{
  "id": 15232210,
  "title": "The Bob Chesney reason Pat McAfee is ‘surprised’ with UCLA football",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/the-bob-chesney-reason-pat-mcafee-is-surprised-with-ucla-football",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-17T16:10:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/bob-chesney-reason-pat-mcafee-161027113.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "College football pundit Pat McAfee expressed surprise at UCLA's undefeated start under first-year coach Bob Chesney. The Bruins, ranked No. 12 in the AP poll at 5-0 overall and 3-0 in conference play, have defied expectations during the 2026 season. McAfee attributed their success to Chesney's arrival from James Madison and the team's powerful rushing attack. During Saturday's College GameDay broadcast from Provo, Utah, McAfee highlighted UCLA's emergence in the Big Ten, stating, \"Across the board that has to be the biggest surprise that I’ve seen not only in the Big Ten but in college football as a whole.\" The Bruins have been particularly impressive with a 54-3 road win over Maryland and a memorable 17-15 upset at Oregon on October 10, where they forced seven turnovers and secured their first victory in Eugene since 2004. Running back Wayne Knight, a James Madison transfer, played a crucial role in the team's success, scoring twice, including the game-winning touchdown. McAfee drew a comparison between Chesney's move and Curt Cignetti's earlier transfer from James Madison to Indiana, noting the successful transitions both coaches made to the Big Ten. The Bruins' turnaround follows a 3-9 finish in 2025, after firing head coach DeShaun Foster. Now, with Nico Iamaleava sidelined with a knee injury, Ty Dieffenbach has taken over the starting quarterback role. UCLA will host Wisconsin on Saturday in an attempt to extend their unbeaten streak, which has caught McAfee's attention.",
  "summary": "Pat McAfee considers the UCLA Bruins one of college football’s biggest surprises following their unbeaten start under first-year head coach Bob Chesney. UCLA enters Saturday ranked No. 12 in the AP poll at 5-0 overall and 3-0 in conference play. McAfee pointed to Chesney’s arrival from James Madison and the team’s rushing attack as key factors in […] The post The Bob Chesney reason Pat McAfee is…",
  "key_points": [
    "Pat McAfee surprised by UCLA's undefeated start under Bob Chesney.",
    "Bruins ranked No. 12 in AP poll at 5-0 overall, 3-0 in conference.",
    "Chesney's arrival and powerful rushing attack credited for success."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}