Game details
Who: Indiana (2-0) at UCLA (1-0)
When: Saturday, 4:30 p.m. PT
Where: Rose Bowl | Pasadena, Calif.
TV: NBC/Peacock
Last meeting: N/A
All-time series: First-ever meeting
More than two years after UCLA and rival USC stunned the college football world and announced its plans to leave the Pac-12, the Bruins will step onto the field Saturday at the Rose Bowl and see a B1G logo painted where the old conference emblem once appeared.
UCLA will play its first-ever Big Ten game and host Indiana.
The Bruins had two weeks to prepare for the Hoosiers, who are off to a fast start under first-year head coach Curt Cignetti and coming off setting single-game school records for points and total offense in a 77-3 rout over Western Illinois last week.
UCLA first-year head coach DeShaun Foster is looking for more from the offense after squeezing out a 16-13 victory in the Aug. 31 season opener at Hawaii.
Here’s what to watch for:
UCLA offensive line’s run blocking
A big part of the Bruins’ woes stemmed from a lack of production in the run game.
UCLA running backs T.J. Harden, Keegan Jones and Anthony Frias combined for just 1.8 yards per carry on 13 attempts.
Foster elected to go pass-heavy from the outset of the contest and UCLA finished with nearly double the pass attempts.
The Bruins played a large chunk of the game without their starting offensive tackles. Right tackle Garrett DiGiorgio was questionable before kickoff and did not play, while left tackle Reuben Unije was hurt early in the second half and did not return.
Both players practiced Wednesday, the last day of media observation, and Foster said their status would be determined at the end of the week.
Indiana, which also owns a season-opening win over Florida International, has yet to be tested. The Hoosiers’ run defense has allowed just 32.5 yards per game, which ranks second in the nation.
UCLA in the red zone
The Bruins escaped with a win in the season opener at Hawaii thanks to three Mateen Bhaghani field goals, including the game-winner with 56 seconds left.
UCLA overcame a pair of first-half interceptions from quarterback Ethan Garbers, with his first on a throw into a sea of defenders in the end zone to stall the Bruins at the Hawaii 7-yard line.
Last season, UCLA had the nation’s second-worst red-zone offense at a 63.3% conversion rate.
Debuts to look out for
Foster said he is “feeling confident” about Michigan State transfer running back Jalen Berger and Florida A&M transfer edge rusher Cherif Seye being available.
Neither played against Hawaii after getting a late start in fall camp and both had to work on their conditioning before being cleared to practice.
It will be a different kind of debut for Navy transfer edge rusher Jacob Busic, who is looking forward to his first contest in the Rose Bowl.
Busic’s final season at Navy was cut short by a bicep injury. While he returned for the season finale against rival Army, his last home game was 370 days ago in a win over Wagner.
“This is my first game that I can come back and tell myself we’re at home — like, we don’t lose at home — that I’ve had since Navy,” Busic said. “So this is kind of another milestone for me in my return-to-play journey at UCLA…and I’m super excited.”
What will the attendance look like?
Recent years have brought a decline in attendance at the Rose Bowl, with the program drawing some all-time low figures and putting up tarps in both end zones to cover up a swath of empty seats.
Since his hire, Foster has said on several occasions that his long-term vision is to return the program to its glory days and “give (fans) something to want to come see.”
With the school on the quarter system, classes have yet to start and the vast majority of students are not yet on campus. So, The Den may not be in full force, though Foster has been engaged with the leaders of the student section on multiple occasions since taking over in February.
The move to the Big Ten is expected to bring a boost in attendance, as UCLA’s new league opponents are planning on traveling with plenty of support.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Saturday’s contest is Indiana’s highest-selling road game ticket of the season. The Hoosiers expect to have more than 1,500 fans make the trip.
In the past three season openers since returning from the COVID-19 pandemic, UCLA has drawn 32,982 fans against Hawaii in 2021, 27,143 fans against Bowling Green the following year and 43,705 in last season’s contest against Coastal Carolina.
Changes to Rose Bowl, return to old tradition
Speaking of the student section, expanded seating and a move to create a more hostile environment are among the gameday enhancements the program made this offseason.
Sections 2-6 on the east sideline near the 50-yard line — and directly behind the opposing team’s bench — will now include safe-standing areas for students. A rail will separate each row.
UCLA is the lone team in the Big Ten to have students directly behind the opposing team’s bench.
“I’m actually trying to get paddles for them, like Oklahoma State, so we can just beat on the wall right there,” Foster joked. “When I was coming out, that used to be where the recruits sat so it’s a good view, but I just hope that our student section is fired up. Just make as much noise as you can and just be that 12th man for us.”
In addition, the UCLA band will be relocated between tunnels 6 and 7, playing toward the Bruins’ bench and the west side of the stadium.
Upon arriving to the stadium, players and coaches will also take part in the Bruin Walk. Foster first brought the tradition back during the team’s spring showcase in April.
The team will arrive in Area H on Rosemont Avenue and walk through the fan zone as it heads to the Gate A entrance. The players and coaches are expected to arrive at 1:50 p.m.
