It was well before the game officially went final that Indiana knew that they would secure their first conference win of the season; however, there were many bumps in the road en route to the Hoosiers' 41-13 rout of UCLA Saturday night at the Rose Bowl.
After surrendering a touchdown in the final defensive drive of the first half for the third consecutive game, defensive lineman CJ West was ejected for targeting. The Hoosier defense did not blink. Instead, they dug their feet in and held the Bruins in check the rest of the game.
"They weren't rattled," Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti said postgame. "Play the next play."
It was poise, something Indiana fans haven't seen from their team in some time.
Even after D'Angelo Ponds became the second Hoosier ejected for targeting, it was a next-play mentality from the Indiana defense. It was a veteran duo that maintained homeostasis on the sideline.
"I feel like guys like Aidan Fisher and Jailin Walker were keeping everybody composed," cornerback Amare Farrell said. "The coaches as well, but mainly those two guys."
It was leadership that Jailin Walker knew would help guide the defense out of the rough patch of calls.
"Me and Fish are the captains of the defense," Walker said. "We just told the guys to keep our control and just go out there play by play."
It was poise, something Indiana fans haven't seen from their team in some time.
In years past, a few bad calls from the officiating crew would have sent Indiana into a tailspin; however, there is a different vibe under Cignetti.
Earlier in the week, the first-year head coach dubbed the weekend trip out west as a "business trip" and wanted to avoid all distractions off the field.
Not only did his team avoid all distractions off the field, but they also avoided mistakes when calls were going against them.
"We came in knowing what we had to do to take care of business," Farrell said. "We did that."
The Indiana defense dominated the Bruin offense, holding them to 238 yards of total offense.
UCLA's quarterback Ethan Garbers threw for 142 yards, the most passing yards Indiana's defense has allowed this season, but it did not come easy for the Bruins quarterback.
The Hoosier pass rush constantly put pressure on the senior signal caller for UCLA, totaling two sacks.
The pressure on Garbers led to two Bruin turnovers, the first coming on the game's first play. The turnover gave the Indiana defense confidence that they rode the rest of the night.
"It's a good feeling when you get a turnover the first play of the game, especially when you know the offense is going to score," Farrell said. "It definitely calmed us down."
Indiana was penalized ten times in the second half for 97 yards, with some more clear-cut than the others.
"I'm sure there's quite a few that I don't agree with," Cignetti said. "You got to get ready to play the next play so it doesn't snowball on you."
Even after the penalties piled up and frustration mounted in the stands from the Indiana fans who made the trip to Pasadena, the defense held UCLA to just 118 yards in the second half, ultimately guiding the team to a road victory in blowout fashion.
Even though Indiana is returning to Bloomington unblemished through three games, the demeanor stays the same, starting from the top down.
"This one's over," Cignetti said of the mindset following the victory. "It's a great a win and good experience, but it's over. Monday we're humble and hungry with our eyes on the next game."
There will be a variation of ways Saturday night's victory will be remembered, but Indiana's even-keeled demeanor throughout the entirety of the game was certainly one of the many reasons that made the historic night in program history come to fruition.
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