stephen F. Austin finally answered just before halftime, when Gavin Rutherford hit Clayton Wayland for a 22 yard touchdown with 25 seconds left in the half.

Every Answer

*Stephen F. Austin quarterback Gavin Rutherford throws against Lamar. Photo by Julie Isbell.*

The second half turned into a heavyweight exchange. Stephen F. Austin cut the Lamar lead to three points three separate times, and every time the Cardinals answered with a touchdown of their own. Jenkins capped an eight play, 75 yard drive with a 13 yard touchdown run, and McCown connected with Driskell again to push the lead back to ten. The loudest moment came late: JT Kitna found Bugs Mortimer for a 71 yard touchdown that pulled the Lumberjacks within 31-28. On the next Lamar possession, McCown hit Blake Thomas for a 62 yard touchdown strike with 4:45 remaining to make it 38-28.

The Close

The defense finished it. Alexandre Dedieu strip sacked the quarterback on Stephen F. Austin’s next play and Lamar recovered, setting up Jenkins’ third rushing touchdown of the night, a 4 yard run that sealed the 45-28 final.

By The Numbers

*The Stephen F. Austin offense huddles its ground game against Lamar. Photo by Julie Isbell.*

McCown completed 17 of 29 passes for 307 yards and three touchdowns. Jenkins carried 30 times for 138 yards and three touchdowns in a career night. Lamar rolled up 488 total yards, including 181 on the ground, scored on all five of its red zone trips, and held the ball for 12 minutes longer than the Lumberjacks. Stephen F. Austin turned the ball over four times, two fumbles and two interceptions, including picks by Bryce McDonald and Mar Mar Evans, and Lamar turned those mistakes into 17 points. For the Lumberjacks, Wayland caught nine passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. Quarter by quarter: Lamar led 10-0 after the first, 17-7 at the half, and the teams traded 14 points each in the third before Lamar closed the fourth quarter 14-7.

What It Means

The loss is Stephen F. Austin’s first of the season, ending a 19 game regular season winning streak that was the longest active run across the FBS and FCS. The Lumberjacks fall to 9-1 overall and 6-1 in the Southland. Lamar improves to 8-2 and 6-1, and now owns the head to head tiebreaker in the race for the Southland’s automatic playoff bid. The Cardinals are home again on Saturday, November 14, hosting East Texas A&M, while Stephen F. Austin travels to UT Rio Grande Valley.