The college football season is right around a month away from kicking off. In preparation for the beginning of the 2024 campaign, TheHoosier.com is previewing each of Indiana football's opponents this season. Up next, the UCLA Bruins.
GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Saturday, September 14 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, California
TV designation: NBC and Peacock
SEE ALSO:
- Indiana football opponent preview: Week 1 versus Florida International
- Indiana football opponent preview: Week 2 versus Western Illinois
2023 SEASON RECAP
A season ago, UCLA went 8-5 overall and 4-5 in conference play. Highlighted by wins over Colorado and USC, the Bruins had a fairly up and down 2023 campaign.
In 2023, UCLA boasted a strong offensive attack. The Bruins ranked 32nd in the nation -- higher than any Big Ten team -- in total offense last season, averaging 427.1 yards per game.
Where UCLA really excelled on the offensive side of the ball last year was on the ground, where the Bruins ranked as a top-20 rushing attack in the country.
Half backs T.J Harden -- who is back for the 2024 season -- and Greenwood, Indiana native Carson Steele -- who left for the NFL -- formed a formidable one-two punch on the ground last year.
On the ground last season, UCLA averaged 197.9 yards a contest and 4.9 yards per carry. The Bruins found the end zone on the ground 21 times during the 2023 season.
At least some of UCLA's success on the ground last season can be attributed to the play of its offensive line.
The Bruins' offensive front graded as the 39th-best run blocking bunch in the country last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
UCLA's 2023 passing attack on the other hand was a bit of a mixed bag.
After benching sophomore quarterback Dante Moore, who's now at Oregon, around the midway point of the regular season, redshirt senior Ethan Garbers took over starting signal caller duties down the stretch run of the season.
Garbers, who is back at UCLA this upcoming season, led the Bruins to a 4-2 record over his six starts. He threw for 1,136 yards and 11 touchdowns, while completing 67.1% of his passes last season.
On the defensive side of things, UCLA was one of the top units in the country in 2023.
The Bruins finished the season last year ranked inside the top-15 in the country in both points allowed per game (18.4) and total offense allowed per game (301.5).
As good as the Bruins were running the ball offensively last season, they were even more impressive at stopping the run. UCLA allowed just 80.8 rushing yards a game in 2023 -- the second-best mark in the country.
All told, UCLA's 8-5 2023 campaign was capped off by a two-score victory over Boise State in the Starco Brands LA Bowl.
2024 SEASON OUTLOOK
The Bruins return a ton of production from last year's squad. UCLA ranks inside the top-25 in the country in returning production ahead of the upcoming season, with 70% of the offensive production from 2023 returning for the 2024 season.
Ethan Garbers is back for another season on the west coast as UCLA's presumptive starting quarterback, as is talented tail back T.J. Harden.
The Bruins also return their top three receivers from last season in wideout's Logan Loya and J.Michael Sturdivant, as well as tight end Moliki Matavao. UCLA also added transfer receiver Titus Mokiao-Atimalala this offseason, after a productive 2023 campaign at UCF.
Also returning in 2024 for the Bruins are three starters from what was a strong offensive line last season.
Defensively, while UCLA is returning 71% of their production from one of the nation's top defenses a season ago, UCLA lost a handful of its top players from last year's defensive unit.
All-American defensive end Laiatu Latu is now playing professionally, as is fellow defensive lineman Gabriel Murphy and linebacker Darius Muasau.
Even with a handful of UCLA's 2023 defensive standouts now elsewhere, the Bruins return two of their top three tackles from last season, to go along with a handful of impact additions via the transfer portal.
In the secondary, the Bruins have an entirely new compliment of players, returning no starters from last year's defensive back room. However, a trio of big name transfers in the secondary figure to play a huge part of UCLA's defense in 2024.
Despite all the returning production from a players stand point, the Bruins have a new head coach entering 2024.
With former head coach Chip Kelly off to Columbus to be Ohio State's offensive coordinator, UCLA elected to promote from within with the hiring of DeShaun Foster -- the Bruins' former running backs coach -- as the program's new head man entering the 2024 season.
PRESEASON PROJECTION
It's difficult to project what the Bruins may look like this season playing in a new conference in 2024.
Most preseason projections have UCLA slotted to finish right around 14th in the Big Ten this upcoming season.
Nonetheless, given the amount of production UCLA returns this year, Indiana will be looking at its first true test of the 2024 season in week three against the Bruins.
The first-ever meeting between Indiana and UCLA on the gridiron is a prime opportunity for Curt Cignetti to announce his arrival to the rest of the Big Ten.
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