Indiana

Indiana football: Prepping for new-look UCLA wasn’t an easy task

Published

1 year ago

September 14, 2024

Indiana football: Prepping for new-look UCLA wasn’t an easy task

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football didn’t have much film to go on as it prepared for its Big Ten opener this week.

That leaves plenty of unknowns as the Hoosiers head into the Rose Bowl on Saturday afternoon to face a UCLA team led by first-year head coach DeShaun Foster and a pair of new coordinators.

The Bruins had a bye week after beating Hawaii, 16-13, in their season-opener.

“I’m sure that coming off their opener they were happy they won but probably not pleased with the way they played overall,” IU coach Curt Cignetti said. “They did go in shorthanded, minus two offensive tackles, but good program like that, I’m sure they have something to prove.”

More: The Runout: Previewing Indiana football’s Week 3 game against UCLA

UCLA’s new defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe keeping same scheme

UCLA promoted linebackers coach Ikaika Malloe to defensive coordinator in January. He’s the program’s fourth defensive coordinator in as many years and replaces D’Anton Lynn, who left for USC. Malloe told reporters during spring practice he planned to keep the same scheme as Lynn used.

The Bruins had the 10th ranked defense in the country last year (301.5 yards allowed per game), but lost some key personnel including defensive end Laiatu Latu and linebacker Darius Muasau.

“The package is the same with some tweaks,” Cignetti said. “Little more pressure perhaps.”

He expanded on that scouting report during his weekly coach’s show.

“There’s some new stuff showing up,” Cignetti said. “I’ve never gone against a team that’s lined up one d-lineman and five linebackers and five defensive backs, or two d-lineman, four linebackers and five defensive backs, couple different 3-3 groupings.”

The film of UCLA’s opener wasn’t much use to IU’s offensive staff since Hawaii ran a spread offense that relied almost exclusively on four-receiver sets and didn’t play a tight end. The Hoosiers mostly play 11 personnel with tight end Zach Horton on the field for much of the game.

More: Why Indiana football isn’t spending much time in California on UCLA road trip

UCLA’s new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy brings pro style attack to Pasadena

UCLA’s new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy isn’t lacking experience, but he’s spent much of his career in the pros. He’s coming off a brief stint as the Washington Commanders offensive coordinator.

“We actually watched stuff of the Commanders in our cut-ups since UCLA only played their one game against Hawaii,” Indiana defensive end Mikail Kamara said.

The Bruins had what IU defensive coordinator Bryant Haines described as a “disjointed” effort in the opener.

“It’s hard off of one game, I’m looking at what appears to be an NFL-style offense that seems a little bit disjointed at times, but has some real playmakers, some real speed on the perimeter, some talented running backs and a gun-slinger type of quarterback (Ethan Garbers),” Haines said. “…A talented offense that hasn’t quite figured out what they want their identity to be.”

UCLA had 343 total yards of offense in the opener, but most of that production (259 yards) came in the second half. They turned it over twice (a pair of interceptions), ran for only 70 yards and was 4 of 13 on third down. Cignetti was quick to note that the Bruins played much of the game without both their starting tackles — Garrett DiGiorgio and Reuben Unije — who he expects will be back in the lineup on Saturday.

“They struggled up front,” Cignetti said.

Indiana’s focus will be putting pressure on Garbers regardless of who is blocking for him.

“He can really wing it, and he’s mobile, and he’s a very talented guy,” Cignetti said.

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.

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Indiana

FBI thwarted ‘ISIS-inspired plot’ at Indiana school, but won’t say where

Published

4 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

FBI thwarted ‘ISIS-inspired plot’ at Indiana school, but won’t say where

At some point in 2025, the FBI helped a local police agency foil an “ISIS-inspired plot” that at least one minor planned to carry out at an unnamed central Indiana school, according to an annual summary released by the federal agency’s Indianapolis field office on Jan. 5, 2026.

FBI agents “disrupted an ISIS-inspired plot targeting a Central Indiana high school through rapid coordination with local partners,” according to the news release.

Beyond that, the agency provided few details, sharing neither the name of the school involved nor the city or town in which the school was located. Nor did the agency clarify why the report characterized the plot as ISIS-inspired.

Chris Bavender, an FBI spokesperson, declined to answer an IndyStar request for additional information about the foiled attack, responding in an email that “this matter is ongoing.”

“Because the student had immediate access to firearms, FBI Indianapolis worked closely with the high school and our local law enforcement partner to remove all firearms from the house, and the student was expelled from school. DOJ did not file charges as the individual is a juvenile,” Bavender wrote.

Bavender did not provide any information on whether the student is facing charges in the juvenile justice system.

Although high schools in both Mooresville and Westfield were the site of high-profile threat investigations in 2025, neither matched the details mentioned in the FBI report.

In February 2025, Trinity Shockley, 18, was arrested after sharing plans for a Valentine’s Day school shooting at Mooresville High School. Though the investigation into Shockley began after the FBI received a tip, Shockley was not a juvenile at the time of her arrest. Nor did court documents filed in her case reference any connection to ISIS.

