Following a historic shellacking of Western Illinois, Indiana football (2-0) heads to Hollywood to play UCLA (1-0) at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
Indiana's 77-point outburst against the Leathernecks set a new program record for points and marked the largest of victory since 1944.
The Hoosiers received one vote in the most recent USA Today Coaches Poll released on Sunday, September 9th.
UCLA, led by first year head coach DeShaun Foster, was idle last week after narrowly beating Hawaii on the road 16-13 in The Aloha State.
Saturday's game will be the first time Indiana and UCLA meet on the gridiron. Furthermore, it will mark the first time since the 1968 Rose Bowl Game that the Hoosiers will take the field at the Rose Bowl.
Before kickoff comes Saturday evening, here's what you need to know regarding the Hoosiers' week three clash with the Bruins.
Injury Updates
Wide receiver Donovan McCulley was listed as out for last week's game, and Curt Cignetti said on Monday that it was "too early" to determine whether his top receiver would be playing or not.
Tight end James Bomba suffered a lower-body injury in last week's victory. His status is unknown at this time.
JoJo Johnson was listed as questionable last week. Although he was seen in warmups, he did not play.
EJ Williams and Brody Kosin's statuses are unknown, although they were out last week.
Storylines to Watch
How will transfers look in first Big Ten game?
Saturday night's primetime matchup with UCLA will mark the first power conference games for the JMU transfers, such as Mikail Kamara and Elijah Sarratt, who are both excited about their opportunity.
"This a big opportunity to prove ourselves," Kamara said Tuesday. "We're just trying to prove that we're supposed to be here."
This is the biggest stadium that most of the newcomers will ever play in, so it will be a big deal for them.
The question is if the returning guys with experience playing bigger environments can guide their teammates in the early going. Coming from Ohio, Kurtis Rourke hasn't yet played at this level, but guys like Mike Katic, Justice Ellison, and Donovan McCulley have played in bigger environments. Rourke will have to lean on those guys early to ease the nerves of the environment.
It is imperative the veterans can help the newcomers transition in the first quarter.
Just how imperative is it that Indiana starts fast?
Curt Cignetti has talked about how the trip to Pasadena will be a 'business trip' and at the time that the team will not land into LAX until Friday night in order to avoid any distractions.
The time difference can mess with players' biological clocks, which could lead to fatigue, but Cignetti took his James Madison team to Utah State last year and has some experience with it.
Indiana can ill-afford to come out of the gate slow. UCLA is well rested and ready for their first home game of the season. A slow start could have the Hoosiers playing from behind early, somewhere they haven't been in the first two weeks.
A fast start will knock the rust off from a long flight and make it sixty-minute game.
Matchup to look for: Indiana's WR's vs UCLA's DB's.
In last Friday's rout of Western Illinois, eight different Hoosiers caught a pass, totaling 378 and three touchdowns.
We saw flashes of how good the connection between Kurtis Rourke and Elijah Sarratt can be, but it wasn't much of a test based on how easily Sarratt broke free from Leatherneck defensive backs.
UCLA's secondary will provide Indiana with their toughest challenge of the young season. The Bruins twice intercepted Hawaii's quarterback Brayden Schager, one from Ramon Henderson and another from D.J. Justice.
Both sides have yet to be tested, so it will be an intriguing matchup that can shake up the outcome.
Quick Hitters
Who?: Indiana (2-0) at UCLA (1-0)
When?: Saturday, September 14th, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where?: Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, California
TV: NBC, Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst), Kathryn Tappen (sideline), Terry McAulay (rules analyst)
Radio: IU Radio Network, Don Fischer (play-by-play), Buck Suhr (analyst), John Herrick
Vegas: IU -3.5, o/u 46.5
ESPN SP+: UCLA 26-23, 56% chance of Bruin victory
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