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The UCLA Bruins (3–5, 3–2 Big Ten) endured a rough night in Bloomington, falling 56–6 to the No. 2–ranked Indiana Hoosiers last week.
By Earl Heath | Contributing Sports Writer
The UCLA Bruins (3–5, 3–2 Big Ten) endured a rough night in Bloomington, falling 56–6 to the No. 2–ranked Indiana Hoosiers last week.
The game started disastrously for UCLA. On the opening drive, quarterback Nico Iamaleava threw his first interception just a minute into the game. Indiana’s Aiden Fisher picked it off and returned it for a touchdown — setting the tone for a long evening.
Iamaleava struggled to find rhythm, completing just 13 of 27 passes (48%) for 113 yards and two interceptions. The redshirt sophomore added 28 rushing yards on seven scrambles but was sacked three times.
With Anthony Woods sidelined, the Bruins were already short-handed in the backfield and managed just 88 rushing yards on 25 carries, averaging 3.9 yards per attempt.
UCLA trailed 35–3 at halftime and never recovered.
Hoosiers Stay Perfect
The Hoosiers (8–0, 5–0 Big Ten) extended their school-record home winning streak to 14 games, maintaining the highest ranking in program history for a second straight week.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza completed 15 of 22 passes for 168 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception before leaving late in the third quarter. The crowd serenaded him with chants of “Heismendoza” as he exited.
“It was on a big platform against a team that was hot, and we wanted to be physical and dominate the line of scrimmage,” said Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti, who has yet to lose a home game. “Fisher made a huge play early in the game.”
Skipper Looks to Regroup
UCLA head coach Tim Skipper said the early turnover changed everything.
“We always preach starting fast, and we didn’t do that,” Skipper said. “Against a team that plays well in all three phases, you’ve got to start strong. When they create a turnover that leads to points, that’s hard to overcome. It kind of shell-shocked us and took us a while to get going.”
Since Skipper took over for the dismissed DeShaun Foster, the Bruins had shown improvement — winning three straight games before this setback. Now, they’ll use the bye week to regroup and correct course.
What’s Next
UCLA returns home after the bye to host Nebraska at the Rose Bowl on Saturday, Nov. 8.
Indiana (8–0) travels to face Maryland next weekend as it looks to continue its perfect season.