The Mooresville Police Department did not immediately respond on Jan. 5 to a request for comment.

In September 2025, Westfield High School was placed on lockdown after a “potential threat.” Billy Adams, the assistant chief of the Westfield Police Department, said there’s no indication the lockdown “had anything to do with an ISIS-inspired plot.”

IndyStar reached out on Jan. 5 to multiple police agencies in central Indiana, including the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the Southport Police Department, the Speedway Police Department and the Beech Grove Police Department.

Officials for IMPD, Southport, and Speedway police said their agencies handled no such threat. Beech Grove’s police department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ryan Murphy is the communities reporter for IndyStar. She can be reached at rhmurphy@indystar.com.

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Unseasonably mild temperatures for central Indiana this week | Jan. 5, 2026

Published

16 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

Unseasonably mild temperatures for central Indiana this week | Jan. 5, 2026

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Temperatures in Central Indiana are expected to remain above normal through late this week, with highs near 60 degrees expected by Thursday and Friday. Rain showers are predicted from Thursday through Friday night, with the possibility of isolated thunderstorms.

Today:

Dry and mild, with high temperatures ranging from the mid 40s to low 50s. Just a mix of sun and clouds with light winds should make for a pleasant afternoon.

Tonight:

Lows in the mid 30s to low 40s, with patchy drizzle or fog possible late.

Tuesday:

Mostly cloudy skies and breezy conditions with wind gusts of 20 to 25 mph, elevating highs into the lower to middle 50s. A few light showers will be possible through the day as well.

Wednesday:

Should be the best day of the week, featuring more sunshine and lighter winds, with highs in the low to mid 50s.

Late week storm system:

Highs on Thursday and Friday are set to approach 60°, which will be pushing a few records across the state.

A warm front moving through Thursday evening will spark scattered showers and possibly some thunderstorms across the area starting Thursday afternoon.

A stronger storm or two can’t be ruled out.

Showers will continue into the first half of Friday, before the cold front pushes out of the state later in the day.

As the weekend approaches, the cold front will move through, leading to a significant drop in temperatures. Conditions will become cooler and breezy, with spotty flurries possible as temperatures return to seasonal norms for this time of year.

Looking ahead, the weekend is expected to bring a return to cooler temperatures and near-seasonal norms, with potential light snow flurries in the forecast as a cold front passes through Central Indiana.

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Indiana football adds explosive running back out of transfer portal

Published

1 day ago

January 4, 2026

Press Room

Indiana football adds explosive running back out of transfer portal

BLOOMINGTON — Curt Cignetti reinforced his running back rotation, which will need an offseason makeover due to eligibility related attrition, on Sunday with the commitment of Boston College running back Turbo Richard according to multiple media outlets.

Richard helps relieve the stress created by the departures of Kaelon Black and Roman Hemby, the Hoosiers’ leading rushers in 2025, both of whom will exhaust their eligibility at the end of the current season. Cignetti and his staff add Richard to a running back room already anchored around Lee Beebe Jr., returning from injury, and Khobie Martin, the one-time Fishers star who flashed meaningful potential this season.

Here’s what to know about IU’s newest running back:

Turbo Richard provides proven production

Indiana has, in Cignetti’s two seasons in Bloomington, shown a repeated desire to add skill players who’ve shown impact in numbers and film. Richard fits that bill.

Across two seasons in Chestnut Hill, he posted 1,027 yards and 11 touchdowns on 200 carries, with another 275 yards receiving and two more touchdowns through the air.

Last season, Richard accounted for 962 total yards and 11 scores.

He’s shown explosiveness too: Richard posted at least one carry of 10-plus yards in seven different games last season, with single-game highs of 18, 43, 46 and 71 yards.

How much eligibility does Turbo Richard have remaining?

Cignetti often refers to players with more than one year of eligibility remaining as more valuable in the portal. His program will get as many as two from Richard.

Additionally, the Charlotte native played right away at Boston College, in 2024, meaning he has a redshirt year if he needs it for any reason as well.

Fit to type

Listed at 5-8, 207 pounds, Richard looks on film a lot like the kind of back Indiana has had success with in Cignetti’s tenure.

He’s quick and nimble enough to get involved in the pass game, but powerful enough to make an impact between the tackles. He also shows excellent burst — as evidenced by those explosive numbers — potentially replacing the second- and third-level burst that made Black and Hemby so dangerous this season.

Indiana led the Big Ten in rushes of 10-plus yards in 2025. Richard profiles as the kind of back that can help sustain that production into 2026.

Back rotation settled?

It’s not clear exactly where Beebe stands in his recovery from a season-ending injury suffered in September. If IU is confident in his return to form, coupled to Martin’s development, this could wind up as Indiana’s running back rotation into next season.

The Hoosiers have reportedly hosted other portal running backs, so it’s possible IU isn’t done here. But especially given Martin’s flashes this season (74 carries, 463 yards, six TDs), if Indiana is settled here, then the Hoosiers appear to have handed position coach John Miller another healthy stable of backs to build a run game around.

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