Indiana’s Curt Cignetti praises UCLA as ‘undefeated’ in wake of midseason surge

As UCLA prepared to try to topple its highest-ranked opponent in nearly two decades, one coach talked about the challenges of beating an undefeated team, of stopping its vaunted rushing attack, of halting its quick starts.

The coach was Curt Cignetti.

His team just happened to be No. 2 Indiana, the pop-up juggernaut that the Bruins will try to take down on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

“We’re playing a 3-0 football team that’s undefeated, that’s 3-0 in the conference since they have retooled their staff,” Cignetti told reporters. “Very impressive football team.”

So startling is the transformation that the Bruins have made since their winless start that they are the ones now being praised by the coach of one of the nation’s top teams.

Surging UCLA (3-4 overall, 3-1 Big Ten) is only the third Big Ten team to lose its first four games and win its next three, joining 1963 Indiana and 2001 Penn State.

Of course, the Bruins hope the parallels end there given that those Hoosiers went on to lose their final two games and those Nittany Lions finished with a losing record.

Cignetti made the 2025 Bruins sound like a team for the ages, pointing out that they were averaging 233 yards rushing per game over the last three games while dominating the time of possession battle and outscoring opponents 58-17 in the first half over that same span.

UCLA will head into a nationally televised “Big Noon” showdown against Indiana (7-0, 4-0) having already taken down a top-10 team this season, though their 42-37 victory over then-No. 7 Penn State earlier this month has lost considerable luster given the Nittany Lions’ ensuing free fall.

Fortunately for the Bruins, interim coach Tim Skipper played for Pat Hill at Fresno State, meaning he embraces the “Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere” mindset that made the scrappy Bulldogs a national phenomenon because of their fearlessness.

“That’s always part of me; I’ve been brainwashed that way, to be honest with you,” Skipper said. “But, yeah, I mean, to me, once the whistle blows, it’s just us against you. I mean, it’s time to go. Let’s see who had the better week of practice, let’s see who’s more prepared, let’s see who wants this thing. So that’s how I see it. We’re going to kick it off, we’re going to have to be ready to strain for every inch and let’s see what happens.”

Asked to assess Indiana, Skipper heaped praise upon a team that is among the best in the nation in almost every major statistical category.

“I am still trying to identify weaknesses,” Skipper said. “Like, it is crazy how disciplined they are.”

UCLA last beat a team ranked as high as Indiana in a game that many Bruins fans will forever cherish — their 13-9 triumph over No. 2 USC in 2006 at the Rose Bowl.

A recruiting win

At a time of great uncertainty, when it would be easy for UCLA’s staff to worry more about their own futures than those of high school prospects who may never play for them, the Bruins have continued to recruit.

They landed another verbal commitment Monday from Travis Robertson, an offensive tackle from West Bloomfield, Mich., who was previously committed to Bowling Green.

“They have shown me that no matter what situation they are in,” Robertson told The Times, “they will always get the job done with the coaching staff and players. And I’m rooting for this staff 100%.”

UCLA’s staff has also continued to pursue recruits who have backed out of their verbal commitments, including Cooper Javorsky, an offensive lineman from San Juan Hills High who spent time visiting with offensive line coach Andy Kwon before the Bruins’ game against Maryland last weekend.

“We’re grinding over here, we’re not letting anything go to waste or not giving effort in one area or another,” Skipper said of his staff’s recruiting efforts. “It’s full speed in everything that we’re doing.”

UCLA’s 2026 recruiting class is currently ranked No. 78 nationally by 247Sports.com, with 12 players committed.

Injury updates

Skipper said he would wait to further assess quarterback Nico Iamaleava and running backs Anthony Woods and Jaivian Thomas before providing injury updates.

Iamaleava returned from an apparent right knee injury sustained late in the game against Maryland to lead the Bruins on their winning drive. Woods and Thomas were sidelined after “both guys kind of got rolled up on,” Skipper said.