Nico Iamaleava, Fernando Mendoza Set Stage for Big Game Showdown

The UCLA Bruins (3-4, 3-1 Big Ten) are putting even the biggest coaches and best college football teams on notice amid a 3-0 turnaround, which culminated after a gritty 20-17 win over Maryland this Saturday.

Up next, Tim Skipper and his Bruins have a FOX Big Noon Kickoff clash with the No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers, who employ arguably the best coach and quarterback in the nation -- Curt Cignetti and Fernando Mendoza.

The big stage matchup between Nico Iamaleava and Mendoza is sure to entertain. As we get into our weekly game previews, let's break down the matchup under center.

Season Stats

Nico Iamaleava:

1,355 passing yards
135-207 pass comp/attempt
65.2% completion
10 TD
5 INT
16 sacks
131.3 passer rating
64.1 ESPN QBR
360 rushing yards
74 carries
4.9 average rush yards
4 TD

ucl — UCLA's Nico Iamaleava throws a pass against Michigan State during the third quarter on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Fernando Mendoza:

1,755 passing yards
133-181 pass comp/attempt
73.5% completion
21 TD
2 INT
6 sacks
191.0 passer rating
87.6 ESPN QBR
151 rushing yards
41 carries
3.7 average rush yards
2 TD

ucl — Oct 18, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) warms up prior to the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Last Game

Nico Iamaleava vs. Maryland (20-17, W):

221 passing yards
21-35 pass comp/attempt
60.0% completion
1 TD
2 INT
2 sacks
111.0 passer rating
51.2 ESPN QBR
25 rushing yards
8 carries
3.1 average rush yards
0 TD

ucl — Oct 4, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9,right) hugs new offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel after defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions 42-37 at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Fernando Mendoza vs. Michigan State (38-13, W):

332 passing yards
24-28 pass comp/attempt
85.7% completion
4 TD
0 INT
0 sack
232.5 passer rating
97.1 ESPN QBR
18 rushing yards
5 carries
3.6 average rush yards
0 TD

ucl — Indiana's Fernando Mendoza (15) runs during the Indiana versus Michigan State football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

UCLA DC Breaks Down Pivotal Matchup With Indiana

Kevin Coyle, UCLA's senior defensive analyst, has done a tremendous job turning around what was once one of the worst defenses in college football. And on Wednesday, he spoke at length about the challenges that Indiana presents.

"This is a really impressive, well-coached football team," Coyle said during his first media availability since joining UCLA. "They're old school, which I like because that's kind of what I am. But they play the game the way it's supposed to be played. They don't make mistakes. They don't try to trick you necessarily.

ucl — Mar 17, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Legends head coach Kevin Coyle throws a challenge flag in the second half against the San Antonio Commanders at Georgia State Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-Imagn Images | Jason Getz-Imagn Images

"They're going to outexecute people. They protect the football. Players play extremely hard. You can tell how well-coached they are. They stay ahead of the chains on offense as good as I think anybody I can recall in recent years... They want to run the football. They want to control the clock. They got a quarterback that doesn't make any mistakes. They protect the passer.

"The running backs run hard. Physical guys. Receivers have the ability to turn short passes into explosive plays. So, we're going to have to play clearly better than we have played up to this point to be able to slow them down. But we're looking forward to the challenge and we're having a great week of preparation, so we'll give it our best swing."

According to ESPN's FPI, Indiana is the seventh-best offense in all of college football with an efficiency rating of 84.2. UCLA's defense is ranked 86th in the nation with a rating of 46.1, but the numbers may be skewed, taking into account the dreadful start to the season.

ucl — Michigan State's Makhi Frazier, center, is tackled by UCLA after a gain during the first quarter on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Bruins take on the Hoosiers in front of a national stage on Saturday, kicking off in Bloomington at 12 p.m. ET on FOX's Big Noon Saturday. UCLA is a winner of three straight games under interim head coach Tim Skipper, and Indiana houses arguably the nation's best coach in Curt Cignetti.

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