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UCLA heads east Saturday with a chance to turn a strong September into something more historic.
The Bruins are 3-0 under first-year head coach Bob Chesney and will look for their first 4-0 start since 2022 when they meet Maryland at SECU Stadium. Kickoff is 1:30 for the Big Ten Network.
The matchup carries a longstanding piece of college football history. This will be just the fourth meeting between UCLA and Maryland and the second straight season the two programs have played.
It also marks the first time the Terrapins have hosted the Bruins since 1955, when No. 6 Maryland defeated No. 1 UCLA, 7-0, in College Park.
Nearly 71 years later, UCLA returns to Maryland trying to continue one of the more intriguing early-season matchups in college football.
Chesney, a Kulpmont, Pennsylvania native, has UCLA off to a fast start and now has a chance to become the first Bruins coach since Red Sanders in 1949 to begin his tenure in Westwood with four straight victories.
That storyline alone gives the game added weight, especially with UCLA's offense showing signs of a dramatic turnaround.
The Bruins have done much of their damage on the ground.
Running back Wayne Knight has been one of the nation's most explosive players through three weeks, leading the country with eight total touchdowns, 48 points scored and an incredible 8.85 yards per carry.
UCLA's 14 rushing touchdowns already surpass the program's combined total of 12 from the 2023-25 seasons, a remarkable sign of how quickly Chesney's physical identity has taken hold.
UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava has added balance to the attack.
In their 52-38 win over Purdue, he threw for 276 yards and three touchdowns, giving the Bruins more than just a punishing run game. Defensively, linebacker Sammy Omosigho enters the Maryland game with great momentum after earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors for his 11 solo tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles against the Purdue Boilermakers.
For Maryland, the challenge is clear: Slow UCLA's rushing surge, contain Iamaleava and avoid letting the Bruins dictate the game's tempo.
For UCLA, Saturday is a chance to prove its perfect start is more than a September surprise. It is a chance to carry history, momentum and Chesney's rising reputation into Big Ten country.
It is the rare college football narrative that cuts through the sport's obsession with money, rankings and coaching celebrities.
It is about a small-town Coal Region coach who earned every step of his climb and has UCLA believing again.
Chesney's rise from Kulpmont to an undefeated Bruins team is a distinctly American story of grit, perseverance and community loyalty.
When a platoon of buses of hometown supporters willing to travel nearly 200 miles to watch one of their own coach on a Big Ten stage, the story becomes bigger than football.
Greg Maresca is a frequent contribor to Voice of the Fan. He resides in Sunbury.