According to Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, the second-ranked Hoosiers aren’t opposing a 3-4 UCLA team this week in Bloomington, Ind.
“I mean, we’re playing a 3-0 football team this Saturday at noon,” he said.
It’s true that the Bruins (3-4, 3-1 Big Ten) have been a much different team since interim coach Tim Skipper took over last month. A 20-17 home win over Maryland last week was their third straight victory, a streak that started with a stunning victory over then-No. 7 Penn State after Skipper lost his first game in charge.
However, it’s also true that Indiana (7-0, 4-0) is at a different level from the teams UCLA has been beating lately. The Hoosiers keep proving it week after week, climbing to their highest-ever poll ranking after a 38-13 drilling of Michigan State last week.
The usual suspects were at work for Indiana, led by quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The Cal transfer completed 24 of 28 passes for 332 yards and four touchdowns, zeroing in primarily on Omar Cooper Jr., who had eight receptions for 115 yards and a score.
The Hoosiers also did what they usually do — stop the run and play a clean game. They allowed only 74 yards on the ground and were flagged just once for 5 yards. They haven’t been penalized more than 45 yards in any game this year.
“You want them to play fast. You want them to play physical. You want to be relentless,” Cignetti said of his players. “But you got to be smart. You got to make choices and decisions out on the football field, right? You never want an increase in those penalties.”
The only things increasing for Indiana under Cignetti are points and wins. Mendoza is playing at a Heisman Trophy level, completing 73.5% of his passes for 1,755 yards with 21 touchdowns and only two interceptions. The Hoosiers’ average of 43.9 points per game is tied for fourth in the nation.
This matchup would have been seen as a snoozer by most until the Bruins’ sudden surge. Despite that, Indiana is a three-touchdown-plus favorite.
However, the play of Tennessee transfer Nico Iamaleava gives UCLA the proverbial puncher’s chance against anyone. Iamaleava threw for 221 yards, one touchdown two interceptions against Maryland. He led a last-minute drive that culminated in Mateen Bhaghani’s game-winning 23-yard field goal with two seconds left.
Skipper said on Monday he wasn’t sure about Iamaleava’s status after the quarterback emerged postgame with ice on his knee. However, the interim coach is certain about what his team has to do at Indiana, regardless of who can or can’t play.
“We’ve got to play a clean game and win the situations,” he said. “There’s always going to be critical situations come up, and we have to win those.”
Iamaleava is completing 65.2% of his passes for 1,355 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions, and he leads the team in rushing with 360 yards and four scores. Kwazi Gilmer has 30 receptions, one shy of his total from last year as a freshman.
The Hoosiers cruised to a 42-13 win last year in Pasadena, Calif., in the programs’ first-ever meeting.
