Curt Cignetti wants No. 2 Indiana to focus on UCLA’s recent success instead of early woes

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti understands UCLA has a losing record. He still sees the Bruins as an unbeaten team.

No, it’s not because of some old coaching cliche about going 1-0 or it’s the most important game because it’s the next game. Cignetti views it through the reality of today’s new college football environment.

Since firing coach DeShaun Foster and changing offensive and defensive coordinators in September, the Bruins have looked like a different team in posting three straight wins under interim coach Tim Skipper. So Cignetti is tossing out the book — and the game tape — from those first four losses and asking his second-ranked Hoosiers to study only the last three contests.

“We’re playing a 3-0 football team that’s undefeated,,” Cignetti said, fully aware UCLA is actually 3-4 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten. “They’re starting fast, outscoring people in the first half 58-17. Averaging 33 points a game. Defense, a lot of different personnel packages, really try to keep you off balance, really impressed with what they do. I mean we’re playing we’re a 3-0 football team at home this Saturday.”

Sure, it’s been a dramatic turnaround though the Bruins have come against a reeling Penn State team before it made a midseason coaching change and Michigan State and Maryland, which are a combined 1-7 in league play.

Now comes UCLA’s most daunting challenge.

Indiana (7-0, 4-0) is trying to protect the highest ranking in school history for the second straight week as it tries to extend a school record 13-game home winning in front of another sold out crowd on national television as they seek a second straight playoff bid.

In an odd twist, Cignetti’s Hoosiers entered the national discussion after a 42-13 victory over Foster’s Bruins in Week 3 last season, a matchup of two first-year coaches.

This season, Indiana ranks fourth nationally in scoring (43.9 points) and scoring defense (11.6), leads the FBS with 24 TD passes and has the nation’s most efficient quarterback in the country, Fernando Mendoza (191.01).

That, Skipper said, shows up on every tape he’s seen and explains why the Hoosiers still are unbeaten.

“I started watching film on them (Sunday), and I’m still trying to identify weaknesses,” he said Monday. “It’s crazy how disciplined they are. Coach Cignetti does a great job with those guys. They are very, very disciplined in all three phases, like they’re not giving up explosive plays and they’re having a ton of explosive plays.”

What’s changed?

The biggest difference for UCLA between the coaches has been the success of the ground game. Before Skipper took over, the Bruins averaged 122.0 yards per game. Over the last four, they’ve averaged 207.8 yards and held the ball for more than 33 minutes.

They’ve topped the 200-yard mark in two of the three wins, with quarterback Nico Iamaleava rushing for 128 yards and three scores in the victory over Penn State. Last week, UCLA rushed for 193 yards. They may need to lean more heavily on the run this week after Iamaleava injured his right knee late in last week’s game.

“We’ve identified our style of play and what we want to be,” Skipper said. “Now we’ve got to back it up every single day and in every single game. We have to back it up to play the way we’re supposed to play.”

Skipper said a decision on Iamaleava’s status would be made later this week.

Inside info

While the offense has changed since UCLA parted ways with coordinator Tino Sunseri after just four games, Cignetti did not say whether he would seek any insights from Sunseri this week.

Cignetti gave Sunseri his first big coaching break, naming him James Madison’s quarterbacks coach in 2021. Sunseri then followed Cignetti to Indiana, where he served as offensive coordinator. He was the only coach to leave Indiana after the greatest season in school history.

Home, sweet, home

Mendoza has had a spectacular season since transferring from California to Indiana, and he’s been nearly flawless on his new home turf.

In his first five games in Bloomington, he’s completed 78.8% of his throws (100 of 127) for 1,307 yards, 18 touchdowns, no interceptions and two rushing TDs while being sacked three times. He faced UCLA once previously, leading Cal to a 30-19 victory in 2023 when he was 19 of 30 with 178 yards, two TDs and two interceptions.

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