UCLA football (1-1, 0-1 Big Ten) fell 42-13 to Indiana (3-0, 1-0) in its Big Ten opener Saturday evening at the Rose Bowl. Assistant Sports editor Connor Dullinger gives his five main takeaways from the Bruins’ duel with the Hoosiers.

Where are Sturdivant and Loya?

In 2023, then-redshirt sophomore wide receiver J.Michael Sturdivant and then-redshirt junior wide receiver Logan Loya served as UCLA’s leading targets – Sturdivant the deep ball threat and Loya the reliable slot option.

Through last season, the duo recorded a combined total of nine touchdowns and 1,252 receiving yards – comprising 37.5% of the team’s total receiving touchdowns and 42% of the team’s receiving yards.

But 2023’s go-to weapons have become ghosts in 2024.

Across the program’s first two games, the receivers have combined for just four catches, 42 receiving yards and zero touchdowns. To add insult to injury, redshirt senior quarterback Ethan Garbers has thrown 61 passes, or 30.5 per game, a large uptick from last year’s 13.3.

Even more suprisingly, Garbers has just one fewer interception than Loya and Sturdivant have receptions.

While a targeting penalty on Indiana defensive back D’Angelo Ponds wiped off a long pass play between Garbers and Sturdivant, the receiving duo was otherwise invisible against the Hoosiers – together garnering just one reception for six yards.

Alongside Garbers – who is in his fourth year in Westwood – both Loya and Sturdivant were poised for boosted production in 2024.

However, lackluster play from Garbers, a stagnant offense and a weak offensive line has made UCLA’s once-potent attack a recipe for disaster. It begs the question, what is first year associate head coach and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy doing?

We’re waiting, Bieniemy

In the last five years, Bieniemy led one of the most prolific offenses in the history of the NFL – the Kansas City Chiefs.

Through 16 years in the league, Bieniemy served as a running backs coach, offensive coordinator and assistant head coach. Most notably, he has two Super Bowls to his name.

After the departure of former coach Chip Kelly, it was expected that Bieniemy would bring his two decades of collegiate and professional coaching experience to Westwood and revolutionize UCLA’s offense into an innovative and threatening group.

So far, Bieniemy has done none of that.

Against Indiana, the Bruins looked anything but explosive and creative – posting 13 points with just one touchdown. Garbers looked equally woeful, logging 137 passing yards and one interception with zero touchdowns.

With the absence of Loya and Sturdivant in the Bruin offense and the inefficient play from under center, the question of whether Bieniemy is the right guy begs to be asked.

Whatever happened to D.R.E.?

UCLA’s inaugural Big Ten affair was far from pretty.

There is no denying that the Bruins were embarrassed throughout their 2024 home opener. But, at the end of the day, it’s not just that they lost, it’s how they lost.

Garbers, once again, proved his recklessness with the ball in his hand as he added two turnovers to his season stat sheet – one off fumble on UCLA’s first drive of the game, the second off a costly interception in the second half.

These blunders pushed his turnover count to four – and gifted Indiana two trips to the end zone.

While Garbers was at the forefront of the mistake train, he was not alone. The Bruins were responsible for seven penalties – for 74 yards – in their blowout loss to the Hoosiers, the most important of which came late in the fourth quarter on a holding penalty against redshirt senior offensive lineman Josh Carlin. The penalty wiped off a 29-yard touchdown run from junior running back T.J. Harden, which would have cut Indiana’s lead to 11.

The Hoosiers also racked up their fair share of flags – 14 for 127 yards. If anything, though, this deepens the blow – should the Hoosiers have been more disciplined, the Bruins would’ve been staring down an even uglier stateline.

If UCLA wants to evade the cellar of the Big Ten, discipline must guide its efforts – a value the team insists is at its core.

This is not 2023

With the departure of former defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn to USC and the exit of a myriad of defensive starters – including NFL first-round pick Laiatu Latu – UCLA’s defense was expected to take a step back in 2024.

However, no one expected what the country has seen so far.

Despite allowing just 13 points to Hawai’i in week one, quarterback Brayden Schager still threw for 227 passing yards and one passing touchdown – exposing UCLA’s weak secondary and slow defensive line. This theme reappeared against Indiana when quarterback Kurtis Rourke threw for 307 yards and four touchdowns – good enough for a 193.9 passer rating.

Rourke terrorized UCLA’s secondary, throwing touchdowns to three different receivers and completions to seven different pass catchers. He also mitigated mistakes, avoiding interceptions and fumbles while completing 75.8% of his passes.

A big factor behind Rourke’s success came from his extended time in the pocket – a result of Bruin pass rushers failing to apply pressure. The UCLA defense failed to record a single sack on Rourke while also allowing Indiana to rush for 123 yards on 29 carries.

While a repeat of last year was off the table, this debacle was too far beyond expectations.

A singular bright spot

Despite splitting duties with former running back Carson Steele in 2023, Harden still produced 969 all-purpose yards and nine total touchdowns last season, proving his nomination for the Doak Walker Award – given to the NCAA’s best running back – in the fall.

Harden continued his campaign for the accolade in his first two games of the 2024 season. Despite logging just nine yards on as many rushes against the Rainbow Warriors, he led in receptions with five catches for 22 receiving yards.

The Los Angeles local, again, displayed versatility with his rushing and pass-catching abilities Saturday. Against the Hoosiers, Harden notched 48 rushing yards on 12 carries. Harden also led all Bruin pass catchers with 41 receiving yards on four catches.

After scoring the Bruins’ lone touchdown of the game, Harden’s second score – a 29-yard run that featured several missed tackles – was called back due to an offensive holding penalty.

In an offense that has looked completely dysfunctional, Harden serves as the only bright spot.