New HC Curt Cignetti has brought his winning ways from James Madison to Indiana, with the Hoosiers opening an emphatic 2-0 while scoring 108 points and allowing just 10 to a pair of lower echelon opponents.
Former Ohio University transfer QB Kurtis Rourke enters his sixth and final collegiate season piloting an offense that currently ranks 11th in EPA after Indiana averaged 23 points per game or less in each of the last three years before HC Cignetti’s staff took over. Defensively a veteran front-seven is allowing just 32 rushing yards per game over the first two contests.
New HC Deshaun Foster takes over for the departed Chip Kelly, as UCLA loses ace defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn to cross-town rival USC. They’ve managed to maintain a respectable defense that allowed just 1.8 yards per carry and 278 total yards to Hawaii in their first game.
However, they only gained 71 rushing yards on 20 carries against a Hawaii front that allowed 172 rushing yards per game last year. Most of UCLA’s production was created by QB Ethan Garbers, who accounted for 320 of the teams 343 total yards.
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Game Details and How to watch 2024 UCLA vs. Indiana Saturday Night
· Date: Saturday, September 14th, 2024
· Time: 7:30 PM EST
· The Rose Bowl
· City: Pasadena
· TV/Streaming: NBC/Peacock
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Latest Game odds for UCLA vs. Indiana
The latest odds as of Friday afternoon:
o Moneyline: Indiana -160, UCLA +130
o Spread: Indiana -3 (-115)
o Over/Under: 46.5 points
*odds courtesy of BetMGM
Indiana opened as a -2.5 point road favorite but has not steamed up to the key number -3. It should also be noted that the game total opened at 49.5 and has dropped three points to the current 46.5.
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Eric Froton (@CFFroton) likes the road team in this matchup:
“There’s always some hesitation when taking a road favorite to cover. Indiana is hitting the ground running with an experienced team (21 FBS starters) that is chock full of HC Cignetti’s JMU transfers that dominated the SBC last season. With UCLA turning over even more staff and personnel than Indiana, and their extremely underwhelming 16-13 showing against Hawaii, I’m taking Indiana on the road and laying the 3 points.”
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From the Trading Desk at BetMGM courtesy of John Ewing: Week 3 Highlights
Most bet games (tickets)
1. Alabama-Wisconsin
2. LSU-South Carolina
3. Missouri-Boston College
Most bet teams (tickets)
1. Alabama -16.5
2. Georgia -24.5
3. Boston College +16.5
Most bet teams (handle)
1. Alabama -16.5
2. Texas -35.5
3. Georgia -24.5
Quarterback matchup for UCLA vs. Indiana
o Indiana: QB Kurtis Rourke started the last three seasons for Ohio University, amassing 7,663 passing yards with a 66.4% completion rate and a 50-to-16 ratio. Rourke earned a 75th% PFF passing grade in each of those campaigns with a solid 16% pressure to sack rate. The 2022 MAC Offensive Player of the Year, Rourke is the brother of Ohio U program legend QB Nathan Rourke. He has completed 30-of-42 passes for 448 yards and a 3-to-0 ratio thus far in 2024.
o UCLA: The number five pro-style quarterback from the 2020 prep cycle, Garbers originally enrolled at Washington before spending the next four years at UCLA. He bided his time until 2022 when he played in six games before battling five-star freshman QB Dante Moore for the starting job last year. He started six games down the stretch completing 67% of his throws for 2,007 passing yards 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions, which was enough to sew up the starting job again this season. His Week 1 performance against Hawaii left much to be desired though, as Garbers went 19-for-38 for 272 passing yards and a 1-to-2 ratio and 47 rushing yards in a 16-13 survival of the Rainbow Warriors.
Hoosiers vs. Bruins player news & recent stats
§ Former Notre Dame transfer Rico Flores led the UCLA receiver room in Week 1 by reeling in 3-of-7 targets for 102 yards and a touchdown while splitting his reps evenly between the slot and out wide.
§ UCLA starting RB TJ Harden accrued 365 total yards and four touchdowns over the Bruins’ final three games of 2023. However, he managed to gain just 9 yards on 9 carries against Hawaii in Week 1.
§ Indiana outgained Florida International 414-to-182 yards in a comfortable 31-7 defeat of the Panthers back on Week 1. Three running backs ran for at least 60 yards in the contest.
§ The Hoosiers followed that commanding performance up with a 77-3 destruction of Western Illinois in which Indiana rung up 703 total yards on the shellshocked WIU defense.
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