UCLA smartly decides to Gopher broke with stunning back-to-back deep shots

MINNEAPOLIS — If at first you succeed, try the exact same thing again.Why the heck not?That’s what UCLA’s Ty Dieffenbach and Aidan Mizell did in the fourth quarter Saturday, with stunning results.Spotting a weakness in Minnesota’s defense, Dieffenbach unleashed a deep play-action pass over the middle to a streaking Mizell that went for a 75-yard touchdown.On the Bruins’ next play from scrimmage — after the Golden Gophers had countered with a field goal — it was the same script, as if it was an instant replay.Mizell badly beat his defender, Dieffenbach hit him in stride and the Bruins had another 75-yard touchdown that Mizell punctuated with a dance.“I was tweaking out in the end zone,” Mizell said, “I’m not gonna lie.”Just like that, the eighth-ranked Bruins were up by two scores and on their way to a 34-20 victory at Huntington Bank Stadium that kept them among the ranks of the unbeaten and on track for the College Football Playoff.The back-to-back bombs came after UCLA diagnosed a coverage that would allow Mizell to find himself 1-on-1 with an overmatched defensive back.“Once I saw the safety come down, it was wraps from there,” Dieffenbach said of the play design.“All green grass, Aidan killed his guy and just put it out there and let him go get it.”It certainly helped that Dieffenbach was throwing to one of the team’s fastest players.“He always tells me,” Dieffenbach said, ” ‘You can’t overthrow me, man, just put it out there.’ ”Dieffenbach did just that, with each pass perfectly thrown.“Both times, it was right there,” Mizell said.

“I would have had to be sorry not to score that.”Another factor was the sturdiness of the offensive line, which was missing starting center Riley Robell and right tackle Hall Schmidt after they both went out with injuries.“They’ve got to hang in there and let this ball be delivered,” UCLA coach Bob Chesney said, “and I thought they did a great job of creating a pocket t...