Indiana’s game against UCLA looks a lot different than it did a month ago.
The Bruins looked listless as they limped to an 0-3 start, before firing head coach DeShaun Foster and promoting Tim Skipper to interim head coach. UCLA lost its next game after the change, at Northwestern, and then Skipper replaced offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri and promoted Jerry Neuheisel from tight ends coach and assistant head coach to the vacant position.
Since then, UCLA’s fortunes have turned. Skipper orchestrated a stunning upset of Penn State, followed by wins over Michigan State and Maryland.
“We’re playing a 3-0 football team that’s undefeated, 3-0 in conference,” IU head coach Curt Cignetti said on Monday. “Since they have retooled their staff, now have their new defensive coordinator and offensive staff in place, very impressive football team.”
The Bruins have turned things around by going more balanced offensively. After averaging 124.3 rushing yards per game through their first four games, they’ve put up 233.3 in the last three contests. UCLA averaged 27.3 rushing attempts per game in the first four, but that’s gone up to 43.7 in the last three.
Quarterback Nico Iamaleava was one of the highest-profile transfers last offseason, when he went from Tennessee to UCLA in April. He’s leading the Bruins with 360 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the season; he particularly torched Penn State on the ground, with 128 yards on 16 attempts with three touchdowns. He’s been a bigger threat in the running game than the passing game this season, but the entire offense has been better since the coaching change. Iamaleava will be one of the more talented quarterbacks on Indiana’s schedule this season.
“Nico can really spin the ball,” Cignetti said. “He can make all the throws. He’s got a really quick release. He’s got a live body, a really quick body. That’s why you’ve seen some of the long gains out of the pocket with him.”
Strong discipline
Indiana has done a good job of limiting penalties this season.
The Hoosiers rank among the best teams in the country in that regard. They commit the eighth-fewest penalties per game, and they give away the fourth-fewest penalty yards per game. IU set season-bests in this department against Michigan State, with only one penalty all game, for five yards.
Cignetti said his team’s goal every week is to commit no more than one penalty per half in each phase, and the Hoosiers have achieved that in several games this season.
“You want them to play fast. You want them to play physical. You want to be relentless. But you got to be smart,” Cignetti said. “You never want any pre-snap penalties. We’ve had a few on the road. But we’ve done a nice job of keeping the blocks in the front in the special teams game. Our defense does a nice job knowing when to pull off and still rally and get multiple hats to the ball. I’ve really seen that trend in the right direction the last four, five years. This team, with its veteran leadership, character and intelligence. We still had a few too many in my opinion, right? We can get better yet.”
The Daley Hoosier
Kellan Wyatt’s injury is a big hit to Indiana’s defensive line. The Maryland transfer was enjoying a productive season, with eight tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one pass breakup, and two QB hurries.
But Stephen Daley has quietly come close to Wyatt’s production level, with 3.5 sacks, 7.5 TFLs, one pass breakup, and one QB hurry. The Kent State transfer will likely step into a bigger role with Wyatt out.
“He’s a tremendous athlete and once he’s learned the defense, he’s really making fast progress,” Cignetti said. “He has size, strength, speed, suddenness. He plays hard.”
Daley brings a diverse athletic background to the table for IU.
He was a versatile offensive weapon in high school, playing some wide receiver, running back, tight end, and fullback. He settled in at defensive end on the other side, but he still has that offensive background in mind. Daley also ran track and threw discus in high school. He was running the 100 meter and 200m, at around 230 pounds.
The Winchester, Va. native wound up at Kent State, despite some late interest from Cignetti at James Madison. He was productive for the Golden Flashes, posting nine TFLs, four sacks, and six QB hurries last season.
Daley acknowledged losing Wyatt is tough, and said he and Mikail Kamara will have to step up to fill that void.
“Next man up. Throughout practice, I guess we’ll see who kind of is going to step up for the position to help me and Mikail out,” Daley said on Tuesday. “But also, me and Mikail kind of know our reps are gonna go up, and we just gotta toughen up.”
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