For the first time in school history, UCLA plays a conference game in a league other than any of the iterations of the Pac-12 when it welcomes Indiana to Pasadena, Calif., in both teams’ Big Ten Conference opener on Saturday.
UCLA (1-0) has been idle since escaping its visit to Hawaii with a 16-13 win on Aug. 31. The victory made for a shaky first impression of the offense under first-year coach DeShaun Foster, with the Bruins failing to score a touchdown on four red-zone opportunities.
However, the defense limited Hawaii to 1.8 yards per rush and the Bruins racked up five sacks.
UCLA needs a similar defensive effort to slow what has been an explosive Indiana offense through its first two games.
Indiana (2-0) pays its first visit to Pasadena since playing in the 1968 Rose Bowl. The Hoosiers have never faced UCLA.
“The Rose Bowl has a lot of tradition,” Hoosiers first-year coach Curt Cignetti said. “For me and the team, it’s more of a business trip. Whether we’re playing in the Rose Bowl or a parking lot, it’s all the same.”
Indiana has yet to play on the road this season. Through two home games, the Hoosiers have been dominant.
Indiana has allowed 10 total points, steamrolling nonconference opponents FIU 31-7 and FCS counterpart Western Illinois 77-3. The 74-point deconstruction of the Leathernecks last Friday did not quite reach the program record for margin of victory, which came in a 76-0 win over Franklin College in 1901.
The Hoosiers did, however, eclipse the school record for points scored in that 1901 contest.
It was quite the initial stamp for Cignetti to put on the program. Coming from James Madison, where he oversaw a successful transition from FCS national championship contention to an 11-win finish in its second FBS campaign, Cignetti dramatically overhauled the Hoosiers’ roster.
Among the experienced Indiana players who have UCLA’s attention is quarterback Kurtis Rourke, a transfer from Ohio University. Rourke was the MAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2022 and is 30-of-41 passing for 448 yards with three touchdowns this season.
