This post was updated Sept. 14 at 8:56 p.m.

Saturday was the Bruins’ opportunity to make a statement.

And make a statement they did, though perhaps not the one in mind.

In a game it never led, UCLA football (1-1, 0-1 Big Ten) was handedly dismissed by Indiana (3-0, 1-0) in its inaugural Big Ten conference contest by a score of 42-13. Offensive and defensive woes were palpable throughout the affair, costing the Bruins a decisive loss at the Rose Bowl. 

“Offensively, we couldn’t stay on the field, and defensively, they couldn’t get off the field,” said coach DeShaun Foster. “It was just unfortunate.”

Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke gashed UCLA’s defense for a 23-yard gain on the opening play of the game – kick-starting a 12-play, 75-yard drive. The defensive unit forced three third downs but failed to get off the field on any of them – a trend that plagued the first half. 

Rourke capped off the drive with a three-yard passing touchdown – his first of four on the evening – to wide receiver Miles Cross. Redshirt senior quarterback Ethan Garbers got the ball with a chance to respond on UCLA’s first drive of Big Ten conference play.

Instead, he handed it right back to the Hoosiers.

Winding up for a throw, Garbers’ arm collided with junior running back T.J. Harden, jarring the ball loose, resulting in a fumble recovery for Indiana. 

“It just comes down to our discipline,” Garbers said. “We got to be more disciplined in practice, we got to be more disciplined in walkthrough and we got to be more disciplined in the game.”

A short field combined with a fourth consecutive third down conversion yielded a second passing touchdown for Rourke – netting the Hoosiers an early 14-0 advantage.

 

Garbers pieced together a 14-play drive that set up a 41-yard field goal attempt for Mateen Bhaghani – who went 3-for-3 against Hawai’i. On this attempt, however, the sophomore kicker pushed it wide right, leaving the Bruins scoreless at the end of the first quarter. 

UCLA’s defensive unit halted Indiana on their third possession, courtesy of a fourth down pass breakup by redshirt freshman defensive back Kanye Clark – who was later carted off the field, a brace on his left leg.

Friendly fire continued to be a theme for the Bruins – this time, defense was the culprit. 

Senior defensive back Devin Kirkwood jumped a route and got his hands on the ball, but it was knocked out of his grasp by a teammate. 

Struggles to halt Indiana’s backfield only persisted. 

A third down stop was voided by an offsides call on fourth-and-3, and Cross’ one-handed snag on another third down set up Indiana at the UCLA one-yard line. Running back Justice Ellison punched in the score, building a 21-0 lead towards the end of the half.

“Obviously, it was a tough night on third down,” said senior linebacker Oluwafemi Oladejo. “We just got to be better on defense – execution, getting lined up and making plays.” 

It was Garbers’ legs that finally unleashed the hosts’ offense. 

The signal-caller navigated the pocket to find sophomore wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. for a 22-yard gain. Two plays later, Garbers spun out of a tackle and scrambled for 20 yards before being wrangled down just short of the end zone. 

Harden took the ensuing handoff into the end zone with 42 seconds remaining in the half – dodging the Bruins the sting of a second consecutive first-half shutout. 

It appeared that UCLA’s second half start would mirror that of the first. 

A fumbled snap by Garbers initially resulted in a five yard loss but flipped into a 15 yard gain after a targeting call was assessed on review. Harden’s hurdle and more showcases of Garbers’ mobility earned a field goal for the Bruins, drawing them within 11. 

Indiana, however, swiftly responded, pushing its advantage back to 18. Rourke’s third touchdown pass found wide receiver Ke’Shawn Williams for his second trip to the end zone in as many receptions. 

“We’re just not executing,” Foster said. “We’re executing at practice, but it’s just not carrying over to the game.”

The Bruins scratched three more points across the board in a drive that featured four penalties – including the Hoosiers’ second ejection on a targeting foul – to cut the lead down to two scores. They would, however, not crawl any closer. 

Rourke iced the game with his final touchdown pass of the evening to complement his 307 yards passing. 

The task for Foster and the Bruins does not get any easier as a trip to LSU’s Tiger Stadium is just one week away.

“You have to learn from losses. You can’t just act like they’re going to go away,” Foster said. “I’m just happy that we have another opportunity to keep playing.”