UCLA Football: How to Watch, Predictions, and More for Bruins vs Indiana

Valentina Martinez | Sep 12, 2024

Aug 31, 2024; Honolulu, Hawaii, USA; UCLA Bruins defensive back K.J. Wallace (7) can’t pull in an interception over Hawaii Rainbow Warriors wide receiver Pofele Ashlock (5) during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. Mandatory Credit: Marco Garcia-Imagn Images / Marco Garcia-Imagn Images

The Bruins will make their Big Ten debut against Indiana on Saturday at the Rose Bowl.

The Blue and Gold are 1-0, but the season-opening 16-13 win over Hawaii was ugly. The Hoosiers are 2-0. Indiana most recently put up video game numbers against Western Illinois in the 77-3 victory over the Leathernecks. The program set records for points and total yards last week.

UCLA's latest opponent is certainly daunting, it's not exactly the warm welcome a team would hope for entering a new conference.

The Hoosiers averaged 278.5 yards per game and 279 passing yards. Meanwhile, UCLA's lackluster win over Hawaii only fueled doubts about the program and first-year head coach DeShaun Foster.

The first half of the game was a disaster for UCLA. The offense was a stalemate with Ethan Garbers throwing two picks and the Bruins' backfield averaging just 1.8 yards per carry.

Both head coaches are new to their respective programs, but Curt Cignetti has won everywhere he's landed whereas Foster's lack of experience as a head coach hasn't earned him much praise.

Cignetti boasts a combined 119-35 record at IUP, Elon and James Madison. Foster's record as a head coach is 1-0.

The new Westwood regime can either prove they can handle a top competitor like Indiana or they can open the flood gates further about their projected failure in the Big Ten.

How to Watch

The Bruins and Indiana are this week's Big Ten Saturday Night opponents, which means the matchup will be aired live on NBC at 4:30 p.m. P.T. Fans can also catch the game on Peacock, for those who have a subscription. All eyes will be on the Bruins in their home opener at the Rose Bowl.

Predictions

The matchup is slated to be a high-scoring game, which is no surprise given Indiana's well-rounded offense. The Bruins are currently 3-point underdogs in their home conference matchup, according to Fox Sports.

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The Bruins are coming off a bye week, giving Foster and his team two weeks to prepare for their first Big Ten matchup.

Foster told the media on Wednesday that offensive tackles Garett DiGiorgio and Reuben Unije practiced Wednesday, indicating that the pair will likely be available for Saturday's game.

More than 1,000 UCLA students are slated to watch the matchup directly behind Indiana's bench in a standing-room-only configuration. The student section is the first of its kind in the Big Ten.

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