Road To 10-0: Indiana Shows It Might Be Special With Easy Road Win At UCLA

Hoosiers On SI looks back game-by-game at the path Indiana football took to create a dream season. How did this game inform what we know now that we didn't know then?

Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti reacts at the end of the game against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana’s football team is in the midst of its second bye week of the season. It wasn’t long ago that bye weeks were looked at as respites from gridiron misery for the Hoosiers, but Curt Cignetti’s 2024 team has flipped the script.

Indiana has had an unprecedented season. The 10-0 record amassed by the Hoosiers has never been achieved in program history. With the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff in place in just the knick of time to give a historic season its possible proper reward, a world of possibilities is in front of Indiana in a way no one would have dreamed of in August.

The bye week provides an opportunity to reflect on what has been with just two regular season games left, at No. 2 Ohio State Nov. 23 and at home against Purdue Nov. 30. Hoosiers On SI will take a look at each game and put into context how each fits into the puzzle of what has been a perfect season.

We’ll continue with Indiana’s third game of the season, but its first Big Ten contest – a Sept. 14 trip to UCLA.

UCLA Bruins and Indiana Hoosiers helmets at the line of scrimmage during the game at Rose Bowl. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Narrative Entering The Game – Indiana romped past Florida International (31-7) and FCS Western Illinois (77-3) in the first two games. Those were expected outcomes, if by impressive margins, against inferior competition. Now Big Ten play was on the Hoosiers’ doorstep. Not just any Big Ten game, but a long trip to California to play at UCLA in its first-ever Big Ten game.

UCLA wasn’t a Big Ten contender, but then again, the Hoosiers weren’t considered one, either. Indiana was picked 17th out of 18 teams in the Big Ten preseason media poll. Two victories over FIU and WIU weren’t going to change Indiana’s place in the pecking order. It was going to have to burnish its credentials with a statement win on the West Coast.

Another narrative was Indiana’s offensive rotation – something not really clear to fans yet as the nature of the big winning margins allowed a lot of players to see action. Wide receiver Donaven McCulley – considered to be a star-in-the-making and a huge keep for Curt Cignetti in the offseason – was back after a one-game absence. Would the former Indiana quarterback have the breakout game everyone thought he was capable of having?

Pregame coverage

• MEET THE OPPONENT: UCLA's scouting report going into the Indiana game. CLICK HERE.

• GAME DAY PREDICTION: Predictions and three keys for the UCLA game. CLICK HERE.

• SMELL THE ROSES? Indiana players mix business with life experience in UCLA trip. CLICK HERE.

The Result – Indiana roared to a 21-0 lead via touchdown catches by Miles Cross and Ke’Shawn Williams as well as a touchdown run by Justice Ellison. The Bruins closed the gap to 21-10 in the second half, but the Hoosiers had a 14-point finishing kick on its way to a definitive 42-13 victory at the Rose Bowl.

Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke (9) throws the ball in the second half against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Player Fans Learned To Love – QB Kurtis Rourke: The Ohio University transfer had been good in the previous two games, but this is the game where he really showed himself to Indiana fans and to the Big Ten at-large. Rourke completed 25 of 33 passes for 307 yards and four touchdown passes. He was not sacked, and he played close to mistake-free football. He also helped Indiana by completing all nine of his third down passes for a total of 173 yards on those plays alone.

A total of seven Hoosiers were targeted with passes as observers began to recognize his ability to scope the field and make the right decision. In this game, Cross (6 catches, 90 yards) was his primary target, but he was the third receiver in as many games to lead the Hoosiers in catches.

Rourke’s accuracy was noted as well as his unflappable manner on the field. Rourke was quiet, but he commanded respect. This is the game where he gained that respect from Indiana fans.

Trend That Would Stick – Indiana Was Not Going To Have Any Dropoff On The Road: The super-sized Big Ten had its benefits, but it also has drawbacks – like five-hour flights to the West Coast to play football. To date, Indiana and Penn State are the only Big Ten schools from the Eastern Time Zone to win a game at any of the West Coast schools.

Indiana did it with ease. Unlike other teams that have traveled either direction, Cignetti didn’t want to go a day early to acclimate to the time zone change. The Hoosiers arrived on Friday evening focused on business.

All sports have a distinct home-road advantage, but Cignetti installed the will in his teams to fight through it. There was no noticeable dropoff in the Bruins’ house, and it’s a trait that Indiana has taken into other road contests at Northwestern and Michigan State since. Elite level teams win on the road. In the iconic Rose Bowl, Indiana showed a nationwide TV audience that it intended to reach that status in short order.

Any Postgame Worries? – Penalties were a major problem. Indiana had 14 of them for 127 yards, including a targeting ejection for D’Angelo Ponds and another for CJ West that was later rescinded.

At the time, it seemed like penalties might become a chronic problem for the Hoosiers. Indiana had nine against FIU and now had a 14-penalty game. The Hoosiers wanted to play “nasty,” but it seemed they were overdoing it.

We know now that this game was an anomaly. Indiana hasn’t had a game with more than five penalties since. In fact, it took four games for the Hoosiers to amass their next 14 penalties. The Hoosiers have had just 24 penalties since the UCLA contest.

UCLA Bruins quarterback Ethan Garbers (4) is tackled by Indiana Hoosiers defensive lineman James Carpenter (99) in the first half at Rose Bowl. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Narrative Exiting The Game – This is where heads were turned inside the Indiana fanbase. A sizable contingent of Indiana fans inside the Rose Bowl gave the Hoosiers and Cignetti a standing ovation as they triumphantly came off the field. Many of these images went viral, and Indiana fans coast-to-coast took notice. The domination of UCLA was a complete performance beyond the expectations of most.

Indiana was 3-0 and would only need three more wins out of nine games left to achieve bowl eligibility. This was an important signature win that got the bandwagon rolling. It hasn’t stopped since.

Pro Football Focus stars (top 5 scoring players in each unit, 10 plays or more)  – Offense: QB Kurtis Rourke (86.0), WR Omar Cooper Jr. (81.9), WR Miles Cross (80), RB Justice Ellison (77), WR Ke’Shawn Williams (74.7); Defense: DE Mikail Kamara (72.2), DB Amare Ferrell (71.3), DT Tyrique Tucker (69.4), Edge rusher Lanell Carr Jr. (68), CB Jamier Johnson (67.3).

Postgame coverage

• INDIANA ROLLS PAST UCLA: Indiana earned its largest Big Ten road win since 2001 at the Rose Bowl. CLICK HERE.

• MAYBE INDIANA IS CHARMED THIS TIME? Todd Golden writes about Indiana's 3-0 start and how it might portend good things for the future. CLICK HERE.

• PREDICTIONS REVISITED: Pregame predicitions and three keys are poured over and scrutinized. CLICK HERE.

• WATCH IU PLAYERS AND FANS CELEBRATE: A compilation of celebration pictures and video from Indiana's win over UCLA. CLICK HERE.

Next game – Indiana returns to its nonconference slate as the Hoosiers welcome Charlotte to Memorial Stadium.

Related stories on Indiana football

• ROAD TO 10-0 - FIU: Indiana's road to 10-0 began with the season opener against Florida International. If we knew then what we know now ... CLICK HERE.

• ROAD TO 10-0 - WIU: Indiana romped past FCS Western Illinois to keep its good vibes flowing. CLICK HERE.

• INDIANA OFFENSE, CAUSE FOR CONCERN? Indiana's offensive numbers are down in its last three games. A reverseable situation or an unwelcome trend? CLICK HERE.