UCLA DC Breaks Down Pivotal Matchup With Indiana

The Bruins match up against the Hoosiers, the best offense they've played all season.

Oct 11, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State tight end Jack Velling (12) runs through the UCLA Bruins defense in the fourth quarter at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images | Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images

Tim Skipper and the UCLA Bruins (3-4, 3-1 Big Ten) are looking to continue their illustrious turnaround on the main stage, FOX Big Noon Kickoff, against the No. 2-ranked Indiana Hoosiers.

Not only will it be the Bruins' biggest test on the biggest stage of the season, but it will be the best offense they've played by far, led by Heisman hopeful Fernando Mendoza.

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

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.

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

• "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.

Sep 27, 2025; Evanston, Illinois, USA; UCLA Bruins interim head coach Tim Skipper talks to a official during the first half against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-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